Quartet of Eagles Garner Early Hockey East Awards

WAKEFIELD, Mass. – Four Boston College women's hockey players were recognized by Hockey East on Wednesday when the conference started announcing its 2018-19 season honorees.

Senior Megan Keller was the unanimous selection as the conference's Best Defenseman, while fellow captain Makenna Newkirk earned the Best Defensive Forward Award. Additionally, Keller also picked up the Hockey East Three Stars Award and freshman Kelly Browne and Cayla Barnes were named to the Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team.

This marks the third time that Keller has been named the league's best defender and the seventh consecutive year that a BC defender has earned the honor: Blake Bolden in 2013, Emily Pfalzer in 2014 and 2015, Toni Ann Miano in 2018 and Keller in 2016, 2017 and 2019. Keller is the first three-time winner of the award.

Keller, a Patty Kazmaier Award Top-3 Finalist, posted one of the best regular seasons in league history after setting the single-season points (37) and goals record (16) for a defender. The captain now holds the conference career and single-season points, goals and assists records by a defender. She was named the Hockey East Player of the Month for January and has also earned two Player of the Week awards and a Defensive Player of the Week award. Her 16-21-37 scoring line in Hockey East play was good for a tie for third overall while her plus-36 rating was tops. In 26 league games this year, Keller was chosen among the contest's best three players 11 different times. She was named the No. 1 star of the game seven times, the No. 2 star three times and the No. 3 star once.

Newkirk earns the title of Best Defensive Forward after leading the league forwards in the regular season with 51 blocks while also sitting sixth with a face-off winning percentage of .577. The captain has 38 points on 12 goals and a team-high 26 assists, with seven of her helpers coming on game-winning goals and team-high nine on the power play. Newkirk's season-average of 1.50 blocks per game ranks 12th in the country. Newkirk joins Taylor Wasylk '14 in representing BC as the league's Best Defensive Forward.

Newkirk is the Hockey East active career point leader with 113 on 37 goals and 76 assists while Keller is second with 111 points on 31 goals and 80 assists. Keller finishes her career second overall in career assists with 80, trailing Alex Carpenter '16's 84, while Newkirk's 76 tie with Northeastern's Kendall Coyne for third.

With Browne and Barnes earning spots on the All-Rookie team, BC now has 20 All-Rookie honors under head coach Katie Crowley. BC has placed at least one Eagle on the All-Rookie Team every year since 2008-09.

Browne, a two-time Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week, finished third in first-year conference scoring with 19 points on nine goals and 10 assists. Browne's overall scoring line of 10-14-24 is tied for 12th in the nation among rookies. Her 326 face-off wins on the season ranks second among Hockey East rookies and sixth overall.

Barnes led all rookie defenders in conference scoring (3-13-16) and tied for fourth overall among all rookies. Her 21 total points on the year is tied for 16th in the country among first-year players. Barnes has blocked 62 shots to lead BC and sit second among Hockey East rookies. Barnes, who was chosen as the Rookie of the Week once so far this season, was a unanimous All-Rookie squad selection.

The Cammi Granato Award for the Player of the Year, Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, as well as the First- and Second-Team All-Stars, plus the honorable mention selections, will be announced on Friday night at the annual Hockey East Tournament Banquet.

BC, the second seed in the Hockey East tournament, will battle the third-seeded Boston University Terriers on Saturday, March 9 in the semifinals. Faceoff is set for 4:30 p.m. at Providence's Schneider Arena.

Quartet of Eagles Garner Early Hockey East Awards

Players Mentioned

Cayla Barnes

Kelly Browne

Megan Keller

Toni Ann Miano

Makenna Newkirk

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