BOSTON - Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) is proud to recognize its outstanding individual achievers from this year's competition. The 2025-26 Meghan Agosta Player of the Year, Vicki Bendus Forward of the Year, Molly Byrne Best Defenseman, Brianne McLaughlin Goaltender of the Year, Nicole Hensley Rookie of the Year, Best Defensive Forward, Individual and Team Sportsmanship Awards, Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Coach of the Year, along with the AHA Scoring and Goaltending Champions, have been selected.

MEGHAN AGOSTA PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
VICKI BENDUS FORWARD OF THE YEAR AWARD
Tessa Janecke, SR, Penn State (Orangeville, Ill.)
Penn State senior Tessa Janecke is the dual winner of the Vicki Bendus Forward of the Year Award and Meghan Agosta Player of the Year Award for a second consecutive season. Through 16 games in conference play, the 2026 Olympic Gold Medalist tallied 29 points (14G-15A), the second-most among all AHA skaters in league action. With data going back to 2018-19, no player has recorded more points in 16 or fewer conference games played than Janecke did in 2025-26. Janecke held the longest point streak in AHA play this season, a 10-game run from Nov. 14 to Jan. 24, during which she totaled 19 points (9G-10A).

Finalists for Player of the Year:
Kendall Butze, SR, D, Penn State (Cleveland, Ohio)
Katie DeSa, SR, G, Penn State (Pawcatuck, Conn.)

Finalists for Forward of the Year:
Grace Outwater, SO, Penn State (Picton, Ontario)
Jessica MacKinnon, SO, Robert Morris (Clark Harbour, Nova Scotia)

MOLLY BYRNE BEST DEFENSEMAN AWARD
Kendall Butze, SR, Penn State (Cleveland, Ohio)
During the conference portion of the regular season schedule, Penn State senior Kendall Butze earned her second straight Molly Byrne Best Defenseman Award, after she set a career high and tied for the points lead among AHA defensemen with 26 (5G-21A). Among AHA blueliners, Butze outright led with 21 assists and also finished second in plus/minus at plus-31. Nationally, only three defensemen have recorded more points than Butze in conference matchups during the 2025-26 campaign. The senior blueliner also blocked 23 shots over the course of the season.

Finalists for Best Defenseman
Emma Pickering, JR, RIT (Fishers, Ind.)
Danica Maynard, FR, Penn State (Lake Country, British Columbia)

BRIANNE McLAUGHLIN GOALTENDER OF THE YEAR
AHA GOALTENDING CHAMPION
Katie Desa, SR, Penn State (Pawcatuck, Conn.)
For a second consecutive season, Penn State senior Katie DeSa collects the Brianne McLaughlin Goaltender of the Year Award and earned the top save percentage in conference play (.942) to be named the AHA Goalending Champion. During the regular season, DeSa posted a 16-1-0 record through 17 games played. The two-time semifinalist for the Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) Women’s Goalie of the Year award also led netminders in the conference with a 1.08 goals-against average and recorded eight shutouts.

Finalists for Goaltender of the Year
Magdalena Luggin, SO, Mercyhurst

NICOLE HENSLEY ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Danica Maynard, D, FR, Penn State (Lake Country, British Columbia)
Penn State defenseman Danica Maynard was named the Nicole Hensley Rookie of the Year after recording the second-most points among AHA freshmen and second-most among all Division I blueliners in conference play with 26 points (9G-17A) in 24 games played. The Lake Country, British Columbia native was tied for the most power play goals (5) among all freshmen skaters in league play during 2025-26. Maynard also led AHA with a plus-36 rating during conference matchups.

Finalists for Rookie of the Year
Tatiana Blichova, F, Lindenwood (Presov, Slovakia)
Mikah Keller, F, Penn State (Mosinee, Wis.)

BEST DEFENSIVE FORWARD
Jessica MacKinnon, SO, Robert Morris (Clark Harbour, Nova Scotia)
Robert Morris sophomore Jessica MacKinnon is AHA’s Best Defensive Forward for 2025-26. MacKinnon posted a plus-10 rating and also has thrived on special teams, netting three power-play goals in conference play. The Robert Morris forward burst onto the scene this season, tallying 27 points (11G-16A) in her first season with the Colonials.

Finalists for Best Defensive Forward
Nea Tervonen, JR, Syracuse (Tampere, Finland)
Tessa Janecke, SR, Penn State (Orangeville, Ill.)

AHA INDIVIDUAL SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Kaitlin Finnegan, F, GR, Delaware
Delaware graduate forward Kaitlin Finnegan is the first Blue Hen to win an AHA individual award as the program completed its inaugural Division I season in 2025-26. The Tecumseh, Kan., native donned the “C” this season and served as one of Delaware’s first-ever Co-Captains. The graduate forward recorded seven points (6G-1A) in 21 conference games played.

Finalists for AHA Individual Sportsmanship Award
Emma Pickering, D, JR, RIT (Fishers, Ind.)

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Molly Henderson, SR, Lindenwood (Rockford, Ill.)
Lindenwood senior forward Molly Henderson has been named the conference’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the 2025-26 campaign. Henderson has a cumulative GPA of 4.0 and is pursuing a double major in Health and Wellness and Exercise Science. The Rockford, Ill. native is involved in the community, working with organizations such as Blues Special Hockey, which “gives people with intellectual Disabilities the chance to play the sport of Ice Hockey.” Henderson also excelled on the ice, especially in conference play, where she notched 25 points (14G-11A) in 23 games played.

Finalists for Scholar-Athlete of the Year:
Maggie Hatch, G, R-JR, Robert Morris (Cleveland Heights, Ohio)
Sofia Ljung, D, JR, Mercyhurst (Hudiksvall, Sweden)

COACH OF THE YEAR
Jeff Kampersal, Penn State
Penn State’s Jeff Kampersal has been named AHA Coach of the Year for a fourth-straight season. This season, Kampersal led the Nittany Lions to 22 wins, an all-time program high in conference play. Between Oct. 10 and Jan. 9, Kampersal’s squad went on a 13-game win streak, which was the longest among any program in the nation during conference play. Additionally, Penn State reached No. 3 in the polls this season, the program's highest ranking in its history. Penn State will attempt to defend its AHA title on Saturday, March 7, when Mercyhurst visits Pegula Ice Arena.

AHA SCORING CHAMPION
Grace Outwater, F, SO, Penn State (Picton, Ontario)
Penn State sophomore forward Grace Outwater was the AHA Scoring Champion when the regular season closed out in February. The Picton, Ontario native recorded 31 points (19G-12A) in 24 games played against AHA opponents. No skater recorded more than 30 points in AHA play this season, and Outwater recorded more points in conference games than any Division I sophomore in 2025-26.

Finalists for Coach of the Year:
Taylor Wasyk, Lindenood
Mike Sisti, Mercyhurst

TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Delaware Blue Hens and Mercyhurst Lakers
Delaware and Mercyhurst are Co-Winners of this season’s Team Sportsmanship Award. Both programs collected 180 team penalty minutes during AHA play, tied for the fewest among all teams in the conference.

ABOUT ATLANTIC HOCKEY AMERICA
Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) is in its second season following the merger between the Atlantic Hockey Association and College Hockey America. The conference fields 10 Division I men's teams and seven women's teams. For more information, visit atlantichockeyamerica.com.

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