Posted by Elliot Silver on Jun 29, 2011 | Community Updates |
Field hockey player named D-2 Athlete of the Year.
Sammy Macy, a 2011 graduate from Tewksbury, Mass., received the 2010-11 Honda Division II Athlete of the Year award at the Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards (CWSA) press conference Monday at Columbia University’s Low Memorial Library.
Macy was honored with Division I recipient Maya Moore, a standout on the University of Connecticut basketball team (who accepted her award via satellite); and Kendra Stern, a standout swimmer at Amherst College.
With the award, Honda will donate $5,000 toward UMass Lowell’s women’s athletic programs. Macy was presented the award by ESPN Sportscenter anchor and host Sage Steele.
“Winning this award is definitely an amazing feeling,” Macy said at the press conference Monday. “I never thought I would actually win it. Being nominated was amazing as it is and to win it is unbelievable. There are so many phenomenal female athletes in Division II, and to represent them here today is just unreal.”
Macy was named the Honda/CWSA Division II recipient on June 15 out of a field of 11 finalists each in different sports. She is the first-ever Division II student-athlete from the Northeast-10 Conference, New England or East Region to receive the award, and is also the first field hockey player to earn the distinction in the CWSA program’s 24 years of honoring Division II athletes.
Macy was joined at the ceremony by her family as well as head coach Shannon Hlebichuk and director of athletics Dana Skinner.
“Sammy’s name is synonymous with passion, pride and perseverance,” said Hlebichuk. “She has truly embraced the game of field hockey and her involvement off the field has been remarkable.”
Perhaps UMass Lowell’s greatest player, Macy enjoyed a storied career in which she emerged the program’s all-time leading scorer as a junior, and capped her career with 91 goals and 38 assists (220 points).
Macy was among the catalysts of UMass Lowell’s 2010 season which saw the River Hawks post a 24-0 record and capture their second NCAA Championship in six years with a 1-0 triumph over Shippensburg University.
Macy scored a single season record 30 goals and dished out 14 assists and led Division II in points per game with 3.17. She scored two or more goals in eight games, notched three hat tricks and peaked with five goals in a 6-0 win at Indiana (Pa.).
“Sammy not only led the team in scoring for three straight years, but she is also second among all-time assist leaders,” Hlebichuk noted. “She is not just a finisher, but a smart playmaker and a selfless teammate – a rare combination.”
A three-time All-American, Macy led UMass Lowell to a four-year record of 81-14 (.853 winning percentage) which included appearances in four straight NCAA championship games. Additionally, the River Hawks captured the NE-10 Tournament in 2007 and 2010 as well as the NE-10 regular season in 2007, 2008 and 2010.
Perhaps most impressive, Macy came back from anterior cruciate ligament tears in 2008 and 2009. “She never came back the same player,” said Hlebichuk. “She always came back even stronger. She put in whatever time and effort was necessary to rehab her knee. She never complained once.”
Macy has also been an exemplary student and leader on campus. She graduated with a 3.12 in criminal justice, and has been involved in community service efforts such as Kids Night Out and Bowling for Wishes among many other initiatives.
A 2007 graduate of Tewksbury H.S., Macy is the daughter of Doug and Mary Macy of Tewksbury, Mass.
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