NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. - The Little East Conference announced its annual women's lacrosse all-conference and major award winners this afternoon after a vote by each of the conference's seven head coaches. University of Southern Maine junior midfielder Jessica Knight (Alfred, Maine) was named the offensive player of the year, while University of Massachusetts Dartmouth freshman attacker Allison O'Rourke (Weymouth, Mass.) was selected as the rookie of the year. Eastern Connecticut State University earned a pair of major awards as junior midfielder Taylor MacDonald (Oak Bluffs, Mass.) repeated as the defensive player of the year, while Christine Hutchison was tabbed as the coach of the year by her peers.

The Little East Conference office honors a 12-member first and second all-conference team, consisting of three attackers, five midfielders, three defenders, and a goalie. Keene State College placed a conference-best six student-athletes top two teams, while Eastern Connecticut State University and Western Connecticut State University each had five representatives. Plymouth State University and the University of Southern Maine each earned four selections, while University of Massachusetts Dartmouth completed the all-conference selections with one representative.

Knight is the first Huskies' student-athlete to be honored as the top offensive player in the Little East since the conference began sponsoring women's lacrosse in 2002. The Alfred, Maine product is making her third consecutive appearance on the top two teams and second straight on the first team. A starter in 14 of her 16 games, Knight scored 62 points, on 53 goals and nine assists. She leads the Little East in goals per game (3.31) and is second in points per game (3.88). A prolific score, Knight recorded 12 hat tricks on the campaign, including a season-best six markers against Plymouth State on April 14.

MacDonald is the third student-athlete to repeat as the conference's top defensive player joining Plymouth State's Kelsey MacDonald (her sister) and Carmen Villanueva. The native of Oak Bluffs, Mass. helped the Warriors allow the least amount of goals in the Little East (48), surrendering 10 less than the Owls.  MacDonald ranked among the conference leaders in ground balls per game (2nd, 4.28) and draw controls (3rd, 2.94). She scooped up at least five ground balls five times, including a season-best 10 against Southern Maine. MacDonald also an offensive catalyst in the attacking third of the field, scoring 68 points (38-30).      

O'Rourke led all Little East first-year student-athletes in scoring this season, registering 40 goals, 10 assists, 50 total points. A starter in all 16 games, the Weymouth, Mass. product recorded multiple points nine times. O'Rourke scored a season-high eight points against the Huskies with six markers and two helpers.  During the middle of the season, she registered 27 points (20-7) in the span of nine days to lead the Corsairs to wins in three of their four games. O'Rourke is the third UMass Dartmouth student-athlete to be named the conference's top rookie.

Hutchison guided Eastern Connecticut to its third consecutive undefeated Little East season, raising the Warriors regular-season conference win streak to 22 games. Eastern Connecticut earned the top-seed and right to host the Little East Women's Lacrosse Championship for the third campaign in a row. The Warriors were denied their third trip to the NCAA Tournament after being edged in overtime by Keene State, 9-8. Hutchison is collecting the conference's top coach award for the second time in her career (2007).

Initially formed in 1986 as a six-team men's and women's basketball conference, the Little East Conference has since grown to its present eight-school membership, sponsoring championship play in 19 intercollegiate athletics: baseball; men's and women's basketball; men's and women's cross country; field hockey; men's and women's lacrosse; men's and women's soccer; softball; women's swimming; men's and women's tennis; men's and women's indoor track; men's and women's outdoor track and women's volleyball.