BOSTON – In 2025-26 the America East was fortunate to partner with the law firm of Shaheen & Gordon to highlight the best difference making moments throughout each championship in the firm’s geographic footprint. Below are some of the top moment from the past year.
Men's & Women's Cross Country
Bryant’s Jasmine Trott took home her first individual #AEXC Title while teammate Chloe Whiting placed second. In the men's race, UMass Lowell’s Wouter Van Den Akket claimed his second straight individual championship as the River Hawks won their sixth straight. Both wins were our Difference Making Moments of the Meet.
Field Hockey
New Hampshire won it's first conference title in over a decade against Vermont. In the semifinals, Faye Meijer's goal helped the Wildcats advance to the championship as the Difference Making Moment of the Game.
Women's Soccer
Vermont advanced to its first conference title game since 2022, thanks to Lauren DeGroot's goal right before the half, which was the Difference Making Moment of the Match.
Men's Soccer
The defending national champions from Vermont took home their second straight conference championship, but needed an overtime goal against New Hampshire in the semifinals to advance to the title contest as the Difference Making Moment of the Match.
Indoor Track & FIeld
UMass Lowell had a strong finish in their final event of the 2026 #AETF Indoor Championship to secure the title. The finish was the Difference Making Moment of the Meet!
Men's Basketball
TJ Hurley connected on a crucial three-point field goal in the #AEPlayoffs Semifinals to lift Vermont to the championship game, on the way to being a Difference Making Moment of the Game.
Women's Basketball
Vermont won its second straight conference championship, but needed a jumper from Keira Hanson with 3.2 seconds left in OT to force a second overtime in the semifinals to eventually get past the Retreivers in the Difference Making Moment of the Game.
Women's Lacrosse
UAlbany's Mya Carroll came through when her team needed it most to send the Great Danes in the #AEWLAX Championship where they eventually took down Vermont to earn their second straight championship. Her goal was the Difference Making Moment of the Game.
Softball
Binghamton may have won the 2026 #AESB Championship, but UMass Lowell's run through the winner's bracket into the championship was impressive. The River Hawks' got a home run from Thyanais Santiago over regular season champion Bryant helped propel them into the winner's bracket and was the Difference Making Moment of the Game!
ABOUT AMERICA EAST
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -