FULL NORTHEAST-10 RELEASE

MANSFIELD, Mass. – Mixing success on the field and court with success in the classroom is exactly what six Chargers did this past semester, all earning Northeast-10 Academic All-Conference accolades as announced by the league office. Among the Chargers honored was a trio from the first New Haven field hockey team to earn a spot in the postseason; senior's Alexis Rider (Delran, N.J./Delran) and Julia Battino (Haddonfield, N.J./Haddonfield Memorial) and junior Taylor Geaglone (Enfield, Conn./Enfield). That trio was joined by a pair of women's volleyball student-athletes; Jessica Akiona (Kapolei, Hawaii/La Pietra- Hawaii School for Girls) and Emily Barry (Freeport, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy), while junior linebacker Ryan Hodgins (Flanders, N.J./Mount Olive) rounded out the honors.

All three teams represented had impressive outings in conference play this past fall with football leading the way earning the programs second Northeast-10 Conference Championship with a perfect 8-0 record in league play. The field hockey team earned its first appearance in the conference playoffs and added to that with an upset of second seeded Bentley in the opening round. Women's volleyball made a postseason run with an appearance in the NE10 Championship match and earned the program's 15th straight appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

In addition to that success, five of the six Chargers who were honored with this All-Academic distinction were also named to NE10 All-Conference teams with Hodgins and Akiona each earning All-Conference First Team distinction, while Barry, Geaglone and Rider all earning a spot on their respective All-Conference Second Team.