Norwich football standouts collect awards

After suffering a one-point loss to Salve Regina, the Norwich football team had some positive takeaways from a season that featured three defeats by four points or fewer.

A pair of NU athletes collected weekly awards from the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference after proving that their Cadets are far better than their 0-10 record.

Middle linebacker Shayne Leddy was named Defensive Athlete of the Week, while Jehric Hackney was selected as Special Teams Athlete of the Week Leddy finished off a stellar senior campaign with a career-high 15 tackles, including nine solo tackles.

He added one tackle for loss of a yard, a pass breakup and an interception.

Leddy finished the season third in the NEWMAC in total tackles (93).

He was tops in the conference in tackles for loss, recording 14 tackles for a loss of 32 yards.

Last week the 5-foot-10, 220-pound inside linebacker was honored with the Defender of the Nation award.

The accolade is presented each year to a defensive standout from one of the United States military academies, senior military colleges or top ROTC programs.

Hackney is graduate student who saved his best for last during a 31-30 loss to Salve Regina.

On three kickoff returns, Hackney totaled 94 yards.

He had an 83-yard return that put the Cadets in field goal range during a key stretch of the game.

He is one of the top return specialists in the conference, sitting first in total return yards (673) and third in average yards per return (24.9).

COLLEGE FOOTBALL Brown out at UMass AMHERST, Mass.

University of Massachusetts Athletic Director Ryan Bamford announced on Monday the firing of football coach Don Brown.

Offensive Coordinator Shane Montgomery will serve as the program's interim coach until a permanent head coach is named.

The Minutemen had a 2-8 record this fall at the time of the coaching change.

Brown had returned to coach at UMass in 2021 and had previously led the Minutemen to the winningest five-year stretch in program history from 2004 to 2008, including a 2006 trip to the Division I-AA National Championship game.

Before returning to Massachusetts, Brown spent the previous 13 years guiding defenses at Maryland, Connecticut, Boston College, Michigan and the University of Arizona, where he served as the Wildcats' defensive coordinator during the 2021 season.

Brown played four years as a running back at Norwich University and lettered for two seasons as a member of the men's basketball team.

He earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from NU in 1977.

COLLEGE SPORTS Panthers still alive MIDDLEBURY Middlebury College has a trio of teams set to continue NCAA Tournament action this weekend.

The Middlebury College men's soccer plays host to NCAA Tournament round of 16 and quarterfinal action on Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, the Panthers play Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges at 10:30 a.m.

in a round of 16 game, while Babson takes on Trinity (Tx.) right after that at 1 p.m.

The winners of those two games meet on Sunday in Middlebury at 12:30 p.m.

in a national quarterfinal.

Middlebury College field hockey takes on top-ranked Salisbury in a national semifinal on Friday at 3 p.m.

in Lexington, Virginia with the winner advancing to Sunday's national championship game.

On Saturday, Middlebury will have athletes competing in the NCAA Championship for cross country being held at LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Indiana.

WOMEN'S HOCKEY Noble nabs award MARSHFIELD, Mass.

Brooke Noble of the Vermont State University Castleton women's hockey program was named New England Hockey Conference Rookie of the Week, per the league announcement Monday afternoon.

Noble earned her first-career conference accolade after providing five goals and two assists to help Castleton sweep Albertus Magnus in a two-game series.

The Mississauga, Ontario native notched the first two goals of her collegiate career, while adding two assists in the Spartans' massive 12-3 win.

She took the ice for game two, where she scored another goal to help VTSU Castleton lock down a 2-1 overtime victory.

Noble and the Spartans return to action for a two-game road series at UMass Boston kicking off Friday, November 22 at 4 p.m.

MEN'S HOCKEY Heinze honored MIDDLEBURY Andrew Heinze of the Middlebury College men's ice hockey team has earned NESCAC Player of the Week accolades following a stellar weekend in the crease for the Panthers.

The goalie posted 18 saves in Friday's season-opening contest against Bowdoin, including seven in the third period, to earn his first career shutout.

Heinze followed that effort with a career-high 39 stops Saturday in a 3-1 win over Colby.

The sophomore tallied double-digit saves in all three periods, highlighted by 14 in the second and third stanzas..

This article has been shared from the original article on timesargus, here is the link to the original article.