Story courtesy of Christa Parulis-Kaye, NECC Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations

For Immediate Release:
February 26, 2010

ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Eight of the nine sponsored programs were represented on 2009-10 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Women’s Basketball All-Conference Team, it was announced today by Commissioner Del Malloy. In addition to the All-NECC honors, three separate major individual award winners and the team sportsmanship award were also voted upon and selected this week.

The Daniel Webster Eagles (20-5) took top honors as they finished first in the NECC at 15-1. The Eagles’ sophomore guard Vanessa Bosques (N. Windham, Conn.), a sport management major, was named the 2009-10 NECC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. In conference play, Bosques averaged 16.9 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game, 2.3 assists per game and 2.1 steals per game. She was the NECC leading scorer throughout conference play. Bosques is 14th in rebounding, 11th in field goal percentage (.435), first in free-throw percentage (.978), 12th in steals, third in three-point field goal percentage (.395), 2nd in three-point field goals made (2.8 ppg) and seventh in blocked shots (0.6 bpg). Overall, she averaged 17.1 points per game, which tops the NECC, and ranks 15th overall in boards with 6.0 rebounds per game. Bosques broke the Eagles’ single season all-time three-point shooting record.

The Newbury College Nighthawks’ freshman center Catherine O’Connell (Quincy, Mass.) nabbed the 2009-10 NECC Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Year award for her first season of collegiate play. O’Connell, a sport management major, topped all NECC players in rebounding at 14.8 boards per game. O’Connell is also ranked fifth amongst all NCAA DIII players. She is 11th in scoring at 12.6, 8th in field goal percentage (.452) and second in blocked shots (2.0 bpg). Overall, O’Connell is at 13.2 points per game and 15.0 rebounds per game. She was named NECC Rookie of the Week six times and Player of the Week once, while earning NEWBA Rookie of the Week and DIII Hoops Team of the Week for her efforts.

Bosques was joined by her head coach Heather Jacobs for top conference honors. Jacobs was named the 2009-10 NECC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year. She led the Eagles to their best record in the program’s history at 20-5. Jacobs, in her third season, has .660 winning percentage guiding the Eagles to a 47-31 record.

The Blazers of Elms College (11-15), led by head coach Laura Habacker, were honored as the 2009-10 NECC Team Sportsmanship Award recipients. The Eagles finished 9-7 in conference play and earned the #4 seed in the 2009 New England Collegiate Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament.

Voting for the All-NECC team and each of the major awards was conducted among all NECC women’s basketball head coaches.

Joining Bosques on All-NECC First Team was fellow Eagles’ junior Joyce Chagan (Boothbay Harbor, Maine), Lesley senior Hailee Lowe (Hamilton, Mass.), Bay Path senior Jessica Hunt (Madison, Conn.), and Mitchell senior Jennifer Iglesias (Waterbury, Conn.).

Second team honors went out to O’Connell along with Mitchell sophomore Destiney Harris (Bristol, Conn.), Elms sophomore Carolyn Talmadge (Wilbraham, Mass.), Daniel Webster sophomore Alycia Gervais (Windham, Conn.)and Lesley junior Kaitlyn Wechsler (Merrick, N.Y.).
Five players received honorable mention including Becker junior Heidi Miller (Sanbornton, N.H.), Wheelock senior Sarah Brown (Plainville, Conn.), Lesley senior Jodi Fralick (Woburn, Mass.), Newbury senior Katelyn Mark (Quincy, Mass.) and Becker senior Courtney Fiske (Westfield, Mass.).

2009-10 NECC WOMENS BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Vanessa Bosques, Daniel Webster, Sophomore, Guard (N. Windham, Conn.)
2009-10 NECC WOMENS BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Catherine O’Connell, Newbury, Freshman, Center (Quincy, Mass.)
2009-10 NECC WOMENS BASKETBALL COACH OF THE YEAR: Heather Jacobs, Daniel Webster College
2009-10 NECC WOMENS BASKETBALL TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD: Elms College

2009-10 ALL-NECC WOMENS BASKETBALL FIRST TEAM

Vanessa Bosques, Daniel Webster, Sophomore, Guard (N. Windham, Conn.)
Hailee Lowe, Lesley, Senior, Forward (Hamilton, Mass.)
Jessica Hunt, Bay Path, Senior, Forward (Madison, Conn.)
Jennifer Iglesias, Mitchell, Senior, Guard (Waterbury, Conn.)
Joyce Chagan, Daniel Webster, Junior, Guard (Boothbay Harbor, Maine)

2009-10 ALL-NECC WOMENS BASKETBALL SECOND TEAM

Destiney Harris, Mitchell, Sophomore, Center, (Bristol, Conn.)
Carolyn Talmadge, Elms, Sophomore, Guard (Wilbraham, Mass.)
Catherine O’Connell, Newbury, Freshman, Center (Quincy, Mass.)
Alycia Gervais, Daniel Webster, Sophomore, Forward (Windham, Conn.)
Kaitlyn Wechsler, Lesley, Junior, Forward (Merrick, N.Y.)

2009-10 ALL-NECC WOMENS BASKETBALL HONORABLE MENTION

Heidi Miller, Becker, Junior, Forward (Sanbornton, N.H.)
Sarah Brown, Wheelock, Senior, Guard (Plainville, Conn.)
Jodi Fralick, Lesley, Senior, Guard (Woburn, Mass.)
Katelyn Mark, Newbury, Senior, Guard (Quincy, Mass.)
Courtney Fiske, Becker, Senior, Guard (Westfield, Mass.)