BIDDEFORD, Maine – After capturing the 2023 Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship over the weekend, the league's CCC Tournament weekly awards poured in for Suffolk women's hockey as the Rams swept the three categories. Lily O'Neil garnered goaltender of the week, while Madison Duff and Jenna Caballero were named player and rookie of the week, respectively.
O'Neil was close to perfect in between the pipes for the top-seeded Suffolk, surrendering just one goal across the Rams' two tournament games to backstop the blue-and-gold to its first conference championship. After making 18 saves in the CCC Semis to shutout fourth-seed University of New England, junior from Abington, Massachusetts, denied a Suffolk postseason-record 40 opportunities put on by second-seed Endicott in the championship contest. She racked up over 110 minutes of a CCC Tournament shutout streak as she did not let up a tally in the tournament until the 11:12 mark in the third period in the title tilt. In the tourney, she recorded a.983 save percentage and a 0.50 goals-against average.
Duff, a defender from Novi, Michigan, played a key role in Suffolk claiming its' first-ever conference crown. She registered two points in each of the Rams CCC Tournament games to finish the league postseason with four points. She started with a pair of helpers in the CCC Semis against the Nor'Easters and followed that up by factoring into both strikes in the 2-1 championship win over the Gulls. She put the Rams on the board four minute into the contest and assisted on the game-winner late in the second period.
Caballero helped Suffolk punch its ticket to the championship with a strong performance in the semifinals. The freshman that calls Middleton, New Jersey home, chipped in three points to the 6-0 cleansheet with one goal and two helpers. Her assist and point total marked career-best for the forward that finished the game with a plus-4 rating.
The trio is no stranger to weekly awards from the CCC as they each have collected at least one this year prior to the tournament sweep to bring the team's total to 10. O'Neil has been named the league's best goaltender over a seven-day stretch three times, while Duff and Caballero collected their recognitions for the second time this season. To round out the Rams with weekly accolades on their resume are Shana Cote (Player – Oct. 31), Liliana Moose (Rookie – Jan. 23), and Livia Brehm (Rookie – Dec. 12).
Suffolk has switched gears as it is set to compete in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history this Wednesday, March 8 when it travels to No. 8 Middlebury for the first round. Action is scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m.