Sarah came in as a freshman this year and was the quietest person we have all ever met but when she stepped on the ice for the first time, we were all the quite people as we stood there in awe at her hockey abilities and that’s when we all realized why she stayed playing with us instead of running far away from our weird and loud and obnoxious team.

Sarah came into Villanova knowing she wanted to play defense and that was key for us. The thing with Sarah is she didn’t need coaching, in fact, she was the type of person where she leads by watching her. When I got thrown into defense in the first game of the year, I was paired with Sarah and I genuinely just watched her do all the work since me playing defense is like playing with 4 people. But with that, she made it possible and definitely carried the two of us. Ever since then, Sarah came out of her shell and really became someone that people look up to, even as a freshman.

Sarah’s defensive style is incredible. She’ll stay cautious on the ice and will always pass the puck, but when she hears the word “go” or “I’ll stay back” from a teammate covering her, she’s gone. The first time I said “Go I got you covered” was the first time I truly realized her capabilities. She flew down the ice, deeked more people than I could imagine, and instead of shooting and doing it all herself, she looked for that pass. Sarah can hands down solo skate down the rink and get by all 5 opponents and score, however, she chooses to be a team player. And that’s what makes her the best defensewoman because when she’s on the ice, none of us have a worry in life. 

Jill has played two season for the Tigers and is part of a core defensive squad that has led the league in fewest goals allowed, shutouts and Plus/minus.  Jill’s strength to the team and to our defense came through her speed to track down breakaways, her willingness to always cover for her defensive partner and to be critical to creating turnovers in the neutral zone.  She also added to our offense by assisting on 13 goals this season. The highlight of her season and career at Towson is the Game winning, Championship winning goal in the shootout after three periods of hockey and overtime. Jill scored the only goal in the shootout to give Towson our third straight League Championship. Jill is the definition of an all-around team player and we are proud of all that she has accomplished both on and off the ice.

A stalwart on both the blue line and in the defensive zone, Jessie “16” Hasson was a force to be reckoned with.

Opponents could rarely match her physicality, seldom finding any real estate in front of the net to screen our goalie. When facing her one-on-one, opponents would find themselves stripped of the puck, pinched off on the boards, eliminated from the play, on their butts, or all of the above.

Along with her defensive finesse, Jessie had a knack for transitioning play from the defensive to offensive zone. With her laser of a slap shot, she could easily score from the blue line. A versatile offensive-defensewoman, Jessie undoubtedly deserves to be recognized as an Outstanding Defensewoman. 

MORGAN IS A SENIOR, PLAYS WITH A LOT OF HEART, GIVES IT HER ALL. SINCE COMING TO THE TEAM FOUR YEARS AGO. MORGAN HAS LEAD THIS TEAM INTO TWO CRABPOT CHAMPIONSHIPS, ONE NATIONAL TEAM AND ONE DVCHC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME 

SHE HAS BEEN ON DEFENSE ALL FOUR YEARS AND HAS MADE IT TO TWO ALL STAR GAMES.

The saying goes defense wins championships but offense sells tickets.  Jordan is the perfect mix of the two.  She can be a stay at home defenseman and someone you won’t want to battle in the corners but if you’re not careful she can also burn you with her hands. 

Jordan was a go to on power plays, penalty kills and almost any important situation.  From her quarterback position on our power play she lead the team with 5 power play assist and always voiced how to improve the power play unit in practice. 

Jordan could always be counted on to get the puck out of the D zone, cover in front of the net and give up her body for the puck.  Jordan was also a leader and always worked hard.  Jordan is the Terps defensive player of the year.  

Kara is not your average defensewoman. She never once let her guard down, and whenever she had the puck in the defensive zone, you could be sure she would make a smart play. Whether she was rushing the puck from end to end, sending her forwards on breakaways, or diving to block shots, Kara was an all around beast on defense. Opposing goalies feared her from the blue line, and our goalies always felt protected in their net. At the end of the day, Kara's skill made her both a pleasure to watch on the ice, and  a powerful defensewoman who was always ready to do what it took to prevent our opponents from scoring. Thanks for two fantastic seasons, Kara! Your defensive skills have been outstanding.