Awards Keep Coming

For the second straight year sophomore forward Briana Tomaselli (Warwick, R.I.) was selected to the All-New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) First Team. Tomaselli helped guide the Nighthawks to their first winning season in program history with an 8-7-1 record and 5-3-1 in conference action to earn the fifth seed in the post-season tournament.

Appearing and starting in 13 games for the Nighthawks at forward, the Warwick, R.I. native led the conference in assists (12) and points (48) and was tied with the NECC Player of the Year Veronica Halen in goals with 18. Against conference foes she was second in assists (6), third in points (26) and tied for second in goals (10). Last week, Tomaselli became the first women's soccer player in program history to garner ECAC Offensive Player of the Week registering back-to-back hat-tricks against Anna Maria College and Bay Path College.

Tomaselli was joined on the All-Conference team by freshman defender Kristina Almeida (Coventry, R.I.), who was selected to the All-NECC Second Team while senior goalkeeper Rachel Wyszynski (Wilbraham, Mass.) earned Honorable Mention honors.

Almeida earned All-NECC Second Team honors after helping Newbury reduce their goals against from 60 in 2010 to just 27 this season. But she was far from just a defensive player, contributing to an offense that broke last year's season-highs in goals, assists and points with two goals and two assists. 

In her first full season in net for the Nighthawks, Wyszynski registered a .766 save percentage while tallying 82 saves including 43 against conference opponents. She led the Nighthawks to two firsts in program history. Early in season she registered back-to-back shut-outs against Pine Manor College and Lyndon State College then late in the year helped the Nighthawks to three straight victories against Southern Vermont, Anna Maria and Bay Path College.

- Photo by: Samantha Yanofsky