BOSTON – University of Maine women's hockey head coach Richard Reichenbach was named the New England Hockey Writers Division I Coach of the Year while Tereza Vanišová was named a Division I All-Star. The New England Hockey Writers Division I All-Star teams and awards have been finalized after tallying votes from all Division I coaches and respective media outlets throughout New England.
 
In addition to Reichenbach's All-New England honor, he was tabbed the 2018 Women's Hockey East Coach of the Year. In his fifth year at the helm of the Black Bears, Reichenbach guided the team to an overall record of 19-14-5 and a mark of 11-9-4 in WHEA play. Picked last in the preseason poll, Maine finished third in the league's final regular season standings. Maine was nationally ranked for six weeks this season, set a program record for wins in a season and also earned the program's first-ever playoff victory and first-ever playoff series win in the best-of-three quarterfinal round against Boston University. Maine advanced as far as the conference tournament semifinals before bowing out to eventual champion Northeastern.
 
Vanišová, a 2018 WHEA Second Team All-Star, led the Black Bears with 46 points on 16 goals and 30 assists. The sophomore scored four game-winning goals – and assisted on eight others –and finished with a team-high plus-24 rating. Vanišová's points placed her sixth in the league and 11th overall in the nation. The Strakonice, Czech Republic native put together a 10-game point-streak during the season, notching eight points and 10 goals for 18 points from Nov. 19 to Jan. 19 and finished the season with seven points (3-4—7) in Maine's four playoff games. The Black Bears were 10-1-2 this year when Vanišová tallied a goal and 17-3-3 overall when she had at least one point. Vanišová was the 2016-17 Hockey East Co-Rookie of the Year.
 
This year's New England Hockey Writers banquet will be held on Wednesday, April 11 at the Prince Restaurant in Saugus, Mass. The banquet will start at 6 p.m. All awards and All-Star teams will be presented at the gala. All coaches, student-athletes, family members and friends are encouraged to attend Wednesday's banquet. Please contact Carolyn Stacey or Meghan Pflieger at (781) 245-2122 or by email (intern@hockeyeastonline.com) for information on attending this event. Cost is $40 per person.
 
Goaltenders
Annie Belanger, Connecticut
Katie Burt, Boston College
 
Defense
Abby Cook, Boston University
Lauren Kelly, Northeastern
Toni Ann Miano, Boston College
Mallory Souliotis, Yale
 
Forward
Victoria Bach, Boston University
Rebecca Leslie, Boston University
Caitrin Lonergan, Boston College
Maureen Murphy, Providence
Tereza Vanišová, Maine
Daryl Watts, Boston College
 
Player of the Year: Daryl Watts, Boston College
Coach of the Year: Richard Reichenbach, Maine

-UMaine-