Auburn, ME – The Central Maine Community College basketball and ice hockey teams added to the year's impressive collection of honors by combining to win 25 individual awards on the ice and court. That included two national coach of the year awards.
Women's Basketball had the most accolades following their fourth national championship win in program history. Freshman guard Breanna Dwyer earned three awards after being selected as a USCAA 1st-Team All-American and to the All-Tournament team. That went along with the Australian native's YSCC All-Conference honor.
Caitlyn McCoy joined her on All-Tournament team and she and sophomore Hunter Hartsgrove were both on the YSCC All-Conference and USCAA 2nd-Team All-American list. Ava Smith was not only on the All-Tournament team but went one step further as National Championships MVP, along with being the team's fourth and final All-Conference choice.
Abilene Corson was the YSCC Tournament MVP after helping lead the Mustangs to their ninth conference crown in a row. Fellow freshman Josie Friend was the conference tournament's Most Outstanding Defensive Player. The team rounded out their impressive haul of awards with the USCAA Coaching Staff of the Year going to head coach Andrew Morong and his assistants, Abby Nielsen, Chantel Ouellette, Mike Damon, and Luna Love. It was a fitting season to round out Morong's time in charge of the program, finishing with a record eight players on the Academic All-American list.
Men's Basketball saw their impressive 20-win season end in the YSCC Tournament semifinals but still managed to claim the regular season title. Sophomore forward Khaden Moore made it back-to-back years with a selection as USCAA 2nd-Team All-American, leading the team in scoring. He and fellow second-year J.T. Pound were also on the YSCC All-Conference team. Captain Will Duke was an All-Conference Honorable Mention.
Men's Ice Hockey made the ACHA National Championships in St. Louis, MO for the third straight season, reaching a program-record national ranking of #3 in the country. The Mustangs came within an overtime goal of reaching the "Frosty Four" for the first time and got impressive performances from goaltender Cam Wickens and forward Aaron Higgins.
Wickens became the third straight Central Maine player to receive ACHA 2nd-Team All-Athletic status, establishing himself as one of the best netminders in the nation. The freshman from Revere, MA had plenty of heroics in St. Louis, being named to the National Championships All-Tournament Team to boot.
He and Higgins were both NorthEast Collegiate Hockey Association (NECHA) All-Stars after winning the Colonial North Division regular season title. Higgins became the first player in program history to crack the 100-career points barrier. Freshman forward Sam Foley and junior defenseman Zach Mitton also made the All-Star list. Rounding things out, head coach Jordy Knoren was recognized for the program's incredible rise by being named ACHA Men's Division III Coach of the Year at the national convention in Nashville, TN.
Women's Ice Hockey did not have any individual awards to win in the program's second year of existence and first season as an official member of the Independent Women's Club Hockey League (IWCHL). That said, there were several players to recognize from the first graduating class including captain Kylee Spugnardi, who established the program career benchmark of 34 goals and 51 total points in 26 games. Alternate captain Kylie Boardman, forwards Jenna Buda and Claire Bath, and goaltender Tatum Hunt also left their mark on the team.
Winter 2026 Academic All-American Award Winners
Men's Basketball
Will Duke
Toni Milevcic
J.T. Pound
Women's Basketball
Zoe Bedford
Jenny Chaput
Hunter Hartsgrove
Stella Laubenstein
Caitlyn McCoy
Autumn Peterson
Cassie Ririnui
Ava Smith
Men's Ice Hockey
Ryan Becker
Michael Belleau
Cody Dionne
Cullen Rafford
Jonathan Rioux
Isaac White
