Trinity's Iwachiw Wins Hurd Award as AHCA National Player of the Year

Courtesy AHCA

Laura Hurd Award Winner Is First Goaltender So Honored

ST. PETER, Minn. — Senior goaltender Isabel Iwachiw of Trinity College has been chosen by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) as the 2010 winner of the Laura Hurd Award, symbolic of the nation's best Division III women's ice hockey player. Iwachiw, a native of New York City, led her squad to a 21-5-2 season and Trinity's first NCAA Tournament appearance. The 21 wins was a school record.

Iwachiw played in 25 games this season, compiling a personal record of 18-5-2 with a 1.22 goals against average and a save percentage of .957. The 2010 Player of the Year in the NESCAC, Iwachiw also earned First Team All-America honors. Her career statistics are an impressive 1.75 GAA in 81 games, with a .938 save percentage. Her career won-lost record is 48-25-8.

“Isabel Iwachiw is the most talented student-athlete to have ever worn the Trinity jersey,” said Trinity head coach Andrew McPhee. “She has been instrumental in the success and development of our team over the last four years. Beyond her tremendous skill level, Isabel is driven, dedicated, and competitive. Her work ethic in practice is unparalleled and she is constantly seeking ways to make herself and teammates better.”

The award is named in honor of former Elmira College star Laura Hurd who died in a car accident shortly after graduation. Hurd was a four-time All-American who led Elmira to victory in the first NCAA Division III Women’s Hockey Championships.

Iwachiw is the sixth player from the NESCAC to win the honor in the 11-year history of the award. She joins the ranks of Middlebury's Sylvia Ryan (2000), Michelle Labbe (2001), Angela Kapus (2003), and Emily Quizon (2006) along with Williams' Molly Wasserman (2004).

Iwachiw backstopped the Bantams to their first-ever apperance in the NESCAC title game this winter, leading her team to a 2-1 quadruple-overtime win over Middlebury in the semifinals before falling to champion Amherst in overtime, 2-1.