PLYMOUTH, N.H. – A pair of influential and wildly successful head coaches, a record-breaking running back, a lethal field hockey scorer and an All-American women's volleyball player make up the Plymouth State University Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2024.
 
The Class of 2024 inductees are:

• Nancy Feldman, women's soccer and women's basketball head coach from 1990-95. Feldman is the all-time women's soccer leader in wins (75) and winning percentage (.857) and guided the Panthers to five NCAA Tournaments in five years, including a run to the 1993 National Championship game. She is also the second-winningest women's basketball coach in program history, winning 83 games over her five seasons. She piloted the team to a pair of postseason appearances including the program's lone NCAA Tournament showing in 1994-95.
• Jay Cottone, owner of the highest winning percentage as head coach of the football team from 1981-85. Cottone's squads captured five-straight New England Football Conference (NEFC) titles and made three postseason appearances, including the team's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1984 and the program's first ECAC New England Bowl victory in 1983. Cottone sported a career record of 46-7 (.868), winning ten games twice, with a perfect 10-0 mark in 1982, and recording a 43-2 mark in NEFC play.
• Jeff Mack '09, Plymouth State football's all-time, single season rushing leader, amassed 1,779 yards and 20 touchdowns to lead the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament in 2008. Mack finished his career with 3,944 rushing yards to rank second in program history, scoring 43 touchdowns in the process. He was named the 2008 Joe Zabilski Award winner by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston as the top New England player in NCAA Division II/III and was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2007 ECAC North Atlantic Bowl after running for 182 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
• Casey (Stoodley) Button '13, the first and only All-American in the history of the women's volleyball program and one of just four players to record 1,000-plus career kills and digs despite spending just three seasons at Plymouth State. Stoodley's 3.58 career kills per set ranks second all-time, while she's also among the top-ten in kills, aces, aces per set, digs, digs per set, points and points per set. She helped PSU to the Little East Conference (LEC) regular season title in 2011, earning the top seed for the LEC Tournament for the first time, and led the team to the championship games of both the LEC and ECAC Tournaments.
• Nikki (Garvey) Wardwell '15, the second leading scorer in the history of the field hockey program, was a two-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-Region honoree and All-LEC First Team recipient. She is one of just two players in school history to record multiple seasons of 20-plus goals, finishing her career with 64 tallies and 153 points – marks that both rank second on the all-time leaderboard. Garvey captained the Panthers to four ECAC Tournament appearances including titles in 2012 and 2014.

The University's 37th induction ceremony will recognize the accomplishments of the Class of 2024 on Friday, October 4 at the Eugene and Joan Savage Welcome Center in the PSU Ice Arena.
 
A complete list of prior inductees and their profiles, as well as a nomination form, can be found online at athletics.plymouth.edu/HOF. For tickets to the event or more information, call 603-535-2770.
 
 
Inductee Profiles:
 
Nancy Feldman: Feldman inherited a women's soccer program that was coming off a remarkable run of four straight NCAA Tournament appearances with three trips to the Final Four and a spot in the first NCAA Division III National Championship game in 1986. Under her guidance, the team didn't skip a beat as the program continued to remain a national powerhouse throughout her five-year tenure. Feldman posted a 75-10-6 mark during that span, reaching the NCAA Tournament every year with a spot in the 1991 Final Four and the 1993 National Championship game.
 
Plymouth State went 13-3-0 in her first season in 1990. The Panthers opened the year with a pair of losses against two national contenders at the Flower City Invitational, hosted by the University of Rochester, already a two-time national champion. From there, Feldman's squad ripped off 13 straight victories with a remarkable ten shutouts to earn a spot in the national tournament. The Panthers ended the regular season as the top ranked team in New England and hosted the regional championships. After a scoreless game and with a spot in the Final Four on the line, Plymouth State was nipped in penalty kicks (4-2) by Ithaca, the eventual national champion, in the regional finals. Feldman claimed Little East Conference (LEC) Co-Coach of the Year honors after going a perfect 3-0 in league play, while the Panthers dominated the postseason awards. Hall of Famer Deb Biche '92 was named LEC Player of the Year and seven Panthers made up the 12-woman All-LEC team.
 
