United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Women's Basketball

NEW LONDON, CONN.--(3/4/08)--Coast Guard Academy senior Natalie Moyer was named the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Player of the Year while sophomore Melissa Martinelli joined her on the All-conference first team as voted on by the league’s 10 head coaches.

Moyer, the Bears-time leading scorer with 1,588 points, 227 steals and 249 3-pointers, becomes the first Coast Guard player to win Player of the Year honors and earns first-team All-conference honors for the third straight season. Moyer was third in the NEWMAC this season and second on the team with 16.9 points, while leading the league with 74 three-pointers and 88 steals.

Martinelli, who was the NEWMAC Rookie of the Year last season, earns All-conference honors for the first time. She leads the team in scoring (17.1), rebounding (8.4) and field goal percentage (56.2 percent). She was named NEWMAC Player of the Week three times this season.

Coast Guard, which has won a school-record 22 games this season (22-5), is making just the second postseason appearance in program history. The Bears are the top-seed in the ECAC New England Division III Tournament and will try to win the program’s first ever postseason game on Wednesday night against eighth-seeded Maine Maritime.

Springfield’s Rachelle Walker was named Rookie of the Year while Wheaton head coach Melissa Hodgdon earned Coach of the Year honors.

This senior class is the all-time winningest class in program history with 60 wins and a record of 60-45.