May 6, 2011

Nashua – Junior Joshua Cosgrove of Sterling, Mass. (Wachusett HS) and senior Amanda Varricchio of Middletown, Conn. (Mercy HS) (pictured right) were honored as the male and female Student-Athletes of the Year respectively, headlining the annual Daniel Webster College athletics awards night ceremony on Thursday, May 5th in the Collings Auditorium on the College campus.

Two students were honored with Athlete of the Year accolades as three-sport athlete and junior Alycia Gervais of Windham, Conn. (Windham HS) was named female Athlete of the Year, while junior men’s soccer player Alex Jackson of Kent, Ohio (Theodore Roosevelt HS) was named male Athlete of the Year.

Senior women’s volleyball player SarahMaura Dwyer of Wayne, N.J. (DePaul Catholic HS) and senior three-sport athlete Lawrence Green of Roosevelt, N.Y. (Bishop Loughlin HS) were named recipients of the Sportsmanship Award.

Cosgrove, an air traffic major with a minor in aviation management, is a two-sport athlete with the men’s cross country and men’s lacrosse programs. A regular top finisher for the Eagles on the running trails, Cosgrove is also a two-year member and starting midfielder on the men’s lacrosse field, chipping in with a goal and assist. Cosgrove is a member of the NECC All Academic All Conference team, has been a consistent member of the College’s Dean’s List and President’s List and sports a GPA of just below 4.00.

Varricchio is a mechanical engineering major and capped an extraordinary four-year athletic career as a two-sport athlete with both women’s soccer and softball where she was a pivotal member and starter for both programs. She has been a member of the College’s Dean’s List and President’s List in each of her eligible semesters, and is also a three-time NECC Academic All Conference honoree.

On the soccer field, Varricchio started 13 of 15 games, contributing two goals and two assists. But she made her greatest mark on the softball diamond, retiring as the program’s greatest hitter ever. The third baseman played in and started every possible game, spanning 127 contests. She finished as the program’s all time leader in season and career hits, season and career batting average, season and career stolen bases and season and career on base percentage.

In hard numbers, she finished with a career average .345 as leadoff hitter with 135 total hits, 90 runs scored, 31 RBI, and 35 stolen bases. She is also a two-time all conference selection and a former NFCA All Region honoree. She also owns the top two single-season batting averages in DWC, hitting .500 as a sophomore .400 as a junior. This past season she hit .370 with 18 runs scored, four RBI, and seven steals.

A DWC “Distinguished Student Award” winner, Varricchio has consistently maintained a GPA of just below 4.0.

Alycia Gervais and Alex Jackson

Gervais, a junior, was a member of the women’s cross country team, women’s basketball squad and softball team. On the court, she was among the team’s scoring leaders with 12.4 ppg, and was the Eagles top rebounder with 9.7 per game on the way to earning NECC “Player of the Year” honors along with first team all conference and D3hoops.com all regional honors and was a pivotal member of a squad that won its first ever conference tournament title and advanced to its first NCAA national championship tournament.

Gervais, who was also named team MVP as part of the evening’s festivities, led the Eagles in double doubles (11) while adding 2.2 assists, 2.5 steals, shot 44-percent from the field, 41-percent from beyond the arc, and 70-percent at the line. She finished eighth in NECC scoring, fifth in rebounding, fifth in field goal percentage, 10th in steals and 11th in three-point field goals made.

On the softball diamond, Gervais starting all 23 contests primarily playing left field, and finished with six hits and knocked in three runs.

Jackson, a junior forward who was also named team MVP as part of the awards ceremony, set two records in 2010, becoming both the all time program single season as well as career goals and points leader. His 16 goals and two assists in 18 games helped lead the Eagles to their second straight NECC tournament title, which earned the squad its first ever trip to the NCAA tournament.

A first team all conference selection, Jackson’s final two goals of the season were his most memorable as his first clinched the NECC title against Southern Vermont College, while his second was the Eagles lone goal in the NCAA tourney against Middlebury College. He currently sports career totals of 23 goals and 12 assists for 62 points.

The College’s sportsmanship award honors individuals who, through their commitment, dedication and passion for their sport, their team and their College, set an example for fellow student-athletes and the College’s student body as an ideal for which to strive as a member of the Daniel Webster College Eagles family.

Lawrence Green and SarahMaura Dwyer

Dwyer is an aviation flight operations major, served as a tri-captain this past season, her final in a DWC uniform. Dwyer appeared in 26 contests for the Eagles as libero, averaging 1.2 digs per set, chipped in with 27 service aces, four kills and nine assists.

Dwyer is a two-time NECC Academic All Conference honoree and has been a regular member of the College’s Dean’s List and President’s List.

Green, a sport management major, became the first male Eagle student-athlete in the past four years to play three sports in one academic year as a member of men’s cross country, men’s basketball and men’s lacrosse.

Green ran in four cross country meets, appeared in 10 basketball contests with one start as a shooting guard, and appeared in 10 men’s lacrosse contests as a midfielder.


The evening’s festivities also including the awarding of each program’s rookie, coaches’, most improved, and most valuable player awards, which were as follows:

Men’s Cross Country
Coach’s Award: Joshua Cosgrove, a junior from Sterling, Mass.
Most Valuable Player: Coby Costa, a junior from Bantam, Conn.