Determined to return to the Final Four, Feldman's team opened the 1991 season with a 14-match winning streak. The Panthers' stingy defense surrendered just two goals and recorded a dozen clean sheets during the stretch, which included another perfect run through the LEC, before a setback at Salem State in the penultimate game of the regular season. Feldman and Biche repeated their postseason honors, while another Hall of Famer, Stacey Freda '95, claimed LEC Rookie of the Year recognition. Plymouth State had five All-LEC honorees as the team was again selected to host the regional championships. Wins over Kean (3-1) and Cortland State (1-0) brought the Panthers back to the Final Four. Playing on its home turf, Plymouth State came up just short in the national semifinal as Rochester snuck away with a 1-0 win.
 
Feldman guided the Panthers to the program's first unbeaten regular season in 1992 (14-0-2), and third-straight LEC title. Mary-Bridget Pawlik '94 continued the string of LEC Player of the Year honors, while five Panthers earned All-LEC recognition. Plymouth State, ranked #2 in the nation at the end of the regular season, was once again chosen to host the regional bracket. After finishing the regular season with a 1-1 draw against William Smith, the two teams met again one week later with Feldman making the necessary adjustments for a 3-2 win, though hopes of back-to-back trips to the Final Four were erased when UMass Dartmouth avenged an earlier-season loss with a 1-0 win in the regional final.
 
It was more of the same during the 1993 season, as the Panthers opened the slate with an 11-game unbeaten streak (10-0-1) with nine shutouts and a share of the LEC crown. Feldman earned her third LEC Coach of the Year award, while Pawlik repeated as Player of the Year and four Panthers were named All-LEC. The team hosted the regional championships for the fourth straight year as Feldman orchestrated back-to-back shutouts over Williams (2-0) and Rochester (1-0) to return to the Final Four. Pawlik made history, breaking her own record for goals in a season, when her 20th tally of the year found the back of the net in double overtime to knock off UC-San Diego in the national semifinals. The Tritons had entered the game with a perfect 17-0-1 record and a 16-game winning streak, but Trenton State would claim the national title with a win over Feldman's squad in the championship game. Feldman would earn significant postseason honors as the NSCAA New England Region Coach of the Year.
 
In her final season at the helm, PSU rolled to a 15-1-1 regular season with every win coming by shutout. The unbeaten LEC run resulted in another LEC Coach of the Year honor, while Freda was Player of the Year among four all-conference nods. The Panthers' luck ran out at home in the semifinals of the regional championship, though, as Williams snuck past Plymouth State in penalties, 3-2, to end the season.
 
Her success was hardly limited to the pitch, though, as Feldman also led the women's basketball team through one of the most impressive five-year runs in program history, bookended by the team's first postseason invite and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Her 83 wins are the second most all-time, giving her a .629 winning percentage (83-49).
 
Her 1990-91 team soared to a 19-7 record and won a then-record seven LEC contests to finish tied for second in the league. Despite a setback in the LEC Tournament semifinals, the Panthers were awarded the program's first postseason berth with a trip to the ECAC New England Tournament. Feldman claimed LEC Coach of the Year honors, but her squad fell to Connecticut College in the quarterfinals of the ECAC Tournament.
 
After first round exits in the 1991-92 and 1992-93 LEC Tournaments, Feldman lifted the team to an 18-9 mark in 1993-94. PSU won the Hartwick Tournament to jumpstart the season and the squad finished the regular season 7-5 in conference play to earn the third seed for the LEC Tournament. After breezing past UMass Dartmouth in the opening round, the Panthers squared off against Southern Maine in the semifinals. USM had swept the season series, which included a 16-point win just three weeks prior, but Feldman was able to orchestrate a one-point win to reach the championship game for the first time. A setback to Western Connecticut in the title match left the Panthers hungry.
 
PSU won its final seven regular season games in 1994-95, including a four-point, double-overtime win over Western Connecticut in the regular season finale, to finish tied for second in the conference, a program best. The third-seeded Panthers toppled UMass Dartmouth in the opening round of the LEC Tournament to become the first team in program history to reach the 20-win threshold, setting up a rematch with Western Connecticut in the semifinals. Plymouth State built a halftime lead and was able to hold off Western Connecticut down the stretch for a 54-52 win to return to the championship game. The Panthers nursed a 26-25 edge at the half, but Southern Maine rallied for a 69-60 win to capture the LEC crown. What was already tabbed the most successful season in school history got even better, though, as the Panthers received an invitation to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament. Plymouth State trailed by just three points midway through the second half, but Clark was able to pull away, ending the Panthers' historical season.
 
