GORHAM, Maine - Senior Aly Veilleux (Manchester, N.H.) of the Huskies' women's soccer team, and graduate student Ethan Shain (Sanford, Maine) of the men's track & field program have been selected to represent the Class of 2025 at the 26^th Annual University of Southern Maine Seniors Honors Banquet sponsored by US Army ROTC.
 
An annual year-end celebration, the Huskies' Senior Honors Banquet brings together University Athletics staff, members of the student-athlete community, and their families to celebrate the significant contributions, academic achievements and outstanding playing careers of USM's senior student-athletes from the Huskies 23 NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletic teams. The event will be held at the Italian Heritage Center on Sunday, April 12 (5:00 pm) in Portland, Maine.
 
Both standouts in competition, in the community and in the classroom, Veilleux and Shain will address their peers individually as student-athlete speakers for the event.
 
A two-time NCAA Division III All-American (2024, 2025), Shain is working towards his Master's Degree in Leadership Studies, after earning his undergraduate degree in Business Administration.  A three-time William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete, Shain has five (so far) Little East Conference individual titles and played a key role in the Huskies 2024 and 2025 conference crowns. A prolific sprinter, Shain holds the Southern Maine program records for the 55m (6.43), 60m (6.75), 100m (10.58) and the indoor 200m (21.86), and he holds the 12 fasted 60m times in program history, including his outstanding time at the 2025 NCAA Division III National Championship to earn first-team All-America honors.
 
A four-year member of the Huskies' women's soccer team, and one of the 2024 team captains, Veilleux has been a member of Southern Maine's back-to-back-to-back Little East Conference championship teams, including the program's historic first ever title in 2022.  During Veilleux's four-year career, Huskies' women's soccer has an overall record of 60-13-10, and 24-4-3 against Little East Conference opponents including undefeated seasons in 2023 (6-0-2) and 2024 (7-0-1).  Embracing the Division III philosophy and embracing the full collegiate experience, Veilleux is also a four-year member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and is a student-employee in the Athletics Department in Operations, Game Management, and in Athletic Communications.  In her last two years, Veilleux has held a leadership role with SAAC serving as the student-organizations Secretary in 2023, and as the SAAC President in 2024.  A three-time William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete, Veilleux is earning her degree in Marketing this spring.
  
As part of the evening's celebration, student-athletes and their families along with members of the Athletic Department and University administration, including Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Adam Tuchinsky, Ph.D, will enjoy a dinner, and departing seniors will receive a keepsake honoring their commitment to their student-athlete endeavors as well as graduation cords signifying their affiliation with Athletics.
 
"University of Southern Maine student-athletes embody the ideals of sportsmanship, scholarship, and integrity, and make significant contributions beyond their athletic achievements to campus life, and to the local community," noted Interim Director of Athletics Mike Keller.  "The Athletic Department's Honors Night celebration is one of the best events of the year, and is a time of great celebration that allows us to reflect upon and thank our student-athletes for their dedication, commitment and unwavering ability to represent the University of Southern Maine with character and distinction."
 

During the 2025 Senior Honors celebration, Huskies' Athletics will also recognize several student-athletes for their exceptional academic, athletic and community service contributions with its annual leadership award presentations: Paula D. Hodgdon Leadership Award; Roland Wirths Memorial Award, Mike Beveridge Humanitarian Award, Kimberly M Turner Employee Award and the Albert D. Bean Leadership Award.
 
Presented annually to the to a female student-athlete, the Paula D. Hodgdon Leadership Award recognizes a student-athlete who exemplifies the qualities of the former USM field hockey coach/administrator.  A pioneer in women's athletics, Hodgdon was synonymous with loyalty, leadership, dedication, mentorship and commitment.
 
Nine women from six programs were nominated for the 2025 Hodgdon Leadership award including Vielleux, women's soccer's Bre Atwood (Franklin, Mass.), women's ice hockey's Amelie St-Amant, women's track & field's Zoe Barnes and Olivia Jalbert, field hockey's Jordan Cummings and Hanni Johnson, volleyball's Sierra Castonguay, and women's lacrosse and soccer's Kiaya Gatchell.
 
