WESTFIELD, Mass. – Fresh off winning the inaugural Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Women's Ice Hockey Championship Tournament, two Plymouth State University women's ice hockey players have earned postseason honors. The league announced its major awards winners and All-Conference teams on Wednesday.
 
Graduate student Lauren McNeil (Ottawa, Ontario) was named to the All-MASCAC First Team, while junior Katie Porrello (Milford, Conn.) secured a spot on the Second Team.
 
Under second-year head coach Ben Chipman, the Panthers shattered the program's single-season wins record while earning a share of the MASCAC regular season title and winning the first-ever MASCAC Women's Ice Hockey Tournament. It was only fitting that a season filled with individual and team records culminated in the second-longest NAA Division III women's ice hockey game in history, as top-seeded PSU outlasted third-seeded Rivier, 2-1, in four overtimes and 126:55 of gameplay. The Panthers ended the year with an 18-7-2 mark.
 
 
Lauren McNeil:

• A 5-10 defenseman, McNeil had a stellar season, finishing tied for the MASCAC lead with a +23 rating. Her 19 points ranked seventh in the league and second among defensemen.
• She recorded a career-high seven goals, including two power play tallied and two game-winners.
• McNeil led the Panthers with 26 blocked shots.
• She opened the scoring in the championship game, burying a rebound at the 6:38 mark of the second period to give PSU a 1-0 lead.
• She posted four multi-point games and ended the season on a strong note, recording points in each of the final five games and eight of the last ten.
• This is her first postseason honor.

 
Katie Porrello:

• A 5-4 forward, Porrello set new program records for both single-season points and assists, finishing with seven goals and 16 assists (23 points).
• Her 16 assists led the league, while her 23 points ranked third.
• Among her seven goals, four came on the power play, and two were game-winners.
• Porrello accounted for all four PSU goals in a 4-3 overtime win at Worcester State on Nov. 12, tying the school record for goals in a game and setting a new mark for power play goals in a game (3).
• She recorded six multi-point games and finished with a 95-73 record in the faceoff circle.
• This is her first postseason honor.