NEWTON, Mass. (3/3/15) – As voted upon by the 12 head coaches of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), junior guard Katie Stopera (Hollis, N.H.) has been named to the women's basketball Second Team. Junior forward Breeana Williams (Bloomfield, Conn.) was also elected as the Lasell College representative for the All-Sportsmanship Team.
Stopera ranks third in the GNAC in points per game, at 18.2. The Hollis, N.H. native poured in a career-high 35 points in a 74-62 victory against Simmons College, tying the Lasell College record for most points in a game. Stopera contributed seven double-doubles in the 2014-15 season, scoring 454 points and pulling down 201 rebounds in 25 games played. Stopera ranks 12th in conference rebound leaders, with an average of 8.0 boards per game.
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
First Team
Trafficia Warburton, Anna Maria (Sr., F, Worcester, Mass.)
Sarah Higgins, Emmanuel (Jr., G, Groveland, Mass.)
Aliah Curry, Norwich (Sr., G, Winsor, Mass.)
Deanna Purcell, Rivier (Sr., G, Hudson, N.H.)
Iliana Quadri, Suffolk (Sr., G, Sudbury, Mass.)
Second Team
Olivia Bolden, Albertus Magnus (Fr., F, South Windsor, Conn.)
Katie Stopera, Lasell (Jr., G, Hollis, N.H.)
Heather LeBlanc, Norwich (So., F, Sanford, Maine)
Sarah Assante, Saint Joseph's Maine (Sr., G, Standish, Maine)
Morgan Cahill, Saint Joseph's Maine (Jr., C, Yarmouth, Maine)
Third Team
Jennifer Bujnowski, Emmanuel (Sr., F, Salem, N.H.)
Raquel Pederzani, Johnson & Wales (Fr., G, Coventry, R.I.)
Bobbie Whitehead, Johnson & Wales (So., F, Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Savanna Butterfield, Rivier (So., F, Londonderry, N.H.)
Caitlyn Perry, Rivier (So., G, Nashua, N.H.)
Player of the Year – Deanna Purcell, Rivier
Defensive Player of the Year – Trafficia Warburton, Anna Maria
Rookie of the Year – Olivia Bolden, Albertus Magnus
Coach of the Year – Andy Yosinoff, Emmanuel
Institutional Sportsmanship Award – Simmons College
All-Sportsmanship Team
Megan Thornton, Albertus Magnus
Kristina Russo, Anna Maria
Devin Rauh, Emmanuel
Kaitlin Kenney, Johnson & Wales
Breeana Williams, Lasell
Shanell Nardone, Mount Ida
Leah Turcotte, Norwich
Rebecca DeBaldo, Rivier
Carlee Putnam, Saint Joseph (Conn.)
Abbie Eastman, Saint Joseph's Maine
Shelby Santini, Suffolk
Liz Brasa, Simmons