| Petford was selected to her second career NEWHA First Team. (Photo Credit Mary Gettens). |
EASTON, Mass. (February 23, 2024) – Three members of the Stonehill College women's ice hockey program have earned New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) end of the season honors, as announced by the conference Friday afternoon.
Sophomore Alexis Petford was named to the NEWHA First Team for the second time of her career, while first-year defender Pusle Dyring-Andersen earned NEWHA Rookie Team distinctions. In addition, sophomore Hannah Squires was recognized as a member of the NEWHA Sportswomanship team.
| Dyring-Andersen led the team with 40 blocks this season. (Photo Credit Bob Blanchard). |
Petford has been the lead point-getter for the Skyhawks in the program's infancy. Coming off a season where she was tied for the nation's lead in goals, the sophomore forward out of Balgonie, Saskatchewan, led the Skyhawks again with 28 points off 14 goals and 14 assists. Throughout the 2023-24 campaign, Petford posted record-breaking streaks on multiple occasions, including a nine-game point streak spanning from Oct. 7 to Nov. 4 and, most recently, a six-game goal-scoring streak from Jan. 19 to Feb. 3. After the month-long break in December, Petford caught fire, leading her team with 12 points throughout the second half of the regular season and earning herself NEWHA January Player of the Month distinctions.
Dyring-Andersen earned a spot on the All-Rookie team after finishing the regular season with a goal and ten assists. The three-time NEWHA weekly award winner and October Defender of the Month ranked third in the league amongst defenders, with her ten assists throughout the year. Not only impacting the offensive end of the ice, the Trosa, Stockholm native was a puck magnet blocking a team-high 40 shots. Dyring-Andersen was also a member of the Skyhawks penalty kill unit that ranked eighth on the NCAA Division I leaderboards with a .893 penalty kill percentage.
Rounding out Stonehill's honorees is Squires, as she was named to the All-Sportswomanship Team. The sophomore defender made an impact all over the ice, appearing in 24 games, five as a forward and two as a goalie. In a weekend series against NEWHA rival Saint Michael's College, where both rostered Stonehill netminders could not play, Squires volunteered to lace up the pads and step in between the pipes, a position she has never played in-game action. She stepped in and thrived, earning two wins in goal, and securing the series sweep for the Skyhawks. Furthermore, Squires was also recognized as one of 18 nominees for the 2024 Hockey Humanitarian Award after her selfless stem cell donation to save a life through NMDP's national registry.
| Squires was recognized as a member of the NEWHA All-Sportswomanship team. (Photo Credit Mary Gettens). |
Stonehill begins NEWHA Playoffs with a best of three matchup hosting Assumption University. Puck drop of Friday's series opener in Bridgewater, Mass., between the Skyhawks and Greyhounds is set for 7 p.m. with game two to follow on Saturday at 3 p.m. If necessary, with the series tied after two games there will be a deciding game on Sunday, slated for a 1:30 p.m. start.
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.