Feldman was named Co-Coach of the Year and a pair of Hall of Famers, Betsy Bruce '96 and Kristen Hodsdon '94, both earned All-LEC First Team honors. The two first teamers remain the most in program history today, while the Panthers have yet to return to the NCAA Tournament.
 
In her time at Plymouth State, Feldman coached eight All-Americans, 22 All-New England honorees, five LEC Players of the Year, one LEC Rookie of the Year, 35 LEC All-Conference honorees and nine future Hall of Famers.
 
Prior to arriving at Plymouth State, Feldman posted a 17-10-2 mark in two seasons as the women's soccer coach at Lake Forest College (Ill.). After her highly successful five years on the PSU sidelines, she left Plymouth State to become the inaugural head coach of the Boston University women's soccer team in 1995, a post she filled for 27 years. She retired in 2022 after compiling a 326-169-54 (.643) with the Terriers. Her 418 career victories ranked 22nd among NCAA women's soccer coaches at the time. Over her 34 years on the pitch, Feldman made 19 trips to the NCAA Tournament and compiled an overall record of 418-188-63 (.672).
 
 
Jay Cottone: Cottone was the architect that helped put Plymouth State football on the national stage. The Panthers enjoyed immense success during his five seasons on the sidelines, winning five New England Football Conference (NEFC) titles and making three postseason appearances, including the program's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 1984.
 
The former Norwich University assistant's head coaching career got off to an ominous start as the Panthers came out on the short end of a 17-0 decision against his former squad. That worry was quickly absolved as Plymouth State would embark on a winning streak encompassing nearly two full seasons. The Panthers rolled through the NEFC schedule to capture their first championship with a perfect 9-0 record – at the time, the best mark ever compiled in the league dating back to its inception in 1965. Plymouth State ranked seventh in the final Lambert Bowl poll as one of the top Division III teams in the East. Cottone's squad led the nation in both passing defense (66.9 ypg) and interceptions (28), while finishing second in total defense (156.0 ypg) and scoring defense (5.1 ppg). Unsurprisingly, Cottone took home NEFC Coach of the Year honors.
 
He was just getting started, though, as the 1982 campaign would go down as one of the most dominant seasons in football history. A perfect 10-0 season, a 19-game winning streak, winning the Lambert Bowl as the top Division III program in the East, capturing a second straight unbeaten NEFC championship, a record six consecutive shutouts, and five All-Americans. Plymouth State opened the slate with a 53-14 win over Norwich. A freshman running back named Joe Dudek '87 scored four touchdowns in that game, laying the groundwork for what would be a Hall of Fame career.
 
Dudek's running threat perfectly complemented an overpowering defense. Plymouth State outscored the opposition by an incredible 414-48 margin, set more than 40 team and individual records, led the nation in pass defense (48.8), total defense (122.2) and interceptions (25), while finishing second in the country in scoring offense (41.4) and scoring defense (4.8). Cottone took home NEFC Coach of the Year honors for the second straight year. The team finished the season ranked 10th in the NCAA Division III national poll and was enshrined in the PSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997.
 
The 1983 edition began the season ranked fourth in preseason polls by Sports Illustrated and The Football News but lost two of its first five games. After dropping the season opener at Norwich, the Panthers rebounded with three straight wins, including a pair of lopsided shutouts against Western Connecticut and Westfield State. A three-point loss at Mass. Maritime left the Panthers at 3-2, but the squad would regroup from there, rolling off six straight victories to close the season. Plymouth State shared the NEFC title with Mass. Maritime and the two teams met in the ECAC New England Bowl Championship, the program's first postseason bid. Plymouth State built a commanding 35-7 halftime lead before holding off the Buccaneers' second-half comeback bid for a 35-24 win.
 
