Women’s Ice Hockey: Norwich claims LEC Team Academic Award, places 22 on Academic Honor Roll

The Norwich University women's ice hockey team continued to add to one of the most accomplished seasons in program history, as the Cadets received the Little East Conference (LEC) Team Academic Award for women's ice hockey and placed 22 student-athletes on the LEC Academic Honor Roll, as announced by the league office.

The LEC Team Academic Award is presented annually to the team with the highest average cumulative grade-point average among each of the conference's 24 championship sport offerings. Norwich earned the women's ice hockey honor with a 3.69 team GPA.

The academic honor followed a historic 2025-26 season on the ice, as Norwich captured both the inaugural LEC regular season and tournament championships, went undefeated in conference play, and advanced to the NCAA Division III Frozen Four for the first time since 2018.

In Head Coach Justin Simpson's first season behind the bench, the Cadets finished 26-3 overall and reestablished themselves as one of the nation's top Division III programs. Norwich defeated Hamline University, 1-0, in the NCAA Quarterfinals at Kreitzberg Arena to punch its ticket to the national semifinal round before falling to Nazareth University, 5-4, in overtime in River Falls, Wisconsin.

In addition to the Team Academic Award, 22 members of the Norwich women's ice hockey program were named to the LEC Academic Honor Roll for the Spring 2026 semester. To earn Academic Honor Roll recognition, a student-athlete must record a semester GPA of 3.00 or higher and be an active member of their team at the conclusion of the term.

Across the conference, 2,611 student-athletes were named to the Spring 2026 LEC Academic Honor Roll, including 148 from women's ice hockey. The league also recognized 438 student-athletes with a 4.00 semester GPA, 654 with at least a 3.90, 1,091 with at least a 3.75, 1,746 with at least a 3.50, and 2,110 with at least a 3.30.

Norwich's Academic Honor Roll selections included Payton Sutherland '27, Libby Lane '28, Sophia Nelson '28, Grace McCluskey '28, Olivia Boyer '29, Breanna Ricker '28, Marja Linzbichler '27, Maggie Hunter '29, Geena Cookinham '29, Madalyn Liles '29, Rylie McIntyre '26, Ellin Rees '29, Anna Lisac '28, Tristina Doyle '27, Madison Brunet '26, Lauren Tuzik '26, Dani Ammons '29, Jordan Brady '28, Livia Brooks '26, Natalie Heutmaker '29, Alex Leslie '28, and Dana Rigan '29.

The academic recognition adds to a season that saw Norwich collect several of the top honors in the conference, region, and nation. The Cadets produced three AHCA All-Americans in Brooks, Hunter, and Brunet, while Leslie was named the NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete at the national championship site.

Brooks was named the LEC Player of the Year, Hunter earned LEC Rookie of the Year honors, and Simpson was selected as both LEC Coach of the Year and New England Division III Coach of the Year by the New England Hockey Writers Association.

Norwich's Team Academic Award and Academic Honor Roll selections reflect a season defined not only by championship performance and national postseason success, but also by the program's continued commitment to academic excellence and the full student-athlete experience.