Women's Ice Hockey ECAC Hockey

Molly Boyle Named ECAC Hockey Defender of the Year

Yale Defender Claims Award After Impressive Rookie Season

DANBURY, CONN. - ECAC Hockey is proud to name Yale’s Molly Boyle the 2025-26 ECAC Hockey Women's Defender of the Year.

Boyle had a standout rookie season and was crucial to the Bulldogs' defensive front, averaging 1.33 points per game and ending the regular season +15 with 20 assists (first in ECAC). The Scituate, Mass., native played a key role in Yale securing the program's second ECAC Hockey regular-season title, as co-champions with Princeton.

She finished the regular season with 27 points overall, a program record for a defender, and claimed Defender of the Week three times and Rookie of the Month for November. She earned All-ECAC First Team honors, Yale's first top team selection since goaltender Pia Dukaric in 2023. Boyle and the Bulldogs will face Cornell in their semifinal matchup at 4pm, to secure a spot in the Championship game.

*Please note that all statistics correspond to the final regular season statistics in ECAC Hockey play only unless noted otherwise.

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