Plymouth State ripped through the schedule again in 1984. The Panthers went 10-0 with an average margin of victory of nearly 28 points, posting the second undefeated season in three years and making history as the first team to win four straight NEFC championships. Plymouth State trailed only once all season, 7-0 to Bridgewater State in an eventual 28-7 win, and outscored the opposition by a 365-85 margin in the regular season. Plymouth State ended the regular season among the national leaders in total offense (445.7), total defense (188.8), pass defense (894), scoring offense (36.5), scoring defense (8.5) and rushing offense (275.1). Dudek tied the NCAA Division III record with 21 rushing touchdowns, while quarterback Larry Cummings was the nation's second leading passer (160.3 rating) with 17 passing touchdowns. Ed Iodice hauled in nine interceptions to rank fourth in the nation.
 
Cottone's squad was rewarded with one of eight spots in the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first New England team to earn a berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs. The Panthers traveled to Schenectady, N.Y. to square off with Union College where Dudek's 52-yard run helped set up a 7-0 lead for the Panthers. Union would ultimately advance with a 24-14 victory, but Plymouth State football was firmly on the national stage. The Panthers held the top spot in the final regular season Lambert/Meadowlands poll and were ranked fourth in the final regular season national poll, while Cottone was named the New England Division III Coach of the Year.
 
A year later not much changed for the Panthers. After falling to Division II American International in the season opener, Plymouth State went 8-1 in NEFC play to share a fifth consecutive title with Western Connecticut. The Panthers were back in the postseason for a third consecutive year, this time squaring off against Albany State in the ECAC North Championship. The Panthers carried a 21-0 lead into the locker room, but Albany returned the second half kickoff for a touchdown and went on to win, 33-21.
 
All told, Cottone oversaw 15 All-Americans, 21 All-New England athletes and 42 First Team NEFC All-Stars during his five years. His .868 winning percentage is easily the best in the history of the program while he averaged more than nine wins per season. Prior to accepting his head coaching role, Cottone was a three-year starter as a quarterback, punter and field goal kicker at Norwich, where he went 18-5-1 during the 1968-70 seasons. Earning All-East and All-New England honors, he played semi-pro in the Atlantic Coast Football League before returning to his alma mater as an assistant coach from 1976-80. Cottone resigned from Plymouth State in 1986 to take an assistant job at the University of Massachusetts.
 
 
Jeff Mack '09: Mack is one of just two running backs in program history to rack up multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He set the single season rushing record during his senior campaign, leading the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament while collecting a slew of postseason honors.
 
Mack finished his career with 3,944 rushing yards, trailing only Hall of Famer Joe Dudek '87, while his 43 rushing touchdowns are also the second most in school history.
 
Mack's development as a rusher coincided directly with Plymouth State's return to postseason play. As an independent, the Panthers went 1-8 during his rookie campaign, but over his final two seasons in a run-heavy offense, Mack led Plymouth State to a 19-3 record, capturing the 2007 ECAC North Atlantic Bowl and carrying the squad to the 2008 NCAA Tournament – the program's fourth overall appearance and first in 13 years.
 
Mack made his collegiate debut in week four of his rookie campaign, logging just four carries for nine yards. He would appear in every game the rest of the way, gradually increasing both his workload and productivity. He found the end zone for the first time in the fourth quarter of a setback to Western Connecticut a week later, then logged a season-high 17 carries in week eight, gaining 49 yards and adding a five-yard TD plunge as the Panthers topped Husson, 33-21. A week later he ran for a season-best 62 yards in a loss to Buffalo State, before closing out the year with another 33 yards on the ground and his third touchdown – finishing his rookie year with 209 yards and three touchdowns.
 
A serious shoulder injury limited Mack to just two games in 2005. His return to the field in 2006 coincided with the Panthers' return to the NEFC. Plymouth State went 4-3 in conference play to finish tied for third in the league, posting a 4-5 overall record. Mack appeared in all nine games, finishing the year with 108 carries for 580 yards (5.4 yards per carry) and six touchdowns.
 
Plymouth State dropped a pair on non-conference contests to open the year before kicking off league play against UMass Dartmouth in week three. Head coach Paul Castonia featured a run-heavy offense that afternoon as the team logged 64 carries and made just six pass attempts. Mack posted the most productive day of his career to date, picking up 86 yards on 21 carries with a touchdown to secure a win. A week later, Western New England got out to a 9-0 lead and the Golden Bears carried an 18-13 advantage into the fourth quarter, but the Panthers blocked a punt and Mack would scamper in with the game-winning score as Plymouth State moved to 2-0 in conference action.
 
