BC Bulletin

At the Break: 2025-26 Women's Hockey East Midseason Awards

Lily Shannon, Abby Hornung, and Ava Thomas have shown out in the first half to lead their teams to the top three spots in the Hockey East standings.
Chris Vogel|
Lily Shannon nets game winning goal against Boston College to close out the first half of the season.
Lily Shannon nets game winning goal against Boston College to close out the first half of the season. | John Sexton

With Hockey East squads on winter break, it presents an opportunity to look back at some of the top performers from the first half of the season before the action resumes. A mix of veteran presence and young talent have lifted the conference’s top teams and will be vital as teams fight for seeding down the stretch and battle for a Hockey East championship.

Midseason Player of the Year

Lily Shannon, Northeastern Sr. Forward

After a nine game winning streak to open league play, Northeastern has taken 34 of a possible 36 points from its 12 Hockey East games. A large reason for that is the Hockey East leader in goals, assists and points: Lilly Shannon, who has posted 14 goals, 15 assists, and 29 points in 19 total games. 

Shannon has been the center piece of an attack averaging just shy of three and a half goals per game with 65 goals in 19 games placing the Huskies sixth nationally and a top Hockey East in scoring. Northeastern is currently sitting at No. 7 in the USCHO poll and No. 6 in the NPI, which is used to determine the field for the national tournament, and is hoping the local product can lead the Huskies back to the Frozen Four. 

Midseason Goaltender of the Year

Abby Hornung, Holy Cross Sr. Goaltender

The surprise of the first half has been Holy Cross sitting inside the top-four and being well on pace for the Crusaders’ highest finish since joining Hockey East in 2018. After finishing in the bottom-two in each of their first seven years in the conference, strong goaltending play finally has Holy Cross in contention.

Coming off a 2024-25 season that saw her named to the All-Hockey East 2nd Team, Abby Hornung has taken another step forward in her final season. Through 15 games played, she leads all Hockey East goaltenders with a 1.47 goals against average and sits in second with a .941 save percentage, just behind UConn’s Tia Chan’s .949 percentage. The senior’s ten wins already has rewrote the program record for wins in the Crusaders’ Hockey East era, exceeding her previous high of seven which equalled the record last year. 

Midseason Freshman of the Year

Ava Thomas, Boston College Fr. Forward

Boston College’s standout freshman bursted onto the scene with 14 points in nine games in October, earning her Hockey East Player of the Month. Thomas has cooled down slightly, but still is among the league’s best regardless of age. Her 11 goals, 13 assists, and 24 points place her second in each category behind Northeastern’s Lily Shannon among all Hockey East skaters and leads in each category among freshmen. 

Thomas has helped Boston College replace production lost to the PWHL and transfer portal and lift the Eagles to second place in Hockey East at the break. She has had a hand in over half of Boston College’s goals so far and has the Eagles just outside the national rankings. 

Midseason All-Hockey East 1st Team

Forward: Lily Shannon, Northeastern Sr. 

Forward: Ava Thomas, Boston College Fr. 

Forward: Reichen Kirchmair, Providence Sr.

Defense: Jules Constantinople, Northeastern Sr. 

Defense: Maya Serdachny, Connecticut Jr.

Goaltender: Abby Hornung, Holy Cross Sr.

Last season’s Hockey East Player of the Year, Reichen Kirchmair, has followed up her award winning season with another productive one despite the Friars taking a step back around her. Kirchmair’s nine goals and 17 points are tied for third and sixth in Hockey East.

Jules Constantinople leads defensewomen with 12 assists and 16 points, also in the top ten among all skaters, and has been a key piece for the league leading Huskies.

Maya Serdachny has been effective on both ends of the ice, ranking fourth with 37 blocked shots and is in the top three for goals, assists, and points by a defensewomen this season.

Midseason All-Hockey East 2nd Team

Forward: Stryker Zablocki, Northeastern Fr.

Forward: Nina Rossi, New Hampshire Fr.

Forward: Violet Carroll, Holy Cross Fr. 

Defense: Madelyn Murphy, Boston College Fr.

Defense: Aurora Kahlert, New Hampshire Fr. 

Goaltender: Tia Chen, Connecticut Grad.

Stryker Zablocki, a strong contender for Freshman of the Year, is third in the conference with 21 points and tied for second with 13 assists.

Alongside Holy Cross, New Hampshire has been a dark horse making noise, currently sitting tied in the fourth position with Connecticut. Nina Rossi has led the Wildcats with 12 assists and 19 points and shares the team lead with seven goals.

Violet Carroll’s 12 assists and 19 points have her tied for fourth in both categories to help Holy Cross in her debut season.

Another productive freshman for Boston College is Madelyn Murphy who holds a share of the lead for goals by a defensewomen with four and has the second highest points total by a defensewomen with 12.

Aurora Kahlert has made an instant impact in her first season with the Wildcats, notching 10 points and 24 blocked shots in her first semester.

Tia Chen leads the conference with a .949 save percentage and has the Huskies inside the top ten of the polls.

Midseason All-Hockey East Rookie Team

Forward: Ava Thomas, Boston College

Forward: Stryker Zablocki, Northeastern

Forward: Nina Rossi, New Hampshire

Defense: Madelyn Murphy, Boston College

Defense: Aurora Kahlert, New Hampshire

Goaltender: Lauren Lyons, Merrimack

Extra Skater: Violet Carroll, Holy Cross

Lauren Lyons is the only freshman net-minder to see the ice so far, she’s posted an .888 save percentage and a 4.20 goals against average.

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Chris Vogel
CHRIS VOGEL

Chris Vogel has spent the last five years in sports media; including as a play-by-play broadcaster for ACC Network Extra and Hockey East on ESPN. He’s a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and in his final year as a graduate student at Boston College, where he serves as the radio voice of Boston College Women’s Hockey on WZBC 90.3; the flagship radio network of Boston College Women’s Athletics. He’s the host of the “All Things Hockey” podcast, and cover women’s college hockey for College Hockey On SI.

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