2022-23 NJC GIRLS AWARDS

THE NEW JERSEY COLONIALS ANNOUNCE HONORS FOR GIRLS TEAMS

The New Jersey Colonials officially close out the 2022-23 season by announcing the award recipients for each team in the Girls Tier 1 and Tier 2 programs.

Lillie Martel, 19U Minor – Girls Charette Award Winner

The “Charette Award,” goes to the outstanding Boys and Girls graduating senior. George Charette was a founder of the Morris County Youth Hockey League and coached for the New Jersey Colonials for many years.

“Lillie Martel has been playing with the Colonials since 2016 and due to her dedication and hard work she has consistently been the most improved player on our team and a vital member of our defensive core. Lillie also plays hockey for Westfield High School where she is the senior captain. Away from the rink, Lillie is a member of the National Honor Society who will graduate on the high honor roll. Lillie has been a cello player in the orchestra for four years and volunteers serving meals at the Elizabeth Coalition for the Homeless. Lillie is planning to attend Northeastern where she will major in Engineering. Lillie, congratulations on an outstanding youth hockey career with the New Jersey Colonials!”– Coach Gina D’Arnone

Victoria Rutnik, 19U Major – Girls Charette Award Finalist

“Victoria embodies all there is to being a Colonial. She’s dedicated bettering herself as an athlete, being a coachable player for the staff and supporting and respecting her teammates on and off the ice. Vic’s commitment to herself and the sport earned her a spot at the Division I level to continue competing and developing as a player and person. She loved her time as a Colonial and is proud to represent the organization. Her hard work and never-give-up attitude has presented new opportunities for her to compete at the next level.”– Coach Brooke Avery

The Donna Guariglia Achievement Award (Girls) goes to players demonstrating the values shown by former Colonial, Donna Guariglia: A strong system of values; hard work; determination; team spirit; good sportsmanship and self-discipline were selected by their coaches.

Donna Guariglia was a driving force in bringing Girls/Women’s hockey to the New Jersey Colonials. She grew up in a hockey family, spent a lifetime actively involved as a player, parent and advocate. Donna currently sits on the Board of Directors for USA Hockey. She served as the President of MAWHA and USA Hockey Section Director for Girls’/ Women’s Hockey.

19U Major – Ashley Chevestick

“Although one of the younger players on the team, Ashley Chevestick silently leads on and off the ice through her humble demeanor and infectious work ethic. Ashley took on the challenge and tremendously developed over the course of the year, a testament to her trust in her teammates and coaches. While her play didn’t always show on the scoresheet, she always held her head high and cared more about the team’s success than her own.”– Coach Brooke Avery

19U Minor – Logan Shumaker-Gromek

“The “Donna Guariglia Award” is a special one for me because I had the distinct pleasure of being in a Colonials jersey when Donna was the Director of Girls Hockey. It is because of this that I take a great deal of pride and responsibility in choosing a player of mine to receive this award. This years choice is about resiliency and perseverance. Logan Shumaker-Gromek can teach us all how to stand in the face of adversity and how to battle through life’s hardships. There are people in life that will forever impact you and Logan is that person for many of us. She has shown us that it is not about being knocked down, it’s about getting back up stronger than the time before. As a player, Logan embodies hard work, self-discipline and good sportsmanship. Her speed, size and grit make her difficult to play against. She plays with enough heart to carry an entire team on her back which is why we made the easy decision in naming her one of our Captains. It is our honor to name Logan Shumaker-Gromek as the winner of the 2022-2023 “Donna Guariglia Award.” We thank you for your many years of dedication to the Colonials Organization. “– Coach Gina D’Arnone

16U Major – Shannon Kincaid

“Shannon demonstrates all the attributes of this award, from the strong system of values to hard work, dedication, determination, team spirit, good sportsmanship and self-discipline. Shannon is a driven athlete and we wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavors. Thank you Shannon for a terrific season!“ – Coach Kristen Barbara

14U Major – Emma Acomb

“Emma is a high-performing athlete and is motivated by the desire to be better than her personal best. She shows extreme pride in her team and puts others before herself. She shows up with a positive, energetic and competitive mindset every practice, game and workout. Her enthusiasm for the game is unmatched“ – Coach Emily Janiga

14U Minor – Hayden Mulligan

“Hayden is very dedicated to the Colonials. She is the type of player that you can count on to set the tone for the entire team. Whether it is a game or practice, Hayden is constantly pushing the pace of play and encouraging her teammates. Much of the team’s success can be attributed to her refusal to give up.“ – Coach Meghan Cassidy

14U Minor – Elin Tulloch

“Elin is the type of player that everyone wants on their team. She arrives at the rink ready to work and is always showing her support for her teammates. Over the course of the season, she has grown into a player that we heavily rely on during tight games. Elin is someone that has the respect of all her teammates and coaches.“ – Coach Meghan Cassidy

12U Major – Emma Fuchs

“Emma is a full player and positive example for her teammates. She deserves this award.“ – Coach Todd Drevitch

12U Minor – Lyla Gleason

“Lyla is the kind of player that will do whatever is asked of her. She is a coachable player always seeking opportunities to grow on and off the ice. Her passion for the game is unmatched. Lyla works extremely hard not only for herself but for the overall success of the team. She truly embodies all the qualities of the Donna Guariglia Achievement Award, strong system of values; hard work; determination; team spirit; good sportsmanship and self-discipline. I loved being able to coach her this season!“ – Coach Melissa Stys

10U Major – Taylor Post

“We had an incredible season this year on the 10U Girls Major team and I am incredibly proud of the values and teamwork that the entire team embodied all season. I want to especially recognize Taylor Post, who embodies all the values that this award celebrates. Taylor brought an incredible, positive energy to the team every week, on and off the ice, and we are thrilled to recognize her for this well deserved honor.“ – Coach Scott Gifis

10U Minor – Sawyer Thrun

“Sawyer spent time this season playing both forward and goalie and worked her hardest to get better at both positions. She’s always ready to play on game day and leads her teammates in pregame warmups. She’s supportive of her teammates and puts the team goals ahead of her own. ” — Coach Jeff Dugan

8U Red – Gabriella Sabo

“Gabby is a player that shows up with a smile on her face each and every day. She may be small in stature, but you would never guess that by the grit, speed, and determination in her game. A friend to everyone on the team and a pleasure to coach” — Coach Nicole Zajac