The Panthers entered the penultimate game of the season at MIT looking to snap a three-game skid. Castonia again went with a run-first offense and Plymouth State roared out of the gate. Mack had 93 yards and touchdown runs of 59-yards and 20-yards in the first half alone, as PSU quickly built a 28-3 lead. He would register only three second half carries but eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the first time in his career, finishing with 101 yards on 8 carries for a ridiculous 12.6 yards per carry, earning a spot on the NEFC Weekly Honor Roll. He capped the season with another 101 rushing yards and a score as the Panthers toppled Salve Regina, 27-7.
 
The 2007 season marked the return to glory for the squad, while Mack became the featured back shouldering the offense. Plymouth State went 6-1 in the NEFC Boyd Division and returned to the postseason with an appearance in the ECAC North Atlantic Bowl – a thrilling 24-21 win over Bridgewater State. Mack was the driving force behind a powerful offense, piling up 1,353 yards and posting seven 100-yard rushing games. He scored in all but two contests, including five multi-TD games, kicking off the season with 110 yards and three scores in a 41-30 win over Mount Ida.
 
A week later he ran for 154 yards and a score as the Panthers doubled up Coast Guard, 38-19. He eclipsed the 150-yard mark again in week four, a 20-point win at Western New England where he went off for 157 yards and two TDs, but Mack's most impressive run came in the final three games of the season. He churned out 190 yards and two TDs on 28 carries in a 27-0 shutout of MIT, then surpassed the 200-yard mark for the first time with 207 yards and two scores as the Panthers blanked Salve Regina, 21-0 in the regular season finale.
 
The Panthers were awarded a bowl game, Castonia's first postseason bid, and hosted Bridgewater State in the ECAC North Atlantic Bowl. Mack opened the scoring in the first quarter and his 23-yard TD run in the final minute of the first half gave the Panthers a 21-14 lead. The Bears would tie the game in the third, but Mack would pick up 28 yards on a fourth-and-one to set up what would prove to be the game-winning field goal. Mack was named the Most Outstanding Player, finishing the game with 182 yards and 2 touchdowns and a 17-yard reception.
 
Additional postseason honors came rushing in as the four-time NEFC Weekly Honor Roll recipient was named All-NEFC Boyd Division First Team and New England Football Writers All-New England Division II/III. Mack also claimed regional honors from D3football.com with a spot on the All-East Region Third Team.
 
That was just the beginning, though. Mack's 2008 season would go down as one of the best in program history while the Panthers rolled through the NEFC to return to the NCAA Tournament. Mack averaged just shy of 150 yards rushing per contest, recording ten 100-yard rushing games and topping the 200-yard mark on four separate occasions, with touchdowns in all but two games. He opened the slate with 204 yards and two scores in a 36-28 win over NCAA Division II Saint Anselm. Plymouth State was tripped up by Mount Ida in week two, but the Panthers would respond with nine straight victories. Mack cleared the 100-yard mark in eight of those games, only coming up shy after sitting out the second half of the regular season finale.
 
The rushing totals were outstanding. Twenty-six carries for 124 yards and a touchdown at Coast Guard, 218 yards on 34 carries with a score to beat UMass Dartmouth, 197 yards and a career best four TDs in a stomping of Western New England, 227 yards on 22 carries with three touchdowns to topple Endicott. He followed with three straight games of two TDs each, piling up 114, 115 and 221 yards in victories over Nichols, Curry and MIT before Plymouth State dominated Salve Regina, 34-7, to win the Boyd Division crown.
 
Mack etched his name in the record books during the NEFC Championship at Maine Maritime, surpassing Dudek for the single season rushing record. He finished the game with 139 yards and a pair of touchdowns and was named Most Outstanding Player. The Panthers trailed 16-14 early in the second quarter, but Mack's first TD sparked the Panthers, who would score the final 32 points of the contest to secure the title and NCAA Tournament berth.
 
Plymouth State visited SUNY Cortland in the opening round of the tournament. Mack rushed for exactly 100 yards, but the Red Dragons erased a second quarter deficit to end the Panthers' season.
 
