BOSTON, Mass. (March 9, 2026) – Emerson College swept the weekly awards from the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), presented by SKYBOKX 109 Bar & Grill in Natick, Massachusetts, following a 2-0 week to extend the Lions hot start to the season to a program best 4-0 the Conference announced today.
Gustafson |
Spotts |
Sophomore Laina Gustafson has been named the NEWMAC Offensive Athlete of the Week for the first time in her career, while senior goalkeeper Ellie Spotts has earned Defensive Athlete of the Week in the NEWMAC for the first time in her career for their efforts in Emerson's two wins last week. Gustafson is the second Lion over the first three weeks of the season to collect Offensive Athlete of the Week in the NEWMAC, joining junior attack Ava DelliCompagni who earned the recognition on February 23.
Gustafson powered the Emerson attack over its two games by scoring 14 of its 30 goals, netting both gamewinning goals including a free-position marker with 1:03 remaining in Wednesday's 12-11 win over UMass Boston. She also totaled seven ground balls, nine draw controls and four caused turnovers for the week.
Gustafson scored two of her four goals against UMass Boston in the final 2:30 of regulation to lift Emerson to the win, capping a rally from a two-goal deficit in the final 8:40 and she also collected a team-best seven draw controls in the win. She followed that up with a career-high ten goals in Friday's 18-7 win at Gordon College, including four of her eight second half goals in the fourth quarter as the Lions broke open a two-goal lead at the half by scoring 14 goals in the second half. She also collected seven ground balls, four caused turnovers and two draw controls for the Lions.
Spotts averaged 12.5 saves per game, posting a 9.00 goals against average while playing all 120-minutes over Emerson's two games. She also collected a team-high 13 ground balls, two caused turnovers and dished an assist on a second quarter goal as Emerson grabbed a three-goal lead (7-4) of Wednesday's eventual 12-11 triumph over UMass Boston. She finished with a season-high 17 saves in the win over the Beacons as well. Spotts followed that up with eight saves, two caused turnovers and nine ground balls in the Lions 18-7 win at Gordon on Friday.
Gustafson has surged to the NEWMAC lead with her 20 goals scored through Emerson's first four games to rank 18th nationally – 7th nationally with 5.00 goals per game. Her 20 points rank seventh among NEWMAC scoring leaders while also ranking eighth in the NEWMAC with 2.00 caused turnovers per game. She has totaled 11 ground balls, ten draw controls and eight caused turnovers through the Lions first four games.
Gustafson has started all 20 games she has played over her two seasons at Emerson, totaling 51 goals and ten assists for 16 points, with 28 ground balls, 21 caused turnovers and 60 draw controls. Her two gamewinning goals last week were the first two of her collegiate career and she has also netted ten woman up goals, with one shorthanded tally.
Spotts has played all 240-minutes in the Emerson goal so far this season and ranks third in the NEWMAC with her 11.00 saves per game and .543 save percentage, while ranking fourth with a 9.25 goals against average and second with 6.00 ground balls per game, which is also good for 13th nationally. She has recorded double-digit saves in two of the Lions four wins to start the year, including her season-high 17 against UMass Boston on Wednesday.
Spotts has played 1,737:07 over 38 career games played for Emerson with 316 saves (8.32/gm), 83 ground balls and eight caused turnovers.
Emerson (4-0, 0-0 NEWMAC) is back in action this evening when it opens a two-game trip to the West Coast at California Lutheran University at 7 p.m. (ET). The Lions will visit Chapman College on Wednesday (7 PM ET) before returning home top open NEWMAC play against Salve Regina University at Rotch Field on Saturday at 1 p.m.
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