Field Hockey 10/31/2026 10:00:00 AM Four Programs Earn #AEFH Major Awards as All-Conference Awards are Released BOSTON – Four different programs earned #AEFH major awards as the America East released its field hockey All-Conference awards on Saturday morning. All six programs had at least one first-team all-conference selection, with UAlbany and UMass Lowell earning a league-high three first-team selections. Four different programs had at least one major award winner, led by regular season champion UMass Lowell. Alice Van Hemelen was named the Midfielder of the Year while the River Hawks were honored as the Coaching Staff of the Year. Vermont’s Consu de Castro was selected as the Offensive Player of the Year while teammate Ila Gunner was recognized as the Goalkeeper of the Year. Bryant’s Valentina Funes was named the Defensive Player of the Year and UAlbany’s Quinty Reumer secured Rookie of the Year honors. The major awards, All-Conference and All-Rookie teams were determined in a vote by the league's head coaches who were not permitted to vote for their own players. The All-Academic team was voted on by a committee of administrators from the conference’s member institutions. 2026 #AEFH Major Award Winners Offensive Player of the Year Consu de Castro, Vermont Finished the regular season with six goals and five assists for 17 points. Started all 16 games and has two game-winning goals. Second Catamount to win the award and first since 2007. Midfielder of the Year Alice Van Hemelen, UMass Lowell Ranked 6th in the conference with 1.14 points per game on 16 total points. Had six goals in leading UMass Lowell to first-ever outright regular season title. First River Hawk to be named Midfielder of the Year. Defensive Player of the Year Valentina Funes, Bryant Led the league with 77 shots and also tied for the league lead with three defensive saves. Ranked fifth in the league with eight goals and added two assists for 18 points First Bryant Bulldog to win an #AEFH major award. Goalkeeper of the Year Ila Gunner, Vermont Led the league in save percentage (0.83) with a conference-best seven shutouts. Started 16 games and finished with 37 saves. Third Catamount to be named Goalkeeper of the Year in the past five seasons. Rookie of the Year Quinty Reumer, UAlbany Leads the league with 11 goals and ranks second with 23 points. Has a conference-best four game-winning goals. First Great Dane Rookie of the Year since 2021 and seventh overall. Coaching Staff of the Year UMass Lowell Led UMass Lowell to its first-ever outright regular season title and also the No. 1 Seed. Posted a league-best +9 goal differential and allowed just two goals in conference play. Head Coach Shannon LeBlanc is assisted by Taylor O’Regan, Caitlin Little and Ben Howarth The River Hawks and Great Danes each had three players named to the first team while Vermont had a pair. The Catamounts also had three named to the second team, along with Maine. New Hampshire led the league with three All-Rookie selections, while UAlbany, UMass Lowell and Vermont each had a pair. Three Catamounts were selected to the All-Academic Team, with two apiece from UAlbany, Maine and UMass Lowell. Van Hemelen is the lone major award winner to earn All-Academic honors. Stay up-to-date on the tournament by visiting Championship Central for streaming and live stats links as well as box scores, highlights and recaps following each round in addition to team information, tournament history and more. Follow @AmericaEast on X (Formerly Twitter) to get the real-time championship updates. Use the #AEChamps and #AEFH hashtags to join the conversation. 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 -