BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott women's ice hockey student-athlete Samantha Fantasia (Billerica, Mass.) has been named a finalist for the 2025 Laura Hurd Award, given annually to the best NCAA Division III women's ice hockey player in the country, as announced by the organization on Tuesday. 

Sponsored by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA), the Hurd Award honors the memory of former Elmira 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.

Fantasia is one of 13 finalists to be named and all are first-time finalists. She is the third Endicott student-athlete to be named a finalist joining Jade Meier (Fairbanks, Alaska) in 2020 and Teaghan Hall (West Springfield, Mass.) last season.

The 2025-25 CNE Player of the Year set new career highs in goals (16) and points (27), while tying her career high with 11 assists.

Fantasia became the first student-athlete in program history to notch multiple hat tricks in a season and a career when she recorded them versus Norwich on 12/10/24 and against Nichols on 2/7/25.

The recipient of this year's Hurd Award will be announced on Thursday, March 27.

YEAR IN REVIEW

No. 9 Endicott finished the season with a 22-5-1 record as they secure the first-ever CNE Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Gulls would fall to No. 12 Nazareth, 4-2, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.