The Nichols College Athletics Department recently handed out its end-of-the year awards. Six special awards were given to graduating seniors, while six more were awarded to underclassmen. Coaches, department staff and honored guests gathered with the Class of 2010, a 52-member group of student-athletes, at the Senior Athlete Reception to wish them well and honor them for their dedication to the Bison athletics programs.

Nichols' first All-American in any sport in over five years, Pasquale (Pat) Pio (Somers, Conn.) of the men's golf team earned the Hal Chalmers Memorial Athletic Award for Dedication and Sportsmanship. In 49 career events, Pio finished in the top-10 on 42 occasions, the top-5 in 28 events, and placed first 13 times. He carded four consecutive NEIGA All-New England honors, and claimed the ECAC Division III Championship and The Commonwealth Coast Conference individual titles in his senior campaign, winning the TCCC title for the second time in his career. He finished in the top-10 in all eight fall matches in 2009, and medaled at the Trinity Invitational for the second consecutive year. Pio is a PING Division III Third Team All-American and All-Region honoree, and in 2008, he led the Bison to the program's first-ever NEIGA Division III title with a career-best eighth-place finish on the individual leaderboard. He was named the Nichols College Junior (2009) and Sophomore (2008) Male Athlete of the Year, and in 2007, led Nichols to the TCCC Team Championship title while winning the Individual title as a sophomore.  

The Major Charles T. Hopkins Award for Study, Sports and Spirit was given to Molly McGuire (Sandwich, Mass.) of the women's tennis team. Her distinguished career extends beyond the court where she holds the program records for singles and doubles victories, and carries into the classroom where she excelled equally. On the court she was a four-time All-TCCC selection and was named the 2006 CCC Rookie of the Year. She holds program career records of 50 singles and 36 doubles victories, and twice recorded 14 singles victories in a season – a program best. Her consistency was key and led to the program's best career singles winning percentage at .847 with an overall record of 50-9. This past season, she led Nichols to a program-best 15-2 record, earning a spot on the All-TCCC Second Team Singles and was named the TCCC Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year. Molly is a marketing major with a minor in sport management who, as a 4+1 MBA candidate, already started her graduate work prior to graduation.

Pitcher Tim Smith (Plainfield, Conn.) was the recipient of the Dan Cardin Memorial Award for Dedication and Sportsmanship. He made 12 appearances this season, and was a go-to righty on the mound with nine starts and a pair of saves. He was named the NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week on April 1^st after earning a one-hit shutout win and a save in the Bison's conference-opening sweep at Roger Williams. Smith fanned 29 batters in 53.2 innings, while walking 10. In his career, Tim has demonstrated precise control, walking just 35 batters, the third-fewest in Nichols history, while striking out a seventh-best 109 batters. He went 2-0 in the postseason during his career, and was named All-TCCC in 2009 after leading the league with a 2.00 ERA.

The Eliot “Bates” Craver Award for Courage, Determination and Commitment in Rehabilitation went to defensive tackle Bill Hassett (Oxford, Mass.). A three-time All-New England Football Conference selection and the 2006 NEFC Co-Defensive Rookie of the Year, Bill was a force on the defensive line for four seasons. Despite missing two games with injury in 2009, he came back to finish the season with the most tackles per game among all defensive linemen and 12th among all players in the NEFC with 8.4 per game. He posted three 10+ tackle games and finished 18th in the nation in tackles for a loss with 1.81 per game – a total of 14.5 for a loss of 38 yards in eight games. Hassett ranked fifth in the NEFC with six sacks, helping Nichols to the conference's third-highest team total (24). He pulled in All-Worcester Area honors for the third-straight year, earning a spot on the First Team for the second consecutive season and was selected to play in the 2010 Division II/III All American Bowl.

Wide receiver Anthony Pillari (Lumberton, N.J.) received the Jim Miller Senior Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship after capping his four-year career at Nichols College as the Bison's single-game, single-season and career receptions leader. A two-time New England Football Conference All-Boyd Division First Team selection, he led his team in his senior campaign with 107.9 all-purpose yards per game. He hauled in a school-record 59 catches for 756 yards in 10 games this year, and snagged a record 13 catches on October 17 for a career-high 210 yards with two touchdowns at Plymouth State. He finished his career with 139 career receptions, surpassing the Nichols College record on senior day against Curry. Pillari finished 2009 ranked third in the NEFC in both receptions (5.90) and receiving yards (75.5) per game. The NEFC Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2006, Pillari was named a First Team All-NEFC wide receiver in 2008 and 2009. He earned All-Worcester Area Second Team honors at wide receiver in 2008 and 2009, as well as at punt returner in 2006.

