Six X-Women receive AUS hockey accolades
X-Women Hockey student-athletes took home three AUS major awards, including Landyn Pitts as Most Sportsmanlike Player, Bree MacPherson as Defensive Player of the Year and Toby Graham as Rookie of the Year. Claire Carruthers was named an AUS first team all-star, Lainey Joyce is a second team all-star, while Graham and Laci Boyd were named AUS all-rookies.
2025-26 AUS women's hockey major awards and all-stars announced
St. Thomas Tommies goaltender Katie Sweeney named most valuable player
(HALIFAX, N.S.) - Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2025-26 AUS women's hockey all-stars and major award winners, as selected by the conference's eight head coaches.
Fifth-year St. Thomas goaltender Katie Sweeney was chosen as the AUS most valuable player of the season.
Other AUS major award winners announced today were STFX's Toby Graham who was named rookie of the year; STFX's Landyn Pitts who was chosen as the most sportsmanlike player; STFX's Bree MacPherson who was named the top defensive player; Saint Mary's Marisa McClocklin who was awarded student-athlete community service honours; and St. Thomas head coach Peter Murphy who is the AUS women's hockey coach of the year.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Katie Sweeney, St. Thomas Tommies
The Atlantic University Sport women's hockey most valuable player for the 2025-26 season is fifth-year goaltender Katie Sweeney from the St. Thomas Tommies.
An arts student from Tecumseh, Ont., Sweeney finished the regular season with a U SPORTS-leading save percentage of .955.
Her 1.39 goals-against average was the best in the conference.
Sweeney started in 17 games for the Tommies this season who finished third in the conference standings with an 18-8-0-2 record.
St. Thomas went on to sweep the Aigles Bleues of Université de Moncton in two games in the AUS quarter-final round.
The Tommies now face the UNB REDS in a best-of-five playoff semifinal series.
In addition to being named the conference's top player, Sweeney was also named an AUS First Team All-Star today. This marks her second conference all-star nod after being named an AUS Second Team All-Star in 2023-24.
This is just the second time in program history a St. Thomas player has been named AUS MVP. Former Tommies standout Kelty Apperson first earned the honour in 2015-16.
Sweeney now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the Brodrick Trophy for U SPORTS player of the year. The last AUS student-athlete to be named best in the country was former UNB standout and current PWHLer Kendra Woodland in 2022-23.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Toby Graham, STFX X-Women 
Toby Graham from the STFX X-Women is the AUS women's hockey rookie of the year.
A first-year human kinetics student from Westmount, Que., Graham finished tied for second in AUS in goals scored during the regular season with 13.
She played in 26 games for the U SPORTS No. 3-ranked X-Women this season, leading all AUS freshmen in scoring with 18 points.
Graham is the seventh player from a STFX lineup to be named the conference's top rookie. Most recently, teammate Ireland McCloskey earned the honour in 2023-24.
In addition to Rookie of the Year honours, Graham was also named to the AUS All-Rookie Team today.
She now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the U SPORTS rookie of the year award. Past STFX winners of the national award include Abby Lewis in 2021-22 and Alex Normore in 2010-11.
MOST SPORTSMANLIKE PLAYER: Landyn Pitts, STFX X-Women
This season's Atlantic University Sport most sportsmanlike player is Landyn Pitts of the STFX X-Women. This award recognizes an individual who maintains the standards of fair play and treats those around her with respect at all times.
A fifth-year forward from Antigonish, N.S., Pitts played in 23 games for the U SPORTS No. 3-ranked X-Women this season, scoring four goals and adding five assists for nine points.
The two-time captain and veteran leader of the X-Women on and off the ice recorded just four penalty minutes all season.
This is the second straight season Pitts has won one of the conference's major awards. Last season she was named the AUS Top Defensive Player.
This is the third consecutive season a player from the X-Women has been named Most Sportsmanlike Player. STFX's Téa Pearce won the award last season, and Ireland McCloskey took home the honour in 2023-24.
TOP DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Bree MacPherson, STFX X-Women
The STFX X-Women's Bree MacPherson has been named the 2025-26 AUS women's hockey top defensive player.
This award, established in 2016-17, is given annually to a skater who consistently excels in defensive aspects of the game and displays strong play in all areas of the ice individually and as part of their team's defensive tactics.
MacPherson was selected as the winner of this award based on excellence in faceoffs, blocked shots, forechecking, rush-zone defending, penalty killing and shutting down the opposition's top players.
A third-year defender from Antigonish, N.S., MacPherson appeared in all 28 games for the U SPORTS No. 3-ranked X-Women this season. STFX finished the regular season with a conference-best goals against average of just 1.45.
MacPherson also recorded two goals—both on the power play—and seven assists for nine points.
