BENNINGTON, Vt. — The New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) announced on Monday its 2015 women's lacrosse all-conference teams and special award winners with an accolade going to the Southern Vermont College team and another to one of the Mountaineers.

Sophomore Lauren Nesshoever (Rutland, Vt.) picked up an All-NECC Honorable Mention on the defensive side of things while the inaugural SVC squad was tabbed with the NECC Team Sportsmanship Award.

"This is an outstanding recognition for Lauren," commented SVC head coach Thomas L. Otero. "She was the team leader on defense all season. Her tenacity, competitiveness, and technique allowed her to match up with the league's best offensive players game-after-game. Lauren was like a coach on the field for our team."

Nesshoever started in all 14 of the Southern Vermont games this season, registering 13 goals from the backfield with three of those being on free-position shots. She was consistently around the action, scooping up 27 ground balls and 14 draw controls on the year while causing seven turnovers.

Coaches from around the Conference voted the Mountaineers to be honored with the Team Sportsmanship Award after just their first NCAA season. "This award is very special for our team this year," continued Otero. "We had many first-time players with little or no experience in the game of lacrosse. They have developed into a knowledgeable group of young women eager to step up on the next rung of the ladder of competition. They have been coached and understand that honoring the game is most important in our game of lacrosse."

Southern Vermont made it into the NECC postseason in just its first varsity season, being knocked out at Elms College in the first round of the postseason tournament.