The list of postseason honors was long and prestigious: All-NEFC Boyd Division First Team, NEFW All-New England Division II/III, D3football.com All-East Region Second Team, N.H. Union Leader Robert A. "Red" Rolfe Male Athlete of the Year, and Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Joe Zabilski Award as the top New England player in Divisions II and III. The final numbers were staggering: 284 carries, 1,779 yards, 20 touchdowns, 6.3 yards per carry, ranking in the top-ten in the nation in rushing while literally carrying the load for the Panthers, who ran the ball more than 88% of the time.
 
 
Casey (Stoodley) Button '13: One of the most dynamic players in program history, Stoodley's name is scattered throughout the Plymouth State record books. She helped lead the Panthers to the top seed for the LEC Tournament for the first time in 2011, then became the program's first All-American a year later.
 
After spending her freshman season at nearby Division II Southern New Hampshire University, Stoodley quickly made an impact in her first season with the Panthers. Her 12-kill, 16-dig, five ace effort helped Plymouth State erase a 2-0 deficit to top Norwich, 3-2, in the season opener.
 
Stoodley would help Plymouth State improve to 5-1 after opening the Endicott Invitational with wins over regional power Bowdoin (3-1) and Salve Regina (3-0). She pounded 16 kills to go with 15 digs against the Polar Bears, then added another two double-doubles on day two of the tournament, which saw Plymouth State nipped by the host Gulls in the championship match. Stoodley was named to the All-Tournament Team after finishing the weekend with 55 kills (.268 attack pct), 40 digs, eight aces and four blocks.
 
Stoodley was at her best in the biggest moments, starting with the LEC opener at Western Connecticut, where she blasted 19 kills and 19 digs to help the Panthers rally from a 13-10, fifth set deficit for a 22-20 win. She notched a season-best 20 kills in the first of three wild matches against rival Keene State in early October, adding 15 digs and eight aces, though the Owls snuck away with a 3-2 win to hand PSU its first conference loss.
 
Stoodley and the Panthers entered the LEC Tournament as the third seed and worked a tidy sweep of Rhode Island College in the first round to set up a semifinal showdown with the Owls. Stoodley smashed 19 kills and chipped in 20 digs in another marathon battle between the two schools, but once again the Owls came away on top with a five-set victory.
 
Making a ninth-straight postseason appearance, Stoodley and the Panthers blasted UNE to sweep the quarterfinal match of the ECAC New England Tournament, setting up yet another rematch with Keene State in the semifinal round. Stoodley recorded her 17th double-double of the season behind 16 kills and 18 digs, but the Owls once again proved victorious.
 
Stoodley finished the year with 381 kills and a .251 attack percentage, adding 348 digs, 60 aces and 31 blocks to earn All-LEC First Team honors. She was just getting started, though.
 
Plymouth State went 3-1 at the Springfield College Invitational to open the 2011 campaign. Stoodley averaged more than four kills per set with a .271 attack percentage and 11 aces to earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
 
She matched a career high with 20 kills in the LEC opener, though Western Connecticut pulled out a tight four-set win. The Panthers kicked it into high gear from there building an eight-match winning streak which included wins over MIT and Keene State. Stoodley racked up 16 kills and 26 digs in the latest heavyweight battle against the Owls, a 3-1 win for the Panthers in which all four sets were decided by two points (31-29, 28-26, 24-26, 28-26).
 
PSU closed the regular season winning 10-of-11 matches – the lone setback coming in a five-set thriller against a powerful Middlebury team. Stoodley reached the 20-kill plateau again in the battle with the Vermont-based Panthers, chipping in 14 digs in the losing effort.
 
The highlight of the streak was a sweep of #18 UMass Boston that helped the Panthers secure a third regular season title. Stoodley posted a match-best 14 kills as the Panthers hit .337 as a team to hand the Beacons their first conference loss in nearly three seasons, while also snapping their 35-match home winning streak. The head-to-head victory made PSU the top seed for the LEC Tournament for the first time.
 
Stoodley was near-perfect in the semifinal match against Eastern Connecticut, smacking 16 kills without an error (.516 attack pct.) as the Panthers' offense clicked in a 3-0 win, sending PSU to the championship game. The Beacons got their revenge in the championship game despite another double-digit kill effort from Stoodley, though Plymouth State was awarded the second seed for the ECAC New England Tournament.
 
