Opinion: Stott was robbed not only of All-NESCAC First Team, but Player of the Year

On March 3, the NESCAC announced its women’s ice hockey awards, which are voted on by the conference’s head coaches. Some awards made perfect sense, such as players and staff on the first-seeded Middlebury Panthers winning both the Coach of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards, and Amherst’s Gretchen Dann ’26 winning her second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year. There was one glaringly controversial award, however: Williams’ senior goalie Erin Pye winning Player of the Year (POTY). It’s clear as day that Pye was not the best keeper in the league, not to mention the best overall player. Amherst goalie Natalie Stott ’26 put on a masterful display this season that not only warrants All-NESCAC First Team honors, but — yes — even POTY.

Stott’s dominance this year is unheard of. Pye won this year’s award by allowing 27 goals in 22 games this season. Last season, Stott allowed 27 goals in just 29 games. This year, Stott has allowed a mind-boggling 17 goals in 26 games. Across all publicly accessible data, the lowest number of goals allowed to a NESCAC keeper with at least 20 played games had previously been 18: Middlebury’s Lin Han in 2019-2020 and Sophia Merageas in 2021-2022. Stott has also averaged 0.64 goals against per game. The closest person to average this was Middlebury’s Anna Goldstein in 2019-2020, with 0.65 goals against per game, in only 11 games played. Stott leads the NESCAC and Div. III in both save percentage, with 0.972, and shutouts, with 11. Stott’s season high of 594 saves set last season will likely be broken this year based on her roughly 22 saves per game average — all while having her lowest number of goals against in a season. By all means, this looks like Stott’s best year yet as an already three-time All-NESCAC First Team honoree on one of the highest-winning teams the NESCAC has ever seen. 

So what justification could there be for Pye’s POTY? The Williams keeper has led the league in total saves for the past three seasons, garnering 729 total saves this season. This high total save amount is not unheard of, though, as Pye previously made 770 saves in the 2023-2024 season. What makes this season exceptional, compared to others, is the goals-against total. Pye allowed 43 goals in 21 games last season and 44 goals in 21 games the season before that, practically averaging two goals against per game. This season, Pye allowed 27 goals in 22 games, which is the fifth-lowest amount among goalies. For the sudden decrease in goals allowed and high save total, some coaches may have felt Pye earned POTY.

This argument, however, quickly falls apart upon further inspection. Pye’s 27 goals against this year aren’t very impressive in regard to how they compare to the season totals this year, and in years past. For example, Stott hasn’t allowed more than 28 goals in a single season — the only time being her freshman year. Why should Pye be rewarded for doing her job as a keeper while Stott has been integral to the Mammoths’ defensive success for the past four seasons?

One might wonder whether Stott was passed over for POTY because the entire Amherst roster is already so talented — which is true — leaving less room for individual impact. Williams, especially by comparison, may not have great individual players, and may argue that Pye has carried the team to this season’s wins. These points hold very little weight, though, since POTY holds no assumption of added value to a team — it only refers to the player’s ability and perceived success. Nothing stands out about Pye’s performances this year in a current or historical sense. Stott has had a season unlike any other in recorded public NESCAC history. Moreover, Stott should not be penalized for being on a great team. Stott’s prowess should not be underestimated for being on a talented squad, nor should Pye be rewarded for playing on a worse team. How could you possibly say that Pye has outperformed Stott in any objective sense other than pointing out Pye’s perceived growth this year?

This snub is especially damning for the league, considering Stott’s incredible tenure as a player compared to Pye’s resume. The Williams goalie has played 82 games and allowed 138 goals, including two seasons with over 43 goals against. Stott has played 109 games and allowed a mere 95 goals. With significantly more games across much higher stake games compared to Pye’s career, Stott has proven to be one of Div. III ice hockey’s all-time greats. Stott also set the Div. III all-time record for career shutouts this past December and has continued to only widen that gap with 11 total shutouts this season. Stott will likely retire as not only the greatest Mammoth goalie, but also as potentially the greatest NESCAC and Div. III keeper in collegiate ice hockey. And yet, to receive neither POTY nor an All-NESCAC First Team in Stott’s final — and arguably best — season is a shameful reflection on the NESCAC coach voters.