Auburn, ME – The Central Maine Community College winter athletic teams combined for an impressive 19 individual honors among its four teams.
Women's Basketball picked up the bulk of the hardware, as the team shared the #1 overall ranking in the USCAA with Christendom heading into the national tournament. The Mustangs captured their eighth straight YSCC Tournament championship with a 74-61 win over UMaine Augusta. Captain Rosa Prieto was named the tournament MVP and Chantel Ouellette received the tournament's Most Outstanding Defensive Player award, marking a successful return to the squad in the second semester.
Ella Lavigne claimed both WBCA and USCAA 1st-Team All-American honors for the second straight year. The Fort Collins, CO native led the entire USCAA in scoring with 606 points heading into the national tournament, with the sophomore guard also being selected 1st-Team All-YSCC.
Joining Lavigne on the all-conference list was freshman Ava Smith, who matched her with a 1st-Team All-YSCC nod, and sophomore Riley Hebler, who was an Honorable Mention. Both players also earned accolades at the USCAA level. Smith added her name to the 2nd-Team All-American list with Hebler being an Honorable Mention at the national level as well.
Men's Basketball put two players on the all-conference list after a successful campaign that saw them claim the #2 seed in the YSCC Tournament before a semifinal exit. Freshman forward Khaden Moore delivered a strong season that saw the Naugatuck, CT native lead the team in scoring with 494 points. That earned him both USCAA 2nd-Team All-American and 1st-Team All-YSCC accolades. Will Duke joined him on the all-conference list with a 2nd-Team All-YSCC selection after the Camden Hills Regional High School product finished ninth in the country in assists.
Men's Ice Hockey set a new program record for wins with a 22-7-0 overall record so far and cracked the top 10 national rankings for the first time ever. Head coach Jordy Knoren's team finished one win shy of back-to-back NorthEast Collegiate Hockey Association championships, losing the tournament final to Colby College. Five Mustangs were named to the NECHA All-Star team. Captain Diego Alonso joined team-leading scorer Aaron Higgins and all-time program points leader Cody Ivey on the list, while defensemen Heath McLean and Jonathan Rioux were selected for their contributions from the blue line.
Higgins also picked up an honor from the American Collegiate Hockey Association. The Falmouth High School product set a new team single season record with 59 points and was second in the country with 32 goals. For that, the forward earned ACHA 2nd-Team All-Athletic recognition, the second straight season that a Mustang has gotten a place on the list after Gabe Poirier did it in 2023-24.
Women's Ice Hockey did not have any individual awards to earn, with the program only being an associate member of the Independent Women's Club Hockey League. The team still had plenty to celebrate for their inaugural season after posting a 7-5-0 overall record. Captain Kylee Spugnardi led the team in goals (21) and points (34). Emma Knowles scored 18 times while a trio of alternate captain defensemen, Lauren Hanlon, Fiona Landry, and Kylie Boardman held things down on the blue line.
Both Women's Basketball and Men's Ice Hockey are competing at their national tournaments. The #2 seeded Women's Basketball team takes the court in Buffalo, NY on Wednesday, March 12th against #7 Cincinnati Clermont in the USCAA Quarterfinals. Men's Hockey enters ACHA National Championship pool play as the #12 seed. The Mustangs get another crack at #5 Colby College on Tuesday, March 18th in their first of three games in St. Louis, MO.
