Shannon Brady Named NEWBA Player of the Year; Major Awards Announced

Cherise Galasso
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute head coach Cherise Galasso is the NEWBA Coach of the Year in 2016.  The NEWMAC Coach of the Year, Galasso led the Engineers to a program record tying 24 wins and the NEWMAC tournament title.  The Engineers made their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1996.  

During the season, WPI won a school record 18 games and won at least 20 games for the seventh time in school history.

Galasso has a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Rochester and a master's in education from Nazareth.

Shannon Brady
Bowdoin College
Senior • Guard • Scituate, Mass.

Bowdoin's Shannon Brady is the 2016 NEWBA/Prestosports Player of the Year.  Brady was named the NESCAC Co-Player of the Year and was a key component in the Polar Bears reaching the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.  Brady reached the 1,000 point mark at the beginning of the 2015 season, and ranks fifth all-time on the Bowdoin scoring list.  She also lands on the NEWBA First Team All-Region for the second year in a row.

Kara Holinski
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Freshman • Guard • Livonia, Mich.

Kara Holinski's top freshman season has earned her the NEWBA/PrestoSports Rookie of the Year honors.  The NEWMAC Rookie of the Year, Holinski led all rookies in scoring and was fifth in the NEWMAC at 13.5 points per game.  She also led the league and was third nationally, knocking down 47.6% of her three point shots.  

• Shannon Brady, Bowdoin College (Sr., F, Scituate, Mass) - Brady was named the 2016 NEWBA Player of the Year and named the to the First Team for the second year in a row. 
• Sabrina Drammis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sr., G, Hilton Head Island, S.C.) - A NEWMAC First Team Player, Drammis ranked in the top 10 in nine different categories.  She graduated as the Engineeers all-time leading rebounder while averaging 14.8 points per game this season. 
• Alicia Brown, University of New England (Jr., C, Greenland, N.H.) - Selected to the First Team of The Commonwealth Coast Conference, Brown led the Nor'Easters in scoring at 14.8 points per game, shooting over 50% from the field while averaging 5.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per contest. 
• Megan Ronaghan, UMass Dartmouth (Jr., F, North Attleboro, Mass.) - The two time LEC Player of the Year, Ronaghan surpassed the 1,000 point mark this season, and also set the single game program record with 37 points on January 20.  For the year, she averagd 19 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game.
• Jill Ritrosky, Eastern Connecticut State Universty (Sr., F, Pittsfield, Mass.) - Picked to the First Team All-LEC and All-LEC Defensive Teams, Ritrosky averaged a double-double with 15.1 points and 10.1 rebounds, and surpassed the 1,000 point and 1,000 rebound marks this year. 

Brady

Drammis

• Chelsea Vujs, Western New England University (Sr., F, Berlin, Conn.) - Vujs finished the regular season ranked second in the Commonwealth Coast Conference in scoring (15.9 PPG), third in rebounding (8.2 RPG) and tied for seventh in assists (3.2 APG) en route to CCC Player of the Year and All-CCC first team honors. She shot a conference-best 50 percent (160-of-320) from the field while registering eight double-doubles and 23 double-figure scoring efforts in 25 contests.
• Morgan Cahill, St. Joseph's College (Sr., C, Yarmouth, Maine) - Cahill was named to the First Team All-GNAC this season, leading the Monks in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots, and field goal percentage.  Finishing the year with 11 double-doubles, she ranks among St. Joseph's all-time leaders in points (1,651, 2nd), rebounds (876, 5th), and scoring average (15.0, 7th)
• Kiley Shoemaker, Wheaton College (Mass.) (Sr., F, Fayetteville, N.Y.) - Wheaton's all-time leader in blocks and rebounds, Shoemaker was named First Team All-NEWMAC, leading the conference with 10 double-doubles and and second in points, rebounds, free throw shooting, and blocked shots.
• Jill Valley, Westfield State University (Jr., G, Orange, Mass.) - The MASCAC Player of the Year, Valley led the league in steals per game (3.7) and three point shooting (42.9%) while shooting 17.3 points per game. 
• Amanni Fernandez, Williams College (So., G, Queens, N.Y.) - Chosen First Team All-NESCAC, Fernandez led the Ephs in scoring, assists, three point shooting, while also leading the NESCAC in assists at 5.0 per game and ranking second in three point shooting, making 43.4% from long range.