HADLEY, Mass. - The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) announced its annual field hockey awards.
Tufts sophomore Eleanor Helm was named NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year, while Bowdoin junior Eva Filipponi earned Defensive Player of the Year and Williams first-year Hannah Herlihy was tabbed Rookie of the Year. The Tufts staff was voted Coaching Staff of the Year. All honors, including the All-NESCAC team, were selected by a vote of the conference’s 11 head coaches.
Helm leads the conference in goals, points, and game-winning goals. She has scored 20 goals with four assists for 44 points in 18 games, an average of 2.44 points per game. Helm's nine game-winning goals account for half of Tufts' 18 on the season. In NESCAC games alone, Helm tallied 13 goals and 28 points. Her seven-point afternoon against Colby on Sept. 12 (3 goals) is tied for the the best single-game total in the conference this season. Helm is Tufts' first Offensive Player of the Year honoree since Tamara Brown was honored in back-to-back seasons in 2009 and 2010. Helm also earned All-NESCAC honors for the second consecutive season.
Filipponi is the fourth Polar Bear to garner the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year honor. The junior, who was also named to the All-NESCAC First Team, has posted nine shutouts this season to lead the NESCAC and owns a 0.67 goals against average with a .861 save percentage, both stats rank among the top five among goalies in Division III. With a shutout against Wesleyan in the conference tournament quarterfinals, Filipponi helped the Polar Bears return to the NESCAC Semifinals for the first time since 2021. Bowdoin was an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament and will host a regional for the first time since 2015. The Polar Bears will meet the winner of the Amherst/Endicott game on Saturday, November 14.
Herlihy has started every game for the Ephs in her rookie season and leads Williams in scoring with 16 points on a team-high six goals and four assists. The first-year, who also earned All-NESCAC honors, scored once in both NESCAC Tournament games with one goal in a 2-0 win over Hamilton in the quarterfinals and a third-quarter tally in a 3-2 overtime setback to Tufts in the semifinal. Herlihy is the third Eph in five seasons to be named the NESCAC Rookie of the Year. Williams claimed an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and will play Bridgewater State at Williamson Field in Williamstown, Massachusetts on Wednesday, November 11.
Head coach Tina Mattera, associate head coach Katie White and assistant coaches Katie Weber and Troy Zirbel have led Tufts to a historic season. The Jumbos' 18-0 record represents the best start to a season since the 2008 seson and Tufts' perfect 10-0 conference record was a first for the program. The 18-game unbeaten stretch is part of a new winning streak record, which currently sits at 23 games. The staff, which was recognized for the third time (2008 and 2009), led the Jumbos to their fourth NESCAC title and the right to host an NCAA Regional for the fifth time.
2026 NESCAC Field Hockey Awards
Player of the Year: Eleanor Helm, Tufts
Defensive Player of the Year: Eva Filipponi, Bowdoin
Rookie of the Year: Hannah Herlihy, Williams
Coaching Staff of the Year: Tufts (Tina Mattera, Katie White, Katie Weber, Troy Zirbel)
| All-NESCAC First Team |
| Pos |
Name |
School |
Yr |
Hometown |
Previous Honors |
| G |
Eva Filipponi |
Bowdoin |
Jr. |
Wilton, Conn. |
|
| D |
Claire Casey |
Tufts |
Sr. |
Charlotte, N.C. |
2025 1st Team |
| D |
Haley Dwight |
Bates |
Sr. |
West Newbury, Mass. |
2025 DPOY, 2025 1st Team |
| D |
Megan Fuqua |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Boston, Mass. |
2025 1st Team |
| M |
Claire Colvin |
Williams |
Sr. |
Winchester, Mass. |
|
| M |
Keira Harder |
Williams |
Sr. |
Arlington, Mass. |
|
| M |
Eleanor Luft |
Tufts |
Jr. |
Ridgefield, Conn. |
2025 2nd Team |
| M |
Emma McCann |
Middlebury |
Jr. |
Needham, Mass. |
|
| M |
Maddie Mrva |
Bowdoin |
Sr. |
Shrewsbury, Mass. |
2025 2nd Team, 2023 ROY |
| M |
Isabelle Nahon |
Hamilton |
Sr. |
Westport, Conn. |
2025 1st Team, 2024 2nd Team |
| M |
Emily Smith |
Wesleyan |
So. |
Boston, Mass. |
2025 ROY, 2025 1st Team |
| F |
Genevieve Caruso |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Greenwich, Conn. |
|
| F |
Emily Ferguson |
Bowdoin |
Sr. |
Shrewsbury, Mass. |
2025 1st Team |
| F |
Eleanor Helm |
Tufts |
So. |
Loudonville, N.Y. |
2025 2nd Team |
| All-NESCAC Second Team |
| Pos |
Name |
School |
Yr |
Hometown |
Previous Honors |
| G |
Kelly Janssen |
Hamilton |
Jr. |
Greenwich, Conn. |
|
| D |
Morgan Clarke |
Hamilton |
Jr. |
Kent, Conn. |
|
| D |
Hannah Herlihy |
Williams |
Fy. |
Andover, Mass. |
|
| D |
Clara Noyes |
Bowdoin |
Sr. |
Lexington, Mass. |
2025 2nd Team, 2024 2nd Team |
| D |
Natalie Shaw |
Wesleyan |
Jr. |
Glen Ridge, N.J. |
2025 2nd Team |
| D |
Hadley Swenson |
Colby |
Jr. |
Concord, Mass. |
|
| M |
Elizabeth Bonner |
Conn. College |
Jr. |
Westfield, N.J. |
|
| M |
Brooke Miner |
Wesleyan |
Jr. |
Ridgefield, Conn. |
2025 2nd Team |
| M |
Sophie Watson |
Trinity |
So. |
Littleton, Mass. |
|
| M |
Kenna White |
Hamilton |
Jr. |
Charlotte, N.C. |
|
| F |
Addie Chandler |
Middlebury |
So. |
Denver, Colo. |
|
| F |
Elsa Copeland |
Bates |
Jr. |
Toronto, Ontario |
2025 2nd Team |
| F |
Bridget Everett |
Colby |
Sr. |
Barnstable, Mass. |
|
| F |
Cate LaFreniere |
Amherst |
Fy. |
Norwalk, Conn. |
|
| F |
Christina Sweeney |
Colby |
Jr. |
Milton, Mass. |
2025 2nd Team |
