Vaillancourt Named New England Hockey Player of the Year for Second Straight Season

Complete New England Hockey Release

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard senior forward Sarah Vaillancourt has been named the New England Division I Women’s Hockey Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, the New England Hockey Writers announced Tuesday. Vaillancourt and junior goaltender Christina Kessler were also selected to the New England Hockey Writers Division I Women’s All-Star Team for the second straight time.

The awards will be presented at the New England Hockey Writers annual banquet, which will be held Monday, April 13 at the Prince Restaurant in Saugus, Mass. To information on attending this year’s banquet, please contact John Gruppo at 617-373-7409.

A native of Sherbrooke, Que., Vaillancourt, a top 10 finalist of the 2009 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award and the Ivy League and ECAC Hockey Player of the Year, led the Crimson with 25 goals and 27 assists for 52 points, ranking her fourth in the nation with 1.93 points per contest. Vaillancourt was also tied for fifth in assists per game (1.00) and tied for seventh in goals per game (0.93).

Kessler recorded six shutouts this season between the pipes and owned a 17-8-2 overall record. She was named to the All-Ivy League first team and was received All-ECAC Hockey second team recognition. Kessler, who hails from Oakville, Ont., posted a 1.59 goals-against average, ranking her third in the country, and was sixth with a .933 save percentage, stopping 599 of 642 shots faced.

2008-09 Women's Div. I New England All-Stars

Goalies
Christina Kessler, Harvard
Molly Schaus, Boston College

Defense
Cristin Allen, Connecticut
Kacey Bellamy, New Hampshire
Maggie Taverna, Boston College
Tara Watchorn, Boston University

Forwards
Jenna Cunningham, Dartmouth
Sam Faber, New Hampshire
Kelly Paton, New Hampshire
Kelli Stack, Boston College
Sarah Vaillancourt, Harvard
Jenn Wakefield, New Hampshire

New England Women's MVP
Sarah Vaillancourt, Harvard

New England Women's Coach of the Year
Brian McCloskey, New Hampshire