Following a vote by the conference's eight head coaches, the Liberty League has unveiled the 2026 Field Hockey Major Awards and All-League teams.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sophia Brown, Senior, Forward, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
RPI senior forward Sophia Brown was recognized as the Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year. Brown started all 18 games this season and ignited the Engineer offense with a team-best 38 points and 17 goals. She also contributed four assists, ranking fifth on the team in that category. Brown registered three or more points in six games, including two w with a season-high six points. Brown led the Liberty League in goals, goals per game (0.944), total points, and points per game (2.11). She also topped the conference in shots on goal (41) and shots on goal per game (2.21), while ranking second in total shots (58) and shots per game (3.22). Brown finished the regular season ranked 21st in Division III in goals per game and 30th in points per game. With points in all but one game against league opponents (5G, 4A), she helped the Engineers finish unbeaten (7-0) in conference play and secure the program’s first Liberty League regular season title.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Emily Dubord, Senior, Defender, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
RPI senior defender Emily Dubord was named the Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year. A starter of all 18 games, Dubord was a dual threat, anchoring the Engineer defense and contributing 19 points to the offense with six goals and seven assists. Dubord led the team in assists and was second in points. In addition, Dubord tied for a team-best three game-winning goals. RPI held opponents to 1.67 goals per game (30 total), ranking third among Liberty League teams. Against conference opponents, the Engineers allowed just nine goals in seven games (1.29 per game) and went unbeaten (7-0) in league play en route to capturing the program’s first Liberty League regular-season title and earning the top seed in the league tournament.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Caroline Ranucci, Midfielder, Union College
Union College first-year Caroline Ranucci was selected as the Liberty League Rookie of the Year after making an immediate impact for the Garnet Chargers. She started all 19 games and opened her collegiate career with a pair of assists in the season opener against Castleton. She totaled a team-best nine assists and added four goals for 17 points to rank fourth on the team in scoring. Her nine assists tied for third-most on Union’s single-season assists list and set a program record for a first-year player. Ranucci tied for the league lead in assists and assists per game (.474), while ranking among the top 12 in shots on goal (T-10th, 26). Ranucci and the Garnet Chargers earned the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 4-2 victory in the championship final and face off against Babson in the first round.
COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – Bre Lowe-Driscoll, Head Coach
RPI head coach Bre Lowe-Driscoll and assistant coach Jessie House earned Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year honors after directing the Engineers to a 15-3 overall record and an unblemished 7-0 mark against conference opponents. Picked sixth in the Liberty League Preseason Poll, RPI increased its win total by seven from 2025, including six additional conference victories. The 2026 campaign also included a 14-game win streak spanning from September 12 through November 6. The Engineers captured their first Liberty League regular season title in program history and earned the top seed in the conference tournament. RPI tied for the league lead in goals scored with 62 and topped the conference in scoring offense, averaging 3.4 goals per game. The Engineers also allowed just 1.67 goals per game, ranking third among Liberty League teams.