The 15 members of The Statesman Sports Section voted for 12 annual awards given to Stony Brook athletes, coaches and teams for notable performances throughout their respective seasons within the 2024-25 athletic year as representatives of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).
The awards are as follows: Men’s and Women’s Most Valuable Player, Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, Men’s and Women’s Transfer of the Year, Men’s and Women’s Rookie of the Year, Men’s and Women’s Breakout Player of the Year and Men’s and Women’s Comeback Player of the Year.
Each category had three finalists, as also determined by the staff.
Below are the winners:
Men’s Most Valuable Player: Roland Dempster – Football
Running back Roland Dempster was the Stony Brook football team’s engine. The senior’s CAA-leading, 1,667 all-purpose yards were the ninth-most in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Additionally, his 1,332 rushing yards were the third- and ninth-best marks in the CAA and FCS, respectively. When in the red zone, Dempster was money, as his 19 touchdowns were good for the second most in the conference and the joint-fifth most in the nation.
After missing all of the 2022 season due to a foot injury and sitting out a pair of games in 2023, Dempster was reliable as can be this past year. The all-purpose back ranked second and fifth in the CAA and FCS, respectively, with 268 carries while his 32 receptions were tied for the second most on Stony Brook. For his efforts, Dempster earned All-CAA First Team and Stats Perform FCS All-America Second Team nods, and was also named a finalist for the Walter Payton Award.
Voting Summary: Dempster (10), Nico Azpilcueta – Baseball (3), C.J. Luster II – Men’s Basketball (2)
Women’s Most Valuable Player: Avery Hines – Women’s Lacrosse
After a tremendous first season as a starter in 2024 for the Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team — culminating in a 2024 USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American Third Team selection — defender Avery Hines improved upon the 66 caused turnovers and 45 ground balls she totaled last year.
In 2025, Hines anchored one of the best defenses in the nation again, posting 74 caused turnovers and 54 ground balls while turning the ball over herself just twice in 21 outings. She led the CAA and ranks second in the nation in caused turnovers per game (3.52) and finished second in the conference in ground balls per contest (2.57). Hines was named the 2025 CAA Defensive Player of the Year and was part of the 2025 All-CAA First Team. She also earned 2025 USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American Second Team honors.
Voting Summary: Hines (7), Luciana Setteducate – Women’s Soccer (4), Alyssa Costello – Softball (4)
Team of the Year: Women’s Lacrosse
Despite undergoing a significant roster overhaul in the offseason leading up to its 2025 campaign, it was business as usual for the Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team this year, who never left the national rankings.
The Seawolves made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the 12th straight time after capturing the CAA title while going undefeated in conference play throughout the regular season. Stony Brook was lethal on both ends of the field, currently ranking fifth in the nation defensively and 15th offensively.
Voting Summary: Women’s Lacrosse (11), Football (3), Women’s Soccer (1)
Coach of the Year: Billy Cosh – Football
As a first-year head coach and the youngest in all of college football, 31-year-old Billy Cosh took one of the worst programs in the nation and brought it one win shy of an FCS playoffs berth. After going winless for 672 days, the Stony Brook football team enjoyed its first winning season since 2018, going 8-4 overall and 5-3 in CAA play in 2024, while being ranked as high as No. 16 nationally. The highlight of the Seawolves’ resurgent campaign came during their homecoming game when they upset a ranked opponent in William & Mary.
After owning the conference’s lowest scoring (15.2 points per game) and second-worst total offense (314.2 yards per game) a season ago, Cosh helped the Seawolves soar to the third- (29.7) and fourth-highest outputