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D2 Sportswoman of the Year

#25 -- Taylor Wade, IUP

At the end of last season our president received an e-mail from Taylor stating that she would like to play ice hockey for IUP and asked what she would need to do to play on the team. Taylor never played ice hockey before and she did not want to embarrass herself.   So last summer she learned how to skate, played pick up hockey, and worked her tail off to get ready.  She has a great work ethic and pushes herself in every practice. Taylor is one of the most coachable players I have ever encountered. She takes what she learns in practice and immediately applies it in game situations.  It wasn’t long before she was playing on the first line and even doing a little PK. Taylor is the competitor that you love to play against. She respects the game, her teammates, and her opponents.  She does not resort to name calling or trash talking. She lets her hard work and determination drive her play.  Even though she is not the most skilled player on the ice, her tenacity makes opposing players work for everything. Taylor always treats her teammates and opponents with the utmost respect.  She is just as gracious in defeat as she is in victory.   She is an excellent student, and the hardest working hockey player I know.

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#11 -- Brittany Bodnar, SJU

Brittany Bodnar has been part of the SJU hockey team for three years.  Brittany showed up to her first practice not knowing how to skate.  By the end of her first season she had developed into a totally different player.  It was amazing to see how much her hard work paid off and how her determination pushed her to develop her skills.  Brittany had become one of the team’s most reliable forwards.  She skates hard during her shifts and always keeps her head up.  Having Brittany on the bench is a coach’s dream come true.  She is a very respectable player and is always looking for ways to improve her game.  She is a selfless player and an overall team player.  In her three years on the team Brittany has been a team player and an example for the rest of the team on and off the ice.  She knows that when she steps onto the ice, it is time for hockey.

Brittany is a great teammate because she is supportive of every player and her love of the game is to be admired.  She wanted to play hockey and wanted to work hard at learning the sport, and she didn’t stop until she achieved that goal. 


#24 -- Kristen Eng, UPENN

#12 -- Molly Sprayregen, UPENN

You may ask yourself, why two players? I will try and explain quickly. Both Eng and Sprayregen are our two co-captains and that’s not why they are being nominated. They are being nominated because these two are inseparable. You cannot walk on the UPenn campus and see just one of them. They take classes together; they travel together; they play ice hockey together; and they will graduate together. They bring this great friendship to the ice hockey rink and really prove to the DVCHC why this league is the best league to play in. Both girls motivate their teammates, and show their teammates what it means to play for the Quakers. They both took the freshmen and the newer players under their wing and showed them the ropes of how to play the game as a competitor and as a civil student-athlete. No matter winning or losing, both girls respected the other players and coaches. They were always the first ones to show their support to the opponents. These girls will surely be missed next season and both have earned the award as Sportsmanship.


#11 -- Sara Klein, RU