For the second time in as many years, Shana Cote of the Suffolk women’s hockey team has been announced as a finalist for the American Hockey Coaches Association 2023 Laura Hurd Award, given annually to the best NCAA Division III women’s hockey player in the country.

Sponsored by the AHCA, the Hurd Award honors the memory of former Elmire College standout Laura Hurd. A 2005 graduate of Elmira, and a four-time All-American, Hurd died in an automobile accident shortly after graduation. She was the recipient of the AHCA Player of the Year Award in 2005.

Suffolk’s captain found her way on the Laura Hurd Award ballot for the second consecutive campaign after repeating as the Commonwealth Coast Conference Player of the Year. That recognition came on a regular-season in which the Rams’ top-line center provided 26 points on a stat line of 13 goals and 13 assists. Three of her goals lifted the Rams to victory, while four came on the power play, with both numbers leading the CCC in the regular season.

Cote, a Broomfield native, was a critical ingredient to Suffolk’s first-ever CCC regular-season title and was instrumental to the team’s postseason CCC championship, dishing out an assist in the semifinal and title tilt to help the Rams punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

In addition to be one of the biggest scoring threats in New England, Cote has proven to be a faceoff specialist with 378 wins in the circle to lead the nation.

Cote will go down in the Rams’ record book as the leader in every offensive category behind 123 careers points on 59 goals and 64 assists. She is one of three Suffolk players to play in all 115 games in program’s five-year history and this season she became the first-ever Rams skater to produce 100-plus points in a Suffolk sweater.

A year ago, Cote became the first Ram, male or female, to collect All-American status from the AHCA, receiving a spot on the 2022 second team. Regionally, Cote was recognized as a New England Writers Association Division II-III All-Star as a senior. Cote owns a pair of first-team All-CCC distinctions to go along with a pair of third-team selections from the New England Hockey Conference. Her standout career started as a freshman with NEHC Rookie of the Year and NEHC All-Rookie Team honors.

With her spot on the Hurd Award list for the second straight season, Cote is the only skater under the CCC umbrella to be nominated for consideration for the highest NCAA D-III women’s ice hockey award.

Photo/Suffolk Athletics

(March 20, 2023)