After a loss in the College Hockey America semifinal ended Syracuse’s season, Syracuse freshman Mae Batherson will enter next year as one of the top young players in college hockey.

Batherson was named to the USCHO All-Rookie team Friday afternoon. Batherson is the first player in Syracuse’s 12-year history to be selected for one of the USCHO’s post-season lists. 

“It’s an absolute honor to be recognized,” Batherson told cuse.com. “It really adds a huge boost of confidence to be recognized as one of the top players in the nation heading into next year.”

Throughout the 2019-20 season, Batherson collected three CHA rookie of the week nods and was named the conference’s rookie of the month in February. 

The freshman defender out of Nova Scotia ended her rookie campaign with six goals and 17 assists, which set a new record for most points in a season by a freshman defender. Those 23 points tied her with Savannah Rennie for the second-most points on the Syracuse roster – behind Abby Moloughney and Lindsay Eastwood, who both had 28 points.

Batherson joins Robert Morris’ Raygan Kirk as the two CHA players on the All-Rookie team. Robert Morris senior forward Jaycee Gebhard was selected to the USCHO Third Team. 

Batherson was also recognized for her regular season play at the annual CHA banquet in Buffalo. Batherson took home conference rookie of the year for her efforts on the Syracuse blue line. Fellow Syracuse freshman Madison Beishuizen was also named to the CHA All-Rookie team, and other Orange teammates including Rennie, Moloughney and Eastwood also took home hardware.