Stoodley sparked the Panthers to a come-from-behind win over Endicott in the semifinals, registering 19 kills, eight digs and five aces as the Panthers rallied from a 2-1 deficit and fought off a pair of match points to outlast the Gulls in five sets. Stoodley recorded her 11th double-double of the year in the title game, a 3-1 setback to Coast Guard, finishing the match with 10 kills and 17 digs.
 
She repeated her First Team All-LEC honors, smashing 426 kills with 338 digs, 53 aces and 34 blocks on the season.
 
Her 2012 season was one of the most impressive offensive performances in program history. Stoodley would register double-doubles in 22 of her 30 matches, becoming just the fourth player to average better than four kills per set over the course of a year. Her 477 kills were the sixth most in school history, while she also posted 465 digs on the season.
 
Stoodley recorded double-digit kill totals in all but five matches, reaching the 20-kill threshold four separate times. She totaled a match-high 21 kills and added 13 digs on Senior Day as the Panthers overcame a 2-0 deficit to stun UMass Boston for the second straight year. Trailing 20-14 in the third set, Stoodley served a nine-point run to turn the match around. With the Beacons ahead 11-9 in the fifth set, she notched two kills and an ace as Plymouth State won six of the next seven points for a dramatic victory.
 
She was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Endicott Invitational, Johnson & Wales Fall Classic (after averaging 3.88 kills and 4.94 digs per set), Tom Hay Invitational at Springfield College (where she recorded her 1,000th career dig just 11 days after notching her 1,000th career kill), and the Crabtree Invitational at Eastern Connecticut.
 
The postseason honors rolled in: a third straight All-LEC First Team selection, just the fourth player in the program's history to accomplish the feat, AVCA All-America Honorable Mention, the first All-American in program history, AVCA All-New England First Team (the only LEC player to earn a first team nod), ECAC All-New England Second Team, New England Women's Volleyball Association (NEWVA) All-New England Second Team, and a spot in the NEWVA Senior Classic.
 
Stoodley holds two of the program's top-ten season kill totals. Her 1,284 career kills (in just three years) rank fifth all time, while her 3.58 kills per set is the second highest total in program history. She also ranks in the top ten in career aces (174), aces per set (0.48), digs (1,151), digs per set (3.21), points (1,520) and points per set (4.23).
 
 
Nikki (Garvey) Wardwell '15: Garvey was one of the most prolific scorers in the history of the field hockey program, ending her career as one of just two players to amass more than 150 career points. The two-time NFHCA All-New England honoree ended her career in the top three in program history in goals, assists and points, trailing program leader and fellow Hall of Famer Lilly Silva '06 by just two goals and two points.
 
In a sign of things to come, Garvey jumpstarted her career with goals in each of her first three collegiate games in 2011, earning LEC Rookie of the Week honors. The team opened the slate with a seven-game winning streak before suffering its first loss in the last game of September. Garvey helped the team quickly rebound, potting the game-winning goal against Eastern Connecticut to spark another seven-game streak as the Panthers jumped to 14-1.
 
Her first multi-goal game came in the regular season finale, a 4-3 victory over UMass Dartmouth, to help the Panthers lock up the second seed for the LEC Tournament. Plymouth State faced deficits of 1-0 and 2-1, but Garvey buried the equalizer each time. The game marked the start of a scoring binge for the midfielder, who would tally seven goals in a five-game span which included her first career hat trick in an LEC Tournament win over Western Connecticut. The Panthers were nipped in the championship game, but an outstanding season was rewarded with the top seed for the ECAC New England Tournament.
 
Garvey set an early tone in the semifinals, scoring the first of two goals on the afternoon less than two minutes into the contest to help PSU race past Bridgewater State, 4-1, but Plymouth State was upset in the championship game. Garvey ended the year ranked third on the team with 13 goals and 28 points and the groundwork was laid for an impressive career.
 
Garvey appeared in all 20 games as a sophomore and while her scoring totals weren't quite as impressive (six goals, seven assists for 19 points), she remained as one of the top scorers on the team, finishing third in points and tied for third in goals. Again she got out to a quick start, posting a goal and assist in the season opener at the Dottie Zenaty Invitational at Springfield College, before tallying a pair of assists in the tournament's consolation game.
 
