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BOSTON, Mass. - The America East Conference announced their post-season awards on Wednesday afternoon prior to the commencement of the conference tournament, and the Black Bears were well represented with five athletes garnering awards, led by junior Cassandra Mascarenhas becoming the first Maine player to win the Defensive Player of the Year award since 2005. 

Mascarenhas took home three awards in total, adding a First Team All-Conference nod and a selection to the All-Academic team to her resume this year. The junior is one of only five players to start all 17 games season, leading the team with 808 total minutes on the pitch. She leads the team with five assists so far, and along with a goal totaled seven points this season. Most notably, she anchored a defensive unit that allowed 1.22 goals per game over the last 11 games of the season, as the Black Bears found their stride late in the year and rallied to earn the #2 overall seed in the upcoming conference tournament. 

She's joined on the first team by offensive dynamo Brianna Ricker. Ricker was far and away the focal point of Maine's offense, leading the team with 13 goals alongside an assist for a team-high 27 points. She accounted for 38% of her team's offense and 31% of their point total while ranking ninth in the nation in total goals. Of her goals, five were game-winners, the most in the conference, most notably the overtime game-winner against #5 Northwestern in early October to give Maine it's highest-ranked victory in program history. 

Making an appearance on the Second Team All-Conference list is sophomore Chloe Walton, who also started all 17 games this season and developed into a deadly second option for the Black Bear offense. Walton totaled seven goals on the season on a .259 shooting percentage, both the second-best marks on the team behind Ricker. 

Joining her on the second team is Maine's goalkeeper Mia Borley. A two-time America East Defensive Player of the Week honoree,  Borley built on a strong freshman year in goal and put up an exceptional sophomore season for the Black Bears. She started every game in net, logging 1000:59 minutes in goal, 64 saves, and a 2.04 goals against average. She posted four shutouts on the season, a 1.00 goals against average in conference play, and three of her four shutouts came against America East opponents. 

Representing Maine on the All-Rookie team, freshman Madisyn Hartley got her career in Orono off to a fine start. She led the team's first-year players in appearances (16), starts (14), minutes (555), while also recording an assist. She joins Brianna Ricker, Riley Field, Cassandra Mascarenhas, and, most recently, Nina Keur as active players with an All-Rookie nod on their resume. 

These five, and the rest of the Black Bears' program, will play in the America East semifinals on Friday afternoon against the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between Stanford and UAlbany. 

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