SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Four members of the Nichols College field hockey team have earned All-Conference honors from The Commonwealth Coast Conference, it was announced Friday by Commissioner Gregg M. Kaye. Seniors Brittney Case (Cambridge, N.Y.) and Jackie Dwyer (Enfield, Conn.) earned First Team accolades, while junior MaryKate Bednarz (Springfield, Mass.) and sophomore Eileen Clinton (Londonderry, N.H.) were awarded Second Team honors.
A talented back, Case commanded the field from end line to end line and anchored the Nichols defense as team captain this season. In 16 games, Case also recorded 11 points on five goals and an assist, and recorded three game-winning tallies. She earned TCCC Player of the Week honors on September 29 after forcing overtime and then netting the game-winner in the extra session against Castleton State. The First Team selection marks the second of Case’s career; she was also a First Team honoree in 2007.
Dwyer, a midfielder, was a key component of Nichols’ success in the midfield this season. In 17 games this season, Dwyer recorded four goals, all in league action, including a pair against University of New England on September 13. The all-conference honor marks the first for Dwyer.
Bednarz started in net for all but one game of the year, posting an 8-9 record with a pair of conference shutouts. With a 1.93 goals against average and a .773 save percentage, Bednarz finished the regular season ranking fourth in the TCCC in both categories. She was named the TCCC Defensive Player of the Week and the ECAC DIII New England Goalkeeper of the Week on September 22, after backstopping the Bison to a pair of one-goal wins. The all-conference honor marks the first of the goalkeeper’s career.
Clinton led the Bison in scoring, posting 22 points on eight goals and six assists. The forward also led the team with four game-winning tallies, placing her third in the league rankings. Clinton, the 2007 TCCC Rookie of the Year, picked up Honorable Mention accolades last season.
Nichols (9-9, 5-3 TCCC), which earned the third seed in the TCCC Championship Tournament, will host sixth-seeded Salve Regina (6-12, 3-5) Saturday, November 1, in a 1 p.m. game at Vendetti Field.
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