Rivier's Rebecca McKelvey, center, is a finalist for the Division III Player of the Year. (Courtesy photo by Kyle Prudhomme/Rivier Athletics)

NASHUA – Rivier women’s ice hockey sophomore forward Rebecca McKelvey has been named a finalist for the 2024-25 Laura Hurd Award, given to the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Division III Women’s Player of the Year. McKelvey is one of thirteen finalists, all of whom are first-time nominees.

McKelvey was named the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Player of the Year following her conference-best 31 points. The Barre, Vt. native posted 19 goals and 12 assists in 27 games as the Raiders finished their season with a 15-11-1 overall record, the best mark in the program’s four-year history.

At the time of publication, McKelvey is tied-15th in the nation in points per game (1.15). McKelvey upped her point total by 20 and her goals by 12 to help Rivier score the most goals in a single season in program history (64). The sophomore scored six power-play goals and three game-winning goals.

In the MASCAC Quarterfinals back on Feb. 26, McKelvey recorded a point on each of the Raiders’ five goals (2-3-5) to help the squad advance in the conference’s inaugural postseason tournament. The team finished its season with a 2-1 loss in the fourth overtime period at Plymouth St. in the inaugural MASCAC Championship.

ABOUT THE AWARD

From the AHCA release: “Sponsored by the American Hockey Coaches Association, the Hurd Award honors the memory of former Elmira College standout Laura Hurd. A 2005 graduate of Elmira, and a four-time All-American, Hurd died in an automobile accident shortly after graduation. She was the recipient of the AHCA Player of the Year Award in 2005. The recipient of this year’s Hurd Award will be announced on Thursday, March 27, at the NCAA Frozen Four in River Falls, WI.

Rivier’s Lyric Grumblatt salutes the fans on the road during a game this past season. (Courtesy photo by Steve McLaughlin/Rivier Athletics

MORE HONORS FOR GRUMBLATT

Rivier women’s basketball graduate student Lyric Grumblatt received regional recognition for her record-breaking season, earning a spot on the D3hoops.com All-Region 1 First Team and New England Women’s Basketball Association (NEWBA) All-Region Second Team. These regional honors follow her third Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Player of the Year nod.

Grumblatt played a pivotal role in leading the Raiders to a 15-10 regular-season record, their best season since 2013-14. She led the GNAC in scoring with 26.3 points per game on 42.6% shooting, amassing 683 total points, the most in a single season in program history. Along the way, she surpassed head coach Deanna Purcell ’15 to become Rivier’s all-time leading scorer and also etched her name in conference history, becoming the GNAC’s all-time leading scorer with 2,523 career points.

Throughout the season, Grumblatt recorded 10 double-doubles over 26 starts, pushing her career total to 30. She also averaged a career-high 8.8 rebounds per game, ranking sixth in the conference, along with 2.5 assists per game. Defensively, she averaged 2.3 steals per game, ranking fifth in the GNAC.

Grumblatt collected numerous accolades and recognition throughout the season, earning GNAC Player of the Week honors three times and New England Women’s Basketball Association (NEWBA) Player of the Week twice. She was also named to the NEWBA First Team five times and the NEWBA Second Team once. In addition, she was named to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week following a week where she averaged 28.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 6.0 steals.

Additionally, Grumblatt capped off her career as the program’s all-time leader in field goals made (864) and three-pointers made (304). She also ranked second in steals (275), third in rebounds (804), and fourth in assists (281).