Hughes earns NEC Player of the Week honors for the first time after her career-high ten points at FDU (PHOTO BY Brian Foley) |
Franklin Square, New York, junior attack earns program's first major weekly award in first Division I season
NEC Women's Lacrosse Weekly Report
EASTON, Mass. (March 20, 2023) – Stonehill College junior attack Molly Mae Hughes has been named the Northeast Conference (NEC) Player of the Week for women's lacrosse by the league office this afternoon.
Hughes is Stonehill's first NEC Player of the Week for women's lacrosse in the program's inaugural NCAA Division I season, and she was also named an NEC Prime Performer for her efforts along with senior attack Kayla Conway. The duo led the Skyhawks attack in their first Division I win in their NEC debut with a 22-7 victory at Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday. Both have earned Prime Performer status for the first time this season.
Hughes led the way in Saturday's win at FDU with the first ten-point game of her career as she scored a career-high six goals to go with a season-best four assists, chipping in with a caused turnover. She doubled her previous career-high scoring output with her first multi-goal game of the season and the ten points are the most by a player in the NEC this season. Hughes totaled three goals and an assist in the third quarter alone on Saturday as the Skyhawks outscored FDU 9-0 in the frame to break the game open.
Hughes |
Conway |
Hughes has started all six games for Stonehill in its first NCAA Division I season and is third on the team with her 14 points, ranking second with seven assists to go with seven goals which are fifth on the team. She ranks tenth among NEC scoring leaders and fifth in assists, while also having totaled three ground balls.
Hughes has started 34 of her 37 career games played at Stonehill and has totaled 116 points with 73 goals and 43 assists, while adding 49 ground balls, ten draw controls and 11 caused turnovers. Hughes was an IWLCA All-East Region second team selection last season, earning a spot on the Northeast-10 Conference All-Tournament Team as the Skyhawks claimed the NE10 Championship in its final NCAA Division II season. The NE10 All-Rookie Team pick in 2021 has been named to the NE10 Academic Honor Roll and Athletic Director's Honor Roll status four semesters for her efforts in the classroom.
Conway was named an NEC Prime Performer after matching her career-high with six goals at FDU on Saturday. She scored three of her goals in the first quarter, including two in the final 1:53 of the frame as the Skyhawks answered a Knights run that had knotted the score at 4-4 with three-straight goals to cap the quarter. Conway went on to score twice in the third quarter as Stonehill outscored FDU 9-0 to break the game open.
Stonehill (1-5, 1-0 NEC) returns to action on Saturday, when it hosts Wagner College for an NEC matchup at W.B. Mason Stadium at 1 p.m.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
