O’Brien Named To NSCAA/Continental Tire All-East Region Third Team


O'Brien earns NSCAA All-East Region third team honors to go with her selection to the All-NE-10 second team.

West Hartford, Conn. native started all 18 matches this fall and recorded five points on two goals and an assist

NSCAA/Continental Tire All-East Region Teams

EASTON, Mass. (December 5, 2014) – Stonehill College sophomore back Claire O'Brien (West Hartford, Connecticut/Hall) has earned All-East Region third team honors for women's soccer from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/Continental Tire, it was announced earlier this week.

O'Brien, a second team All-Northeast-10 Conference selection this fall, played an integral role in leading Stonehill back to the NE-10 Tournament following a two-year absence.

The sophomore defender started in all 18 matches for the Skyhawks, helping to lead a defense that posted the seventh-lowest goals against average (1.15) in the NE-10 while recording five shutouts.

O'Brien also expanded her offensive game this season, scoring the first two goals of her collegiate career to go with an assist for a total of five points. The West Hartford, Connecticut native helped spark Stonehill's comeback from an early 2-0 deficit in the season opener against Assumption College on September 5th with her 34th minute goal, as the Skyhawks eventually posted a 4-2 victory.

A month later, O'Brien found the back of the net again, this time in a 1-0 Stonehill triumph at American International College on October 4th. She delivered the game-winner on a free kick from 25 yards out in the 89th minute, lifting the Skyhawks to one of their most memorable wins of the regular season. O'Brien also provided the assist on freshman Taylor Shannahan's 18th minute goal in Stonehill's 2-1 triumph over Merrimack College on October 15th.   

O'Brien made an immediate impact for Stonehill during her freshman campaign in 2013, starting all 18 matches and earning a selection to the New England Women's Intercollegiate Soccer Association (NEWISA) All-New England second team.

Academically, O'Brien was named to both the NE-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll each semester during the 2013-14 academic year.

A 2013 graduate of William H. Hall High School in West Hartford, Connecticut, O'Brien was a four-year letterwinner for head coach Scott Ferguson. She was named to the All-Academic team all four years at Hall, in addition to earning Central Connecticut Conference (CCC) All-West Division honors as a junior and senior.  

Stonehill finished its 2014 regular season at 8-7-2, earning the eighth seed in the NE-10 Tournament with a 6-6-2 league record. The Skyhawks fell to top-seeded Assumption College, 2-1, in overtime on November 4th in the quarterfinal round.

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter and Facebook. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks mobile app on iTunes and the Android Market.