Buffalo State had three players recognized by the ECAC Women’s West on its All-Conference teams, including Justine Silva (Baldwin Park, CA/Arroyo) who was named second team and the Co-Defensive Player of the Year, and Erin Gehen (West Seneca, NY/W. Seneca West) who drew honorable mention honors. Third-year head coach Candice Moxley was also named ECAC West Coach of the Year.
Silva, a sophomore forensic chemistry major, shares the top defensive honors with Plattsburgh goalie Camille Leonard. Silva has set a school record with 16 wins and is on pace to do the same with a 1.57 goals against average and a .945 save percentage. She has also matched a school record with four shutouts and has appeared in 23 games. Silva earned honorable mention last season.
Gehen, a sophomore business major, earned honorable mention status after leading the Bengals in scoring with 17 goals and 27 points in 24 games played. She also leads the nation in shorthanded goals with five and has added a team-high five power-play goals. In just two seasons as a Bengal, Gehen already ranks sixth in school history with 48 points (24 goals and 24 assists) in 50 games.
Moxley, in her third season as head coach of the Bengals, has led a complete transformation of the program. Buffalo State has shattered a school record for wins in a season with an overall mark of 18-7-0 and finished fourth in ECAC West play at 12-6-0. The previous record for win was 11 set in 2000-01. Moxley inherited a program that had won just 13 games in two seasons, and has now led the Bengals to three-consecutive playoff appearances. Buffalo State will host a playoff game for the first time in school history this Saturday when No. 5-seeded Oswego visits the Ice Arena for a 3 p.m. faceoff.
