GORHAM, Maine –  Nine members of the University of Southern Maine Huskies field hockey team have earned academic distinction from the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association (NFHCA) with their selection to the 2025 OPA Winning Team/NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad.
 
Additionally, a record five Huskies have earned the status of NFHCA Scholar of Distinction. The NFHCA Scholar of Distinction award program recognizes student-athletes who have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.9 or higher through the first semester of the 2025-2026 academic year, while being a member of a Division III field hockey team. With five selections this season, Huskies' field hockey has 29 winners of the accolade in the 13-year history of the NFHCA Scholar of Distinction program.
 
Junior Annie Jackson (Windham, Maine), now a two-time recipient of the Scholar of Distinction honor is joined by a quartet of first-year Huskies to receive the accolade: freshman Sunny Bache (Exeter, Maine), Mackenzie Hall (Westbrook, Maine), Maddie Niles (Benton, Maine) and Eliza Rogers (Waterboro, Maine).  Jackson, Niles and Rogers are all Health Sciences majors, while both Baches and Hall are studying Criminology. 
 
Jackson, Bache, Hall, Niles, and Rogers are joined by teammates senior Olivia Staggs (Sabbattus, Maine), junior Bri Townsend (Newport, Maine), sophomore Danica Hebert (Dayton, Maine) and freshmen Addison Hawthorne (Newport, Maine) on the NFHCA's National Academic Squad list. Staggs is a four-year recipient of the National Academic Squad recognition, while Jackson and Hebert are two-time recipients. 
 
The NFHCA's National Academic Squad program celebrates the academic excellence of undergraduate student-athletes who have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher through the first semester of the current academic year, and were nominated by their NFHCA member coach.
 
Townsend, Niles and Jackson each earned post-season honors from the Little East Conference following the 2025 season.  Niles was named the 2025 LEC Rookie of the Year, while Jackson earned the Twelfth Player Award, while Townsend was named first team All-Little East Conference.
 
Just the fifth Husky in program history to earn LEC Rookie of the Year honors, Niles joins and elite group of standout student-athletes.  Making an immediate impact on the Huskies' offense in her first season in Gorham, Niles played and started in all 22 of the Huskies games, and was second on the team in scoring with eight goals and four assists for 20 points. Named the LEC Rookie of the Week four times in 2025, Niles scored five of her eight goals against Little East Conference opponents. Niles is a Health Sciences major.
 
Joining the Huskies in 2025 after transferring from UMaine, Townsend is earning post-season honors for the first time in her career.  An adept ball-handler, Townsend made an immediate impact offensively leading the Huskies with 12 goals and three assists for 27 points.  Six of Townsend's 12 goals were game-winners – the second highest in the Little East.  Townsend scored Southern Maine's game-winning goal in a 1-0 quarterfinal win over Plymouth State during the LEC Championship Tournament, and had the overtime winner against Saint Joseph's College (3-2). She is studying Sport Management.
 
Jackson, named as the Huskies' 12^th Player, the LEC The Twelfth Player award is comprised of one individual per program as selected by each head coach, and  " presented to a student-athlete in recognition of their positive contributions to the team both on and off the field, who brings forth their best effort in competition, practice and other team activities that positively contribute to the success of the program.
 
 
2025 National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III Scholars of Distinction
Name                                            Class           Hometown                                                            Major
Sunny Bache                                  Fr.              Exeter, Maine                                              Criminology
Mackenzie Hall                               Fr.              Westbrook, Maine                                      Criminology
Annie Jackson                               Jr.              Windham, Maine                                Health Sciences
Maddie Niles                                   Fr.              Benton, Maine                                     Health Sciences
Eliza Rogers                                   Fr.              Waterboro, Maine                               Health Sciences
 
2025 National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III National Academic Squad
Name                                            Class            Hometown                                                              Major
Sunny Bache                                  Fr.              Exeter, Maine                                              Criminology
Mackenzie Hall                               Fr.              Westbrook, Maine                                      Criminology
Addison Hawthorne                       Fr.              Newport, Maine                                                  Nursing
Danica Hebert                               So.              Dayton, Maine                                                   Finance
Annie Jackson                               Jr.              Windham, Maine                                Health Sciences
Maddie Niles                                   Fr.              Benton, Maine                                     Health Sciences
Eliza Rogers                                   Fr.              Waterboro, Maine                                 Health Science
Olivia Staggs *                               Sr.              Sabattus, Maine                                Exercise Science
Bri Townsend                                 Jr.              Newport, Maine                             Sport Management
                                                           
 
 
-cac-