MacPherson's win marks the third time a player from STFX has been named the league's top defensive player since the award's inception in 2016-17. Former X-Women standout Lydia Schurman first earned the honour in 2019-20 and teammate Landyn Pitts won the award last season.
STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Marisa McClocklin, Saint Mary's Huskies
Saint Mary's defender Marisa McClocklin has been awarded this year's Student-Athlete Community Service Award for her academic, athletic and community contributions.
A fourth-year psychology student from Saskatoon, Sask., McClocklin appeared in all 28 games for the Huskies this season who finished with a 14-10-0-4 record.
In the classroom, McClocklin is a U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian boasting a 4.23 GPA in her Honours Psychology program.
In the community, McClocklin has shown outstanding leadership and advocacy. As a Sexual Violence Team Ambassador at Saint Mary's, she has delivered peer-to-peer education sessions promoting consent and bystander awareness, helping foster a culture of safety, inclusion and respect within athletics.
She also serves on the Saint Mary's Athletic Council, collaborating with student-athletes and administration to enhance varsity programming while leading campus events and fundraising initiatives.
As a Youth Member of the Kids Help Phone Clinical Services and Quality Committee, she provides youth perspective to senior leadership and helps strengthen frontline services. McClocklin also founded and leads the Saint Mary's Cam's Kids chapter in partnership with Kids Help Phone, recruiting and coordinating student ambassadors to advance mental health awareness and improve access to supports for students.
McClocklin is the ninth player from the Huskies to receive this award since its inception in 2002-03. She will now represent the conference as the AUS nominee for the U SPORTS Marion Hilliard Award. The only Saint Mary's player to earn the national honour was Eve LeBlanc in 2022-23.
COACH OF THE YEAR: Peter Murphy, St. Thomas Tommies
In his 24th season at the helm of the St. Thomas Tommies, Peter Murphy has been selected by his peers as the AUS women's hockey coach of the year for the second time in his career.
This season, Coach Murphy led the U SPORTS No. 9-ranked Tommies to an 18-8-0-2 record and a third-place finish in the conference standings.
The Tommies led the conference in power-play goals (20) while finishing second in power-play percentage (19.0), and backstopped that offensive production with the league's top save percentage (.945).
St. Thomas went on to sweep the Aigles Bleues of Université de Moncton in two games in the AUS quarter-final round. They now face the UNB REDS in a best-of-five playoff semifinal series.
This marks Coach Murphy's second AUS Coach of the Year nod after first earning the honour in 2018-19.
He will now be the conference nominee for the U SPORTS coach of the year award. The most recent AUS winner is Saint Mary's bench boss Chris Larade, who took home the honour in both 2015-16 and 2016-17.
2025-26 AUS ALL-STARS AND ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
First Team All-Stars
Goaltender: Katie Sweeney, St. Thomas (5th year – Tecumseh, Ont.)
Defence: Abigail Mackenzie, Saint Mary's (4th year – Stellarton, N.S.)
Defence: Orianna MacNeil, UPEI (4th year – Mabou, N.S.)
Forward: Claire Carruthers, STFX (2nd year – Crossfield, Alta.)
Forward: Payton Hargreaves, UNB (5th year – Whitby, Ont.)
Forward: Erica Plourde, Moncton (5th year – Pigeon Hill, N.B.)
Second Team All-Stars
Goaltender: Annick Boudreau, Moncton (5th year – Memramcook, N.B.)
Defence: Lainey Joyce, STFX (3rd year – Vancouver, B.C.)
Defence: Amber Daley, St. Thomas (3rd year – Regina, Sask.)
Forward: Katelyn Scott, UNB (3rd year – Almonte, Ont.)
Forward: Nadia Lavoie, St. Thomas (3rd year – St. Isidore, Alta.)
Forward: Olivia Eustace, UNB (5th year – Riverview, N.B.)
All-Rookie Team
Goaltender: Taya Christie, UNB (Medicine Hat, Alta.)
Defence: Leslie Cuddihy, Saint Mary's (Montreal, Que.)
Defence: Kali MacDonald, UPEI (Charlottetown, P.E.I.)
Forward: Toby Graham, STFX (Westmount, Que.)
Forward: Keira Grant, UNB (Dunmore, Alta.)
Forward: Laci Boyd, STFX (Antigonish, N.S.)
The playoffs are underway in the 2026 Bell AUS Women's Hockey Championship.
The full schedule is available here.
All AUS playoff games will be webcast live on AUStv at www.AUStv.ca.
The conference has one berth at nationals, which will be awarded to the AUS champion. The 2026 U SPORTS Women's Hockey Championship will be hosted by the University of Waterloo, March 19–22.
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