Women’s Cross Country
Coach’s Award: Alycia Gervais, a junior from Windham, Conn.
Most Valuable Player: Sarah Paternostro, a junior from Glastonbury, Conn.

Field Hockey
Rookie of the Year: Courtney Brennan, a freshman midfielder from Beverly, Mass.
Coach’s Award: Samantha Crooker, a freshman defender from Gilford, N.H.
Most Improved: Maeghan Farrelly, a sophomore midfielder from N. Kingstown, R.I.
Most Valuable Player: Amy Prince, a junior goalkeeper from Hope Valley, R.I.

Golf
Rookie of the Year: Emily Bouchard, a junior from Saco, Maine.
Coach’s Award: Cory Sabaitis, a junior from Findlay, Ohio.
Most Improved: Greg Repko, a junior from Stratford, Conn.
Most Valuable Player: Mike Fuller, a sophomore from Chelmsford, Mass.

Men’s Soccer
Rookie of the Year: Paul Roy, a freshman back from Merrimack, N.H.
Coach’s Award: Samson Kiberu, a senior midfielder from Waltham, Mass.
Most Improved: Andrew Donovan, a junior midfielder from Milford, N.H.
Most Valuable Player: Alex Jackson, a junior forward from Kent, Ohio.

Women’s Soccer
Rookie of the Year: Amanda Varricchio, a senior forward from Middletown, Conn.
Coach’s Award: Kacie Lang, a junior forward from Raymond, N.H.
Most Improved: Sarah Casselberry, a freshman midfielder from Marietta, N.Y.
Most Valuable Player: Amy Waller, a junior goalkeeper from Berlin, Mass.

Women’s Volleyball
Rookie of the Year: Ally Hayden, a freshman setter from Bedford, N.H.
Coach’s Award: Amanda Wilson, a junior libero from Merrimack, N.H.
Most Improved: Jennifer Finneran, a sophomore middle blocker from Barnstead, N.H.
Most Valuable Player: Caitlyn DePierro, a junior setter from Billerica, Mass.

Men’s Basketball
Rookie of the Year: Keith Speed, a shooting guard from Columbus, 0hio.
Coach’s Award: Chris Voukides, a senior guard from Salem, N.H.
Most Improved: Omari Wright, a senior guard from Laurelton, N.Y.
Most Valuable Player: Chris Hanson, a senior guard from Salem, Mass.

Women’s Basketball
Rookie of the Year: Sarah Clark, a freshman forward from Marlboro, Mass.
Coach’s Award: Vanessa Bosques, a junior guard from North Windham, Conn.
Most Improved: Sarah Paternostro, a junior guard from Glastonbury, Conn.
Most Valuable Player: Alycia Gervais, a junior forward from Windham, Conn.

Men’s Ice Hockey
Rookie of the Year: Bobby Loranger, a freshman forward from Billerica, Mass.
Coach’s Award: Brad Weiser, a senior forward from Grand Island, N.Y.
Most Improved: Jay Glidden, a senior forward from West Bridgewater, Mass.
Most Valuable Player: Bill Shultes, a senior defenseman from Wilmington, Mass.

Men’s Volleyball
Rookie of the Year: Joe Walz, a freshman outside hitter from East Longmeadow, Mass.
Coach’s Award: Travis Crocket, a junior middle blocker from Tenants Harbor, Maine.
Most Improved: Kyle Clement, a sophomore setter from Weymouth, Mass.
Most Valuable Player: Chris Shannon, a junior outside hitter from Ronkonkoma, N.Y.

Baseball
Rookie of the Year: Korey LeLievre, a freshman designated hitter from Hudson, N.H.
Coach’s Award: Josh Chasse, a sophomore outfielder from Haverhill, Mass.
Pitcher of the Year: Kory Kiro, a junior from Goffstown, N.H. 
Most Valuable Player: Bruce Brown, a senior third baseman from Lowell, Mass.

Softball
Rookie of the Year: Courtney Brennan, a freshman shortstop from Beverly, Mass.
Coach’s Award: Lauren Chesnulevich, a junior first baseman and pitcher from Hudson, N.H. and Amanda Varricchio, a senior third baseman from Middletown, Conn.
Most Valuable Player: Amanda Wilson, a junior pitcher from Merrimack, N.H.

Men’s Lacrosse
Rookie of the Year: Sean Steadman, a sophomore defender from Woburn, Mass.
Coach’s Award: Eric Mulford, a sophomore midfielder from Canton, Mass.
Most Improved: Dan Merkel, a sophomore midfielder from Bethlehem, Penn.
Most Valuable Player: Nate Burr, a freshman goalkeeper from Southbury, Conn.

Women’s Lacrosse
Rookie of the Year: Brandi Ritz, a freshman midfielder from Burlington, N.J.
Coach’s Award: Katie Rockefeller, a sophomore attack from Red Hook, N.Y.
Most Improved: Briana Konopka, a freshman attack from Hampton, N.H.
Most Valuable Player: Stephanie Zeman, a senior attack from Jefferson Township, N.J.