Freshman forward Stephanie Grossi earned CHA Rookie of the Year and head coach Paul Flanagan was named CHA Coach of the Year at Thursday’s CHA banquet.
Grossi led all CHA rookies with 29 points during the regular season, a number that ties with junior Melissa Piacentini for the overall points lead on the Orange. She also leads the CHA with a plus-16 rating for the season.
She’s the first CHA Rookie of the Year in program history for Syracuse.
Flanagan led a Syracuse team that was picked to finish fourth in the league to the No. 2 seed in the CHA Tournament. It’s the third Coach of the Year selection for Flanagan, who also won the award following the 2009-10 and 2012-13 seasons.
In addition to the major award winners, the Orange also had six players picked to all-conference teams, which was the most of any program in the league.
Piacentini and junior defenseman Nicole Renault were named to the CHA First Team.
Piacentini, who leads the Orange with 18 goals, became the program’s all-time leading goal scorer against Lindenwood in February. She was named to the CHA Second Team last season and CHA Rookie Team as a freshman.
Renault, Syracuse’s all-time leading goal scorer by a defender, picked up her second-straight CHA First Team Honor. She was also named to the CHA Rookie Team as a freshman. Renault has 16 points on the season thus far.
Senior Akane Hosoyamada and junior Jenn Gilligan represented the Orange on the CHA Second Team.
Hosoyamada, a team captain this season, has nine assists on the year, third most amongst ‘Cuse blue liners this season. She’s the Orange’s all-time leader in games played and assists. She previously was named the CHA’s Best Defenseman after the 2012-13 season.
Gilligan has played in 32 games (1905:44) for the Orange this season in net. She’s amassed 711 saves and has surrendered just 2.52 goals per game with a save percentage of .899.
Rookie of the Year Grossi was joined by teammate Alysha Burriss on the CHA Rookie Team. The Orange freshmen tandem is one of four freshmen duos in the country to combine for over 50 points on the season.
Burriss is second on the Orange with 13 goals and third in points with 24.
The No. 2 seeded Syracuse squad will take on the No. 4 seed Penn State in Friday’s semifinal, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m.
