Four Stonehill Fall Programs Earn NEC Team Sportsmanship Awards

Bridgewater, NJ (February 3, 2023) - Four Fall Stonehill College athletic programs (Field Hockey, Football, Men's Soccer, and Women's Volleyball) all earned the Northeast Conference Team Sportsmanship Award for their respective sport as announced by the conference earlier today.

The Skyhawks' four winners tied the league's all-time record which is the first time since Central Connecticut did so in 2018.

CCSU women's cross country and Wagner men's cross country not only claimed team sportsmanship accolades, but also won NEC titles back in October.

Saint Francis U rounded out the fall honorees, winning the award in women's soccer.

2022 Northeast Conference
Team Sportsmanship Award Winners


Fall
Men's Cross Country - Wagner
Women's Cross Country - CCSU
Field Hockey - Stonehill
Football - Stonehill
Men's Soccer - Stonehill
Women's Soccer - Saint Francis U
Women's Volleyball - Stonehill


Instituted by league Presidents in 2008, the awards are designed to acknowledge the team in each conference sport that, in the opinion of its peers, most closely demonstrates good sportsmanship based on the NEC Principles of Sportsmanship and Standards of Conduct. Voting is conducted at the conclusion of each season by each team and head coach, who rank teams within the conference based on a set of criteria.

Since the NEC Team Sportsmanship program was instituted in 2008-09, Saint Francis U has won a conference-best 41 awards, followed by Sacred Heart (35), Wagner (33), CCSU (29) and LIU (26) to round out the top-five.

"It is with tremendous pride that we recognize those teams that prioritize fair play and value winning with integrity at the highest level," said NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris. "It talkes everyone from our student-athletes to coaches to administrators to Presidents to create an environment of respect and support during NEC athletic competitions, To be recognized by your peers for upholding these standards is the ultimate honor." 
 
About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 42nd season, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of nine institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Boston (#9), Hartford/New Haven (#33) and Providence (#53). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 24 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 15 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU, Merrimack, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league's official website official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.