Somerset, NJ -- The Northeast Conference (NEC) announced its 2023 Spring Team Sportsmanship Award honorees this afternoon.
 
Eight institutions won awards with Sacred Heart and St. Francis Brooklyn leading the way with two apiece.

Sacred Heart locked down its fourth consecutive women's tennis honor and was also recognized in men's tennis, while St. Francis Brooklyn took home men's and women's outdoor track and field awards.

2023 Northeast Conference Team Sportsmanship Award Winners   Spring Baseball: CCSU Men's Golf: Merrimack Women's Golf: Delaware State Women's Lacrosse: Howard Softball: LIU Men's Volleyball: Daemen Men's Tennis: Sacred Heart Women's Tennis: Sacred Heart Men's Outdoor Track & Field: St. Francis Brooklyn Women's Outdoor Track & Field: St. Francis Brooklyn 2022-23 Northeast Conference Final Tally - Team Sportsmanship Awards         Institution    No. of Awards         Stonehil             5         CCSU                 3         SFBK                 3         Howard               2         LIU                  2         Merrimack            2         Sacred Heart         2                Saint Francis U      2         Daemen               1         Delaware State.      1         Wagner               1

Demonstrating that a commitment to sportsmanship and athletic success can go hand in hand, CCSU was lauded in baseball and LIU in softball. Both captured NEC Championships last month.

Howard repeated as the women's lacrosse awardee.

Two NEC newcomers also claimed sportsmanship awards with men's volleyball honors going to Daemen and women's golf to Delaware State.

Rounding out the list of spring winners was Merrimack men's golf. 

By years end, 11 different schools had won at least one award.

Stonehill concluded its initial NEC campaign with a league-high five sportsmanship accolades. CCSU and St. Francis Brooklyn Heart were second with three apiece.

Instituted by league Presidents in 2008, the awards are designed to acknowledge the team in each conference sport that, in the opinion of its peers, most closely demonstrates good sportsmanship based on the NEC Principles of Sportsmanship and Standards of Conduct. Voting is conducted at the conclusion of each season by each team and head coach, who rank teams within the conference based on a set of criteria.

Since the NEC Team Sportsmanship program was instituted in 2008-09, Saint Francis U has won a conference-best 43 awards, followed by Sacred Heart (37), Wagner (32), CCSU (31) and LIU (28) to round out the top-five.

“Good sportsmanship is one of the core values that guides the NEC’s commitment to providing a positive student-athlete and fan experience,” said Noreen Morris, NEC Commissioner. “I applaud the institutions who have been recognized by their peers as demonstrating the highest level of respect for the game, their opponents, the officials and their fans.”

About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 42nd season, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of nine institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Boston (#9) and Hartford/New Haven (#33). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 24 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 15 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU, Merrimack, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.