Her second half goal gave the Panthers a 3-2 lead over rival Keene State, but the Owls would rally with three unanswered scores to hand PSU its first conference loss. Three weeks later, Garvey posted a season-high five points on two goals and an assist as the Panthers moved to 7-2 in league play with a lopsided win over Framingham State. Plymouth State would head into the LEC Tournament as the fourth seed. After a tidy first round win, Garvey potted the team's first goal in an eventual 3-2 setback to top-seeded UMass Dartmouth in the semifinals, but the Panthers were issued an ECAC berth once again.
 
PSU matched up against Keene State in the semifinals, with the Panthers avenging their regular season loss with a 2-1 victory to reach the championship game. Trailing top-seeded Bridgewater State 2-0, Garvey's final tally of the year cut the deficit in half heading into halftime and the Panthers rallied for a 4-3, overtime win to capture the program's fourth ECAC crown.
 
Garvey's 2013 season was one for the record books. She became just the third player in school history with at least 25 goals in a season, tallying five hat tricks and two other multi-goal games. Her 25 goals and 57 points were both the third most in a season in school history.
 
She notched her first hat trick of the year in a high-scoring battle with Castleton. Garvey's third goal gave PSU a 5-4 lead late, though the Spartans would fight back for a 7-6 win. That game was the first of a scoring outburst for Garvey, who totaled 11 goals in a five-game span – scoring twice in a win over Worcester State to open conference play before pouring in three goals and an assist in the first half of a 5-0 win over Western Connecticut. She followed with another three-goal effort to beat Westfield State for the team's fourth straight win.
 
After being held off the scoresheet in a setback to Keene State, Garvey followed with eight goals and four assists over the next five games – all Plymouth State victories. She notched 11 points (four goals, three assists) in wins over Southern Maine and Fitchburg State during the streak to earn LEC and ECAC Offensive Player of the Week recognition, with a career-high eight points (three goals, two assists) coming in the victory over the Huskies.
 
Garvey's final three-score game came in a 5-0 win over Bridgewater State in the LEC Tournament semifinals. Trailing 2-0 in the second half of the championship game, Garvey found the back of the cage to give the Panthers late life, but Plymouth State was unable to complete the comeback. PSU would be awarded the top seed for the ECAC Tournament, but the team's bid for a second straight title was dashed in a 2-1 setback to UNE.
 
Postseason honors roared in for one of the top scorers in the country. Garvey claimed All-LEC First Team recognition and was named NFHCA All-New England West Region Second Team honors, becoming the first Panther to earn all-region in five years. She finished eighth in all of Division III in goals per game and also ranked in the top ten in points per game.
 
Garvey wrapped up her career with another outstanding season, helping the Panthers reach a seventh straight ECAC New England Championship game. She recorded a point in all but five contests, opening the year with seven goals and four assists over the first five games – capping the run with a hat trick, including the game-winning goal, in a win over Western Connecticut with all three goals coming in a six-minute span. She scored twice in a 5-2 win over Eastern Connecticut to give head coach Bonnie Lord her 200th career win, then slammed home the game-tying and game-winning goals as the Panthers rallied from a three-goal deficit to beat USM in overtime.
 
She recorded another hat trick with the game-winner and an assist in an 8-0 rout of New England College, before posting another three-goal game as the Panthers blew past Framingham State, 10-0, to improve to 11-2 on the year.  
 
The Panthers returned to the LEC Tournament as the second seed but were upset by Southern Maine, 4-1, in the first round with Garvey providing PSU's lone score. Plymouth State earned the top seed for the ECAC New England Tournament, though, where Garvey potted the game-winner to help the Panthers slip past Salve Regina, 2-1, for another spot in the title game. She set an early tone in the finals, giving Plymouth State a quick lead just seven minutes in before adding an assist in a 2-0 win over Gordon – the program's fifth title and third in five years.
 
Garvey repeated her postseason honors, earning all-region recognition from both the NFHCA and ECAC, while also claiming a spot on the All-LEC First Team. Her 2.58 points per game were the ninth most in Division III, while she also ranked 14th in the country with 1.05 goals per game.
 
Her career totals of 64 goals and 153 points still rank second in program history, while her 25 assists are tied for the third most. She finished her career as one of just two players to record more than 150 points.