The Women's Senior Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship went to women's basketball guard Lyndsey Bennett (North Brookfield, Mass.), who demonstrated the true meaning of consistency throughout her career. She played in every game of her four-year tenure, starting in all but three during the last two seasons. A captain as a senior, she finished her career with personal bests in six statistical categories, including a 41.3% field goal percentage, 96 rebounds, 60 assists and 59 steals, and ranked fourth in the TCCC in minutes played, averaging over 35 minutes a game. Although she is a career 36.2% shooter and has put up a 71.3% career percentage from the free throw line, her presence on the court can't just be measured in points: she leads both on and off the court through quiet diligence and unwavering reliability

Men's soccer midfielder Mark Capitanio (Mansfield, Mass.) was named the Junior Male Athlete of the Year. He capped his junior season with ECAC DIII New England Men's Soccer All-Star First Team honors after helping the men's soccer team to tie the program record for wins in a season with a 12-7 ledger. A The Commonwealth Coast Conference First Team honoree, Capitanio totaled eight goals and seven assists for 23 points, finishing the regular season ranked second in scoring in the TCCC. He posted three of his four game-winning goals in conference action, leading the Bison to an 8-5 league record and the sixth seed in the conference tournament. The midfielder was named the TCCC and ECAC DIII New England Player of the Week on October 26^th after netting two goals and an assist – including the game-winning goal against University of New England – to help the Bison secure their third TCCC playoff berth in the last four seasons. In two seasons with the Bison, Capitanio has amassed 39 points on 14 goals and 11 assists in 41 games.

Two-sport standout Ashley Robidoux (Milford, Mass.) was named the Junior Female Athlete of the Year after earning All-TCCC accolades in both basketball and softball. She was a starting guard in all 24 games on the court, averaging 14.3 points per game en route to Third Team honors. She led the team with 74 assists and ranked second in the conference with an 86.5% free-throw percentage. Her performance beyond the arc ranked fourth in the TCCC, both in three-pointers made (50) and percentage (40.3%). Robidoux scored over 20 points on three occasions, including a career-high 31 against Connecticut College in late November when she was 6-of-8 from three-point range and 7-of-11 at the line en route to TCCC and ECAC DIII New England Player of the Week honors. On the diamond, she started 35 of 38 games in the outfield, and banged out 34 hits including six doubles for a .309 batting average and a spot on the All-TCCC Honorable Mention Team. She had six multi-hit games and a seven-game conference hit streak to go with a .975 fielding percentage. She stole a team-best nine bases in 11 attempts.

Three-sport athlete Krista-Jean Forand (Plymouth, Mass.) was the recipient of the Nancy Rossini Memorial Award for Outstanding Female Sophomore Athlete. She continued her mark on the women's lacrosse record books with records for goals (53) and assists (12) and points (65) in a season. She now stands second on the career points (111) and goals (89) charts and is the program's all-time leader in assists with 22. Forand took over in goal to backstop the field hockey team to its first NCAA appearance and posted the conference's lowest goals against average at 1.04 – the seventh-best GAA in the nation. Among her 17 wins on the season, she earned six shutouts, helping the Bison to tie the program record for shutouts in a season. As a team, Nichols set program records for most wins (18), consecutive wins (13), and winning percentage (.818), during its historic season. And on the ice, Forand played in 20 games with the women's hockey team, recording six assists, with five coming in ECAC East action.

Steve Carella (Rocky Hill, Conn.) of the men's tennis team earned the William Horrigan-Bud Sessions Award for Outstanding Male Sophomore Athlete. He was named to the All-TCCC Second Team Singles with an 8-1 TCCC record, playing the bulk of his matches at the No. 3 position (10-1) and also winning a pair at the second flight. Overall, Carella posted a 14-6 record in singles play and also earned a spot on the Honorable Mention Doubles team with a 7-2 conference ledger at the No. 2 spot. Overall he was 16-6 in doubles play with three different partners. Carella stands fourth on the Bison's all-time doubles victories charts with 33 wins after just two seasons.

The Freshman Female Athlete of the Year Award recipient was field hockey midfielder Emily Widdison (Greenfield, Mass.). She was named to the 2009 ECAC Division III New England Field Hockey All-Star Second Team and was a The Commonwealth Coast Conference First Team selection. Widdison helped lead the Bison to a program-best 18-4 record and their first-ever NCAA Championship Tournament appearance. A key component all over the field for the Bison, she recorded 24 points on seven goals and 10 assists in 22 games, scoring a pair of game-winners. Widdison was named the TCCC Rookie of the Week three times during the year, once earning recognition as the www.womensfieldhockey.com national Rookie of the Week.

Justin DeLuca (Mashpee, Mass.) of the men's tennis team took home the Gary McNulty Award for Outstanding Male Freshman Athlete. He was named both the The Commonwealth Coast Conference Player and Rookie of the Year after shattering a nine-year-old Nichols College single-season wins record with a 21-0 ledger. He posted a 9-0 TCCC mark at No. 1 singles, and has gone to three sets just twice on the year, dropping a mere 18 games in conference play. He was named First Team All-TCCC Singles and in doubles competition, he compiled a 7-3 record in conference play from the top flight as he earned Second Team All-TCCC honors.