NEC Player of the Week: Summer Castiglione, New Haven
NEC Defensive Player of the Week: Nina Tremonte, Stonehill
NEC Rookie of the Week: Sophia Gouveia, Stonehill

Previous NEC Releases: February 16 | Preseason Poll Release

NEC WOMEN’S LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Summer Castiglione, New Haven
Midfield, Senior, Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial
New Haven came away with a win in its first-ever game as a Division I program thanks to the clutch play of Castiglione. Netting three goals while adding a pair of assists, the senior midfielder propelled the Chargers past in-state foe Sacred Heart by a 10-7 final on Wednesday. Castiglione assisted on her team’s first-ever goal as a Division I squad just 86 seconds after first draw when she connected with Sophia Minnion. The Brick, NJ native then found the back of the net for the first time this season 51 seconds into the second quarter to tie up the game at 4-4 and spark a 6-0 run that stretched throughout the second, third and part of the fourth quarters and put New Haven in front for good. Castiglione delivered the final strikes of that game-deciding run with a woman-up score at the 4:11 mark of the third and an unassisted score with 10:26 left in regulation. In addition to her clutch offense, the veteran midfielder added two caused turnovers and one ground ball.

NEC WOMEN’S LACROSSE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nina Tremonte, Stonehill
Goalkeeper, Senior, Brookfield, CT/Brookfield
Tremonte was stellar between the pipes for Stonehill last week. Limiting each of her opponents to single-digit goal totals, she helped the Skyhawks go back-to-back in the win column with a 12-9 victory against Rhode Island on Wednesday and a 14-5 decision against Merrimack on Saturday. Seeing all 120 possible minutes on the week, the Nutmeg State product tallied 14 saves and a .500 save percentage to go along with a 7.00 goals-against average. Tremonte went the distance and made five stops in the victory over Rhode Island before she turned away nine shots, a season-best, in Saturday’s win over Merrimack. In addition, she held the Warriors to just five goals, marking the fewest scores allowed by the senior in a complete-game effort. This is Tremonte’s second career NEC Defensive Player of the Week award.

NEC WOMEN’S LACROSSE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Sophia Gouveia, Stonehill
Midfield, Freshman, North Stonington, CT/Wheeler
Gouveia’s start to her collegiate career has been nothing short of impressive. After netting her first career hat trick in her collegiate debut as part of a five-point effort against Boston University (Feb. 11), the rookie midfielder turned the trick in each of Stonehill’s two games last week to lead the Skyhawks to a pair of victories. In addition, Gouveia stuffed the stat sheet during that stretch by adding five ground balls, five caused turnovers and six draw controls. Netting the game’s first goal on Wednesday against Rhode Island, the North Stonington, CT native broke a 7-7 draw and put Stonehill in front for good with her second tally, which came at the 4:00 mark of the third quarter. Her final score with 4:57 left to play in the fourth made it a two-goal cushion in the eventual 12-9 victory. On Saturday against Merrimack, Gouveia netted Stonehill’s first two goals of the day to help her team take a commanding 7-1 advantage in the wire-to-wire 15-3 triumph. With nine goals this season, she is currently ranked fourth in the NEC in scoring. ?
 

NEC PRIME PERFORMERS

Nora Codianni, FDU (MF, Jr)

• Combined for seven goals, one assist, seven draw controls and one caused turnover in FDU’s 1-1 week
• Racked up seven points behind a career-best six goals to lead the Knights to a 16-10 win over Manhattan (Feb. 18)

 
Karly Dillabough, FDU (A, Jr)

• Finished the week with five goals in FDU’s 1-1 week
• Found the back of the net four times for her first hat trick of the season in Wednesday’s win over Manhattan (Feb. 18)

 
Sawyer Walker, HU (A, Gr)

• Registered her third multi-goal outing of the season after scoring a season-best three times against American on Sunday (Feb. 22)

 
Maddi Barney, LEM (MF, Jr)

• In Le Moyne’s 1-1 week, compiled five goals, one assist, eight ground balls, three caused turnovers and two draw controls
• Led the Dolphins to a 13-9 win at Wofford on Tuesday after recording four points (3g, 1a) while adding four ground balls, a pair of caused turnovers and two draw controls (Feb. 17)

 
Francesca Tortora, LEM (A, Gr)

• Tallied seven points, four ground balls and one caused turnover in a pair of games
• Led all scorers with five points after striking for a career-best four goals and an assist in Tuesday’s win at Wofford (Feb. 17)

 
Maggie Allen, MU (GK, So)

• Turned away a career-high 19 shots against Xavier on Friday (Feb. 20)
• Closed out the game with a .594 save percentage

 
Summer Castiglione, NHVN (MF, Sr)

• NEC Player of the Week
• Tallied five points on three goals and a pair of assists to lead New Haven to its first win as a Division I program against Sacred Heart on Wednesday (Feb. 18)
• Added two caused turnovers in the triumph

 
Sophia Gouveia, STO (MF, Fr)

• NEC Rookie of the Week 
• Had back-to-back hat tricks in Stonehill’s 2-0 week that featured wins over Rhode Island (Feb. 18) and Merrimack (Feb. 21)
• Added six draw controls, five caused turnovers and five ground balls 

 
Kalliopi Maniatis, STO (D, Sr)

• Caused seven turnovers and collected six ground balls to lead the Skyhawks to wins over Rhode Island (Feb. 18) and Merrimack (Feb. 21)
• Caused a career-best five turnovers — the most by an NEC player this season — to propel Stonehill to a 14-5 win over the Warriors

 
Grace Murphy, STO (A, Sr)

• Helped Stonehill go 2-0 by totaling seven points 
• Made it back-to-back four-goal outings after striking four times in a 12-9 win over Rhode Island (Feb. 18)
• Tallied three points (1g, 2a), three ground balls and a caused turnover in Saturday’s win over Merrimack (Feb. 21)

 
Nina Tremonte, STO (GK, Sr)

• NEC Defensive Player of the Week
• Held both opponents to single-digit goal totals to earn two wins last week
• Made a season-high nine saves and posted a .643 save percentage in Saturday’s 12-5 win over Merrimack (Feb. 21)

2026 NEC WOMEN'S LACROSSE WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS:

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Feb. 16: Olivia Lockwood (Le Moyne)
Feb. 23: Summer Castiglione (New Haven)
March 2: 

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Feb. 16: Carrie Bennett (Le Moyne)
Feb. 23: Nina Tremonte (Stonehill)
March 2: 

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Feb. 16: Amaya Monacelli (Central Connecticut)
Feb. 23: Sophia Gouveia (Stonehill)
March 2: