Saint Anselm’s Tulchinsky captures NEWHA player of year honors to lead conference awards for 2023-24 college hockey season

Natalie Tulchinsky has been Saint Anselm’s go-to player this season (photo: Saint Anselm Athletics).

The NEWHA women’s conference has announced its major end-of-season awards and all-NEWHA teams.

Nominated and voted on by the league’s coaches, players from the eight NEWHA schools were honored for their accomplishments on the ice during the 2023-24 campaign.

Saint Anselm’s Natalie Tulchinsky was named NEWHA player of the Year, while LIU’s Bri Eid was voted defensive player of the year. Tulchinsky joins former Hawks Kelly Golini and Katy Meehan in securing the league’s top honor. Eid makes it back-to-back Sharks to take home the league’s top blueliner award, following Paula Bergström’s win in 2023.

LIU’s Tindra Holm becomes the first back-to-back winner of the goaltender of the year award after helping lead the Sharks to a school-record 26 wins.

Isabella Chaput of Sacred Heart took home the league’s top newcomer award, joining former Pioneer Anna Klein who won the award in 2019.

LIU’s Kelly Nash, now in her second season on the bench for the Sharks, was recognized by her colleagues as the league’s coach of the year. Nash led the Sharks to a 26-8-0 overall mark and a 26-2 record in league play, earning the regular-season championship and the top spot in the upcoming NEWHA tournament.

Tulchinsky claimed the league’s player of the year honors and was a NEWHA first team selection after leading the alliance in points (39), points per game (1.18), assists (22), points in conference play (35) and assists in conference play (20). The third student-athlete from Saint Anselm to be honored with the player of the year accolade, Tulchinsky needs just one more point to become the first student-athlete in team history with multiple 40-point campaigns to her credit. In 116 games between Boston College and Saint Anselm, she has scored 40 goals with 48 assists for 88 points.

Eid and Holm helped anchor a LIU defense that helped lead the team to a program-record 26 victories. The Sharks posted six shutouts on the season and have twice posted 12-game win streaks including an active streak heading into the postseason. Eid led all blueliners in assists (17) and points (19) and finished the regular season with a plus-15 on-ice rating, best amongst league defenders. Holm becomes the first back-to-back goaltender of the year in association history, logging more minutes in net (1750:55) than anyone in the league. Holm is also a semifinalist for the Hockey Commissioners Association Women’s Goaltender of the Year.

Chaput appeared in 36 games for the Pioneers and led the league’s newcomers’ class with 19 points (12 goals, seven assists). She posted a plus-10 on ice rating in league play registered four game-winning goals (tied for 4th) and notched four multi-point performances including a hat trick on Oct. 27 against Saint Anselm.

First Team
Alexis Petford – Stonehill – So. – F
Natalie Tulchinsky – Saint Anselm – Sr. – F
Jeannie Wallner – LIU – Jr. – F
Bri Eid – LIU – Jr. – D
Maggie Korneta – Franklin Pierce – So – D
Tindra Holm – LIU – Jr. – G

Second Team
Audrey Jackson – Saint Anselm – Jr. – F
Mikayla Kelley – Franklin Pierce – Jr. – F
Mikayla Lantto – LIU – Sr. – F
Brinna Martin – Saint Anselm – Sr. – D
Savannah Popick – Saint Anselm – Sr. – D
Jillian Petruno – Sacred Heart – So. – G

All-Rookie Team
Grace Babington – LIU – Fr. – F
Jenna Chaplain – Assumption – Fr. – F
Isabella Chaput – Sacred Heart – Fr. – F
Pusle Dyring-Andersen – Stonehill – Fr. – D
Alexa Hanrahan – Assumption – Fr. – F
Lauren Maras – Franklin Pierce – Fr. – F
Courtney Stagman – Saint Anselm – Fr. – G

All-Sportswomanship Team
Delaney Bonifacio – Franklin Pierce – Sr. – D
Grace Glasrud – Post – Sr. – G
Mary Leys – Saint Michael’s – Sr. – F
Kayla McGaffigan – Assumption – Fr. – F
Samantha Ostrowski – Sacred Heart – Sr. – F
Savannah Popick – Saint Anselm – Sr. – D
Sarah Rourke – LIU – Sr. – F
Hannah Squires – Stonehill – So. – D