The Wirths Award, established in 1980, is named in honor of the former Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram sportswriter who was a strong supporter of USM Athletics.  Wirths often wrote about the overachiever, the person small in stature who made a big difference, stories of the heart, people who made a real difference and was an inspirational leader.  Each year the award is given to a student-athlete who best fulfills that narrative.
 
Ten student-athletes were nominated for the Wirths Memorial Award from 11 Husky teams: Vielleux, men's basketball's Thomas Whelan (Bronx, NY/Fordham Prep), Gatchell, men's track & field's Albert Matrille, women's basketball's Hope Elias, men's lacrosse's Lucas Rego, wrestling's Jake Craig (Norridgewock, Maine/Skowhegan), men's ice hockey's Kyle Penton, softball and women's golf Meaghan Dufresne (Mattapoisett, Mass./Old Rochester Regional), and field hockey's Emma Samson.

 
The Kimberly M. Turner Award and the Albert D. Bean, Jr. Leadership Award are in their seventh year as department initiatives. The Turner Award is given annually to a student-employee or volunteer who has consistently made significant contributions to the USM Athletic Department and has demonstrated the many positive traits synonymous with Turner: work ethic, leadership, extraordinary commitment, respect, attention to detail, and compassion.
 
Volunteering or working in a variety of critical areas to support USM Athletics operations, seven members of the Husky athletic community were nominated for the award.  Working in facility operations, athletic communications, event management, or ice arena management the nominees are: Konner Simpson, Mike Anquillare, Kristina Yebba, Michael Cyr, Eli Folsom, Veilleux and St-Amant. The nominees represent community members, student-athletes and general student-body populations.
 
The Bean Leadership award will be presented annually to the junior or senior male student-athlete who demonstrate the leadership qualities of compassion, respect, guidance, and worth ethic displayed by Al Bean. 
 
Seven men from seven programs were nominated for the Bean Award: men's ice hockey's Jacob Kindestin, men's soccer Vincent Anderson (Anchorage, Alaska), men's lacrosse's Herb Bryant, baseball's Anthony Poole (South Portland, Maine); men's tennis Landon Weaver, Shain and Whelan.
 
The Mike Beveridge Humanitarian Award, is named in honor of the former long-time assistant ice hockey coach Mike Beveridge, who passed away in the fall of 2021.  Presented annually to a member of the University of Southern Maine hockey community who consistently displays the characteristics of care, compassion, generosity, and selflessness that were synonymous with Coach Beveridge. Chosen by the Huskies' hockey coaching staff, the recipient will be announced at the event.
 
The 2025 USM Athletics Honors Banquet promises to be a joyful gathering, celebrating all of the accomplishments of Husky student-athletes while recognizing the conclusion of many outstanding academic and athletic careers. One hundred seven of  USM's ~450 student-athletes who participate in one or more of the University's 23 Division III intercollegiate teams will be honored during the evening.
 
Proudly embracing the NCAA Division III philosophy, Huskies' Athletics places the highest priority on the overall quality of the educational experience and on the successful completion of all students' academic programs, maintaining an environment in which a student-athlete's athletic activities are conducted as an integral part of the student-athlete's educational experience. USM Athletics achieves this through the five key developmental areas: Academic Achievement, Athletic Performance, Personal Development, Career Development and Service to Community.  Thirty-three majors are represented by the Huskies' senior student-athletes with pursuits ranging from Art Education to Finance, History to Mechanical Engineering, Cyber Security to Biochemistry. .
 
 Collectively, the Huskies' ~450 student-athletes have an outstanding 3.19 grade point average and earlier this academic year a record 260 student-athletes were recognized this year as William B. Wise Scholar-Athletes. Each of the Huskies' 23 intercollegiate programs has representation among the 260 student-athletes that were honored.