Deirdre is a standout defenseman.  She is an excellent positional player who even though she plays a very physical game, did not receive one penalty all season.  She forces the opponents into low percentage shots and blocks a ton of shots.

Her plus-minus is 14, the second highest on our team. Our team could always count on her to step up her game when needed. She is an integral part of our penalty kill and power play.  In the games where we had to shorten our bench, it was always Deirdre who stepped up and took those extra shifts. 

I have come to rely on Dierdre for so much on the ice and I have never once questioned her ability to handle any situation.  This year was Deirdre’s senior year and next year will be my first year coaching without her. I miss her already. 

Allison has a fire and spirit about her that is unmatched by any other player. Her desire to play well and help others play well is evident in her ferocity on the ice.

Not only does she play a key role in our defensive system, but she also acts as a mentor to the newer players on the team, hoping to learn the ropes on defense.

Allison's energy and passion for the game is evident the moment she steps on the ice and translates into her defensive decision making. Without Allison, our defense would not have been as strong as it was.

Laura is without a doubt one of the hardest workers on the ice and she is also a very effective player as well.  She has played organized hockey throughout her life and her love for the sport clearly shows when she is on the ice; she knows the game and is a very dependable player when it comes to not defense but also offense as well. 

Laura exhibits a great amount of skill and leadership on the ice.  She goes out of her way and uses her talent and abilities to offer advice to both the experience and new players which makes it pretty obvious that she is dedicated to motivating and improving the team as a whole.  

When it comes to recovering on defense, racing for every puck, skating hard every shift and making sure every shift counts, Laura Gedrimas is the name that comes to mind.

Being a fourth year senior and the only true defenseman on the team, Wesley was faced with a daunting task and responsibility this season. A task and responsibility that she, in true Rutgers Hockey fashion, stepped up and accepted without question. 

While seeing an excessive amount of ice time and elevating her play to accommodate our team’s deficiencies (short bench) Wesley became the foundation of our defense; and thus elevated the play of everyone else on the team.

Another outstanding player for Rutgers Women’s Hockey this season who unquestioningly, and unselfishly raised themselves up and gave much more than was expected for the benefit of her team and the program. If any player in the DVCHC was an “Outstanding Defenseman” this season it was Wesley Lemieux.  

Senior, Julianne Parker is undoubtedly one of the top players in the league and one of the best I have coached in my nine years of coaching ice hockey.

Parker, who is graduating this year was a co-captain for UPenn and continually displayed the highest energy and skill while on the ice. Being able to skate from goal line to goal line through a pack of defenders is not an easy task. Being able to do that and then shoot the puck top-shelf and score…now that is Parker. A remarkable talent.

As UPenn struggled in past years, Parker kept our defensive unit alive each and every night. When we went from the normal four defensewoman to three defensewoman; Parker was the one who would do anything for the team, even it were to double or even take a triple shift. She had no fumes…she was our energizer bunny.

Parker was one of our older undergraduates on the team. Struggling to find out she was, she knew that ice hockey was the place to find it. Parker was the type of player that has the mindset like an old timer, with the intelligence of one of the greats; but with the talent and skill like a modern professional hockey player. Being able to play in all aspects of the game, Parker displayed why she is the Most Outstanding Defensewoman in the league.