Women's Ice Hockey | 3/5/2026 1:58:02 PM
The Empire 8 Conference announced its 2025-26 Women’s Hockey Award Winners and All-Conference teams on Thursday, March 5. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
Sophomore standout Amy Laskowski of Nazareth University was named 2025-26 Empire 8 Player of the Year, while teammate Allie Zack, a junior defenseman, named the Defensive Player of the Year. First-year Brynn Bacak of St. John Fisher University earned Goaltender of the Year and fellow Cardinals teammate Keira Reckley garnered Rookie of the Year honors.
Laskowski, a native of Clarendon Hills, IL, is enjoying an incredible sophomore season for the Golden Flyers, among the national lead in scoring with 49 points on 25 goals and 24 assists and is plus-33. Laskowski, who is third for third nationally in goals and fifth in points, has at least a point in 24 of 26 games this season and has 17 multiple-point efforts. She scored four goals in a win over St. John Fisher on Nov. 22 and is riding a 14-game point-scoring streak.
Zack, a native of Lake Zurich, IL, has excelled on both ends of the ice this season. The junior defenseman has tallied 13 points on five goals and eight assists and is among the national leaders with a remarkable plus-38 rating through 26 games this season. She leads a stout Nazareth defense that has recorded eight shutouts and has allowed one goal or less 19 times.
Bacak, a native of Williamsville, NY, helped lead the first-year St. John Fisher program to 12 wins in 2025-26. She played in 23 games and recorded 10 wins, a 2.04 goals against average, .936 save percentage and four shutouts. Bacak, who made 690 saves and averaged 30 stops per contest, made at least 30 saves in a game 11 times, including a season-high 51 at Nazareth on Nov. 21. Bacak also made 42 saves in a shutout win against SUNY Canton on Jan. 17 and 41 stops in a 1-1 tie at Elmira on Nov. 15.
Reckley garnered E8 Rookie of the Year honors after scoring 13 goals and 22 points in 26 games for the Cardinals in 2025-26. Four of her 13 goals were game-winners in addition to three power-play goals and two shorthanded tallies. Reckley, a native of Frisco, TX, ended the season with six points over her last three games and had nine goals and 15 points over her last 11 contests.
Nazareth head coach Chris Baudo and assistants Makenna Wiljanen, Ryan Hean, and Dave Garofalo was named the 2025-26 Empire 8 Coach of the Year. Baudo has led the Golden Flyers to a remarkable 25-0-1 record. Nazareth leads Division III with 25 wins, a .981 save percentage and is in the top-five in virtually every NCAA team stat this season. He has led the Golden Flyers to a 162-33-9 record (.818 winning percentage) in eight seasons.
Forwards Brooke Judkiewicz of Nazareth and Anna Lugge of Elmira College joined Laskowski on the first team at forward, while Elmira junior Bri Conger and Nazareth first-year Ella Konrad garnered first team honors as defensemen and Bacak was the first team goaltender. Six different Nazareth student-athletes earned all-conference honors to lead all E8 programs.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2025-26 Women’s Hockey Tomorrow’s Leaders Team. This team honors a student-athlete who has emerged as a leader not only on the field of play, but in the classroom and in the community. In addition, they “compete with honor and integrity” and have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
“Developing character and integrity is a hallmark of the Empire 8,” said E8 Executive Director
Chuck Mitrano. “This series is proof that Empire 8 and our member institutions are committed to intercollegiate athletics’ important role in higher education.”
2025-26 Empire 8 Women’s Hockey All-Conference Selections
Player of the Year: Amy Laskowski, So., F, Nazareth
Defensive Player of the Year: Allie Zack, Jr., D, Nazareth
Goaltender of the Year: Brynn Bacak, Fr., G, St. John Fisher
Rookie of the Year: Keira Reckley, Fr., F, St. John Fisher
Coaching Staff of the Year: Nazareth, led by Head Coach Chris Baudo
Empire 8 First Team
Anna Lugge, Jr., F, Elmira
Brooke Judkiewicz, So., F, Nazareth
Amy Laskowski, So., F, Nazareth
Bri Conger, Jr., D, Elmira
Ella Konrad, Fr., D, Nazareth
Brynn Bacak, Fr., G, St. John Fisher
Empire 8 Second Team
MK Boyle, Sr., F, Elmira
Keira Reckley, Fr., F, St. John Fisher
Kelsey Elliott, Sr., F, Utica
Ave Meteyer, So., D, Nazareth
Allie Zack, Jr., D, Nazareth
Maya Jerome, So., D, Utica
Mia Gonsalves, Fr., G, Nazareth
Empire 8 Tomorrow’s Leaders Team
Annie Audet, Jr., D, Elmira
Emili Haratani, Sr., F, Nazareth
Sophie Grant, Fr., F, St. John Fisher
Kelsey Elliott, Sr., F, Utica