NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Seven members of the No. 9 nationally-ranked Saint Anselm College field hockey team have received All-Conference honors from the Northeast 10 Conference, the league office announced Thursday afternoon.
Headlining the group is senior Millie Forster, who was named the Defensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Conference First Team. Sophomore Meghan Carey and senior Marissa Politano were selected to the Second Team, juniors Mackenzie Wehrum and Laurentien van den Akker earn Third Team honors, and freshmen Breanna Shorey and Bella DiFiore were honored on the All-Rookie Team, rounding out the Hawks' selections.
Forster's Defensive Player of the Year selection is the fifth in program history and the first since Grace Michael in 2023. For all other honorees, this marks their first career postseason recognition.
A preseason member of the NFHCA Division II Watchlist, Forster anchored a defensive unit that lead Saint Anselm back to the Northeast 10 Championship for the 10th consecutive season. Forster earned two NE10 Defensive Player of the Week nods as the Hawks compiled nine shutout victories over the 18-game regular season, tied with the 2021 squad for second in the all-time record book. Forster helped limit opponents to just 0.94 goals per game through the 2025 campaign, the second-best average in the league. The senior back started in all 18 games and helped limit opponents to just 3.66 penalty corners per game, compared to the Hawks' 11.8 tries per contest, an NE10 best. Forster was a key contributor on offense as well, posting five goals and two assists for 12 points as Saint Anselm outscored its opponents 60-17. This marks the Cheshire, England native's third NE10 postseason honors, having previously been named to the NE10 All-Conference Second Team (2024) and Third Team (2023).
Carey enjoyed a breakout sophomore season, scoring seven goals and adding one assist for 15 points after posting just one point as a freshman. The South Hadley, Mass. native scored two game-winners, including the double overtime clincher in a conference victory over Bentley University (Oct. 22). Politano capped her senior year, notching career-highs in points (14) and assists (6) in a stellar senior season. The Acton, Mass. native posted a game-winner in a contest against Bentley, scoring the lone second-half goal back on Sep. 10.
Wehrum, from Garden City, N.Y., boasted a .814 save percentage and 0.56 goals against average with an 11-3 overall record over 15 games played. She recorded eight solo shutouts and one combined shutout after seeing limited action in 2024. van den Akker made 17 starts after making one start last season, helping the Hawks keep opponents under one goal per game. The Geldrop, The Netherlands native secured her first NE10 weekly award, earning Defensive Player of the Week status on Nov. 3 after a 2-0 shutout win over Southern New Hampshire University to close out the regular season with the Hawks' fifth-straight win.
The freshmen duo of Shorey (Belmont, Maine) and DiFiore (Andover, Mass.) made an immediate impact off the bench, combining for 27 points. Shorey led the team in points with 19, posting six goals and seven assists, with her seven assists tied for fourth in the NE10. DiFiore recorded three goals and two assists for eight points in her debut season.
Saint Anselm finished the regular season a 14-5 overall and a 10-2 in NE10 play, earning the No. 3 seed in the NE10 Championship. The Hawks defeated the No. 6 seed, Pace University, by a final score of 3-1 in the quarterfinals and will No. 2 Adelphi University (12-5) in the NE10 Semifinals on Friday, Nov. 7 at 4:00 p.m. at Motamed Field.
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