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Posted: Mar 05, 2025

Goncalves Earns MASCAC Women's Basketball Co-Defensive Player of the Year Honors, Gates Named First Team

Goncalves Earns MASCAC Women's Basketball Co-Defensive Player of the Year Honors, Gates Named First Team

SALEM, Mass. -- Ernidia Goncalves (Everett, Mass.) and Kylie Gates (Pembroke, Mass.) were named to the 2024-25 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Women's Basketball All-Conference First Team as voted on by the league's seven head coaches in an announcement on Wednesday. Goncalves also earned Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Goncalves, the former conference rookie of the year and a second team selection a year ago, garnered first team accolades in 2025 along with co-defensive player of the year honors. The junior forward led the league in rebounding for the second straight year at 13.9 rpg – good for third in the nation -  and once again paced the MASCAC with a league-leading 44 blocks. Her 904 career rebounds are now second all-time at Salem State. Goncalves was sixth in the league in scoring at 14.4 points per game, as she eclipsed 1,000 career points this year and finished the season ranked fourth in the NCAA with 19 double-doubles.

Gates, who earned second team recognition in 2024, was rewarded with first team selection this season. The senior guard topped the MASCAC with 152 assist and led the league in three-point percentage (37.6%). She ranked second in the conference in steals (84) and was fourth in field goal percentage (44.4%). Her 13.8 ppg scoring average ranked eighth overall in the league. Gates scored her 1,000 career point in a victory over Bridgewater State on January 8th and her 554 assists rank third all-time at Salem State while her 326 steals place her second on the Vikings' all-time career list.   

Bridgewater State's Kylie Grassi was named the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year for the third time while her teammate Kylee Piche and Salem State's Goncalves were tabbed as Co-Defensive Player of the Year and head up the 2024-25 All-Conference team, which is voted on by the coaches around the conference.
 
Earning her third straight title as MASCAC Player of the Year and fourth All-Conference berth, Grassi, a senior from Plymouth, Mass., helped the Bears to a 9-1 record and the top seed in the tournament. She led the conference with 17.1 points per game while having the third-best free throw percentage at 72.3 percent. She also collected 130 rebounds, 52 steals and 47 assists on the year. In the win over Eastern Connecticut State, Grassi scored 31 points with five rebounds, three steals and two assists.
 
Grabbing MASCAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and her first All-Conference accolade, Piche along with Grassi led the Bears to their second league title in the last three years. The grad student from Bridgewater, Mass. tallied 78 steals and 12 blocks while averaging 11 points and five rebounds per game. She set career high this season in points (275), rebounds (123), assists (93) and steals (78). 
 
Claiming the 2024-25 MASCAC Women's Basketball Rookie of the Year is Faith Green of Framingham State. The freshman from Worcester, Mass. was a double-double machine for the Rams, averaging 13 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. She also had 23 blocks, 27 steals and 11 assists on the year. In the win over Regis, she netted a season-high 24 points with 10 rebounds and shot 62.5 percent from the field. 
 
After guiding the Bears to the MASCAC Regular Season crown, Bridgett Casey of Bridgewater State was named the 2024-25 BSN Sports Coach of the Year as voted on by her peers. 
 
Joining Grassi, Piche and Goncalves on the All-Conference First Team are Kylie Gates of Salem State and Jordan Grant of Westfield State. 
 
Landing a spot on the Second Team All-Conference are Arielle Cleveland of Bridgewater State, Rylie Harlow of Fitchburg State, Katherine Haselton of Framingham State, Olivia Hadla of Westfield State, Katie Hurynowicz of Worcester State. 
 
2024-25 MASCAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
 
FIRST TEAM
Kylie Grassi, Bridgewater State | Senior Guard/Forward Plymouth, Mass.
Kylee Piche, Bridgewater State | Graduate Guard Bridgewater, Mass.
Kylie Gates, Salem State Senior | Guard Pembroke, Mass.
Ernidia Goncalves, Salem State | Junior Forward Everett, Mass.
Jordan Grant, Westfield State | Senior Forward Gray, Maine 
 
SECOND TEAM
Arielle Cleveland, Bridgewater State | Senior Forward Groveland, Mass.
Rylie Harlow, Fitchburg State Senior | Guard/Forward Hanson, Mass.
Katherine Haselton, Framingham State | Senior Guard Greenfield, Mass.
Olivia Hadla, Westfield State | Senior Guard Westfield, Mass.
Katie Hurynowicz, Worcester State | Senior Guard/Forward Tyngsboro, Mass.
 
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kylie Grassi, Bridgewater State | Senior Guard/Forward Plymouth, Mass.
 
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kylee Piche, Bridgewater State | Graduate Guard Bridgewater, Mass.
Ernidia Goncalves, Salem State | Junior Forward Everett, Mass.
 
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Faith Greene, Framingham State | Freshman Forward Worcester, Mass.
 
BSN SPORTS COACH OF THE YEAR
Bridgett Casey, Bridgewater State