Bierly, Binkhorst, and Hynes Lead NEWBA Awards For 2015

Denise Bierly
Eastern Connecticut State University

Eastern Connecticut State University head coach Denise Bierly is the 2015 NEWBA Coach of the Year. Bierly led the Warriors to a banner season, leading the team to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003.  The Warriors finished with a 22-9 record, and a share of the Little East Conference regular season title.  As the No. 1 seed, ECSU beat UMass Boston in overtime in the LEC title game and return to the NCAA tournament.  ECSU then beat Scranton in the opening round and Baruch in the second before falling to Tufts in the sectional opener.

Bierly, who is in her 20th season leading the Warriors, has a career record of 376-179 (.677).  She holds a B.S. Degree in Sports Management from Defiance College and an M.S. Degree in Education from Bowling Green (OH) State University.

Sara Binkhorst
Bowdoin College
Senior • Guard • West Hartford, Conn.

Bowdoin's Sara Binkhorst is the 2015 NEWBA/Prestosports Player of the Year.  A First Team All-NESCAC Player and former NEWBA Player of the Week, Binkhorst was a key component for the Polar Bears reaching the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament.  A starter in every game this season for Bowdoin, Binkhorst led the Polar Bears in scoring at 14.4 points per game and made 41.5% of her three point attempts.  In the regular season finale, she became the 14th player in school history to reach the 1,000 point mark. She also lands on the NEWBA First Team All-Region after being named to the Second Team last season.  

Mairead Hynes
Connecticut College
Freshman • Forward • Mahopac, N.Y.

Mairead Hynes' impressive rookie season has earned her NEWBA/PrestoSports Rookie of the Year honors.  The NESCAC Rookie of the Year, Hynes finished the year second in NESCAC in scoring and rebounding and sixth in field goal percentage. She made more free throws than any other player in the league attempted. She was named NESCAC POW twice, ECAC POW, NEWBA POW, NEWBA ROW, and D3hoops.com Team of the Week.

• Kelly Coleman, University of New England (Sr., F, Portland, Conn.) - All All-Region First Team player for the second straight year, Coleman led the Nor'easters to the NCAA tournament for the third straight season.  She averaged 14.3 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 45 percent from the field and 76 percent from the line. A three-time All-CCC First Team honoree, she was also the 2014-15 CCC Player of the Year. 
• Shannon Brady, Bowdoin College (Jr., F, Scituate, Mass.) - Brady was the other half of Bowdoin's high scoring tandem, along with Binkhorst.  Averaging 14.2 points per game and pulling down 6.4 boards per game, Brady shot 51.2% from the field on her way to First Team All-NESCAC Honors. 
• Jen Ashton, Westfield State University (Sr., G, Beverly, Mass.) - The 2015 MASCAC Player of the Year, Ashton led the Owls to a 24-6 record by averaging 15.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists.  A member of the All-MASCAC First Team, Ashton was 10th nationally in both assists per game and steals per game.
• Megan Ronaghan, UMass Dartmouth (So., F, North Attleboro, Mass.) - Last year's NEWBA Rookie of the Year, Ronaghan led the Corsairs to a share of the Little East Conference regular season championship this season.  The LEC Player of the Year and an LEC First Team Selection, Ronaghan averaged 17.7 points and 6.9 rebounds, shooting 51.7% from the floor and 83.7% from the free throw line.
• Sara Binkhorst, Bowdoin College (Sr., G, West Hartford, Conn.) - Binkhorst was named the 2015 NEWBA Player of the Year after leading the Polar Bears to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.  

• Aliah Curry, Norwich University (Sr., G, Windsor, Mass.) - Curry is the leading scorer in both this history of Norwich University and the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.  Finishing her career with 2,252 points, this season she was the nation's third leading scorer with a 22.1 points per game average.  She also was a four time GNAC All-Conference player, scoring at least 20 points in 12 game this year.
• Abbie Brickley, Wheaton College (Sr., F, Sandy, Utah) - Brickley finished her senior season with a flourish, setting several school records in the process.  She is the Lyons' all-time leading scorer with 1,542 points, and set the school record for field goals made with 611.  The 2015 NEWMAC Player of the Year is the only player in program history with over 500 points in a season, setting a single season mark with 524.  
• Jill Ritrosky, Eastern Connecticut State University (Jr., F, Pittsfield, Mass.) - A First Team All-LEC and All-Defensive LEC selection, Ritrosky was one of the main reasons why the Warriors won the LEC tournament championship and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.  Starting all 30 games this year, Ritrosky averaged 12.7 points and 10.0 rebounds for Eastern Connecticut State this season. 
• Sabrina Drammis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Jr., G, Hilton Head Island, S.C.) - Drammis is a team captain and versatile scorer, rebounder and defender who has played every position on the floor this season while averaging a double-double. The junior has scored 466 points this year and is only the 7th player at MIT to reach the 1000-point mark. A NEWMAC First Team All Conference selection, she led the league in rebounding and was secondnd in overall points and points per game, ninth in field goal percentage, fifth in steals and 11th in blocks. Drammis ranks third nationally in defensive rebounds per game and third in double doubles with 20 this season. 
• Olivia Murphy, UMass Boston (Jr., F, Canton, Mass.) - Named to the Little East conference First Team All-Conference for the second straight year, Murphy was one of two players in the Little East Conference to average a double-double. A two time LEC Player of the Week, she scored her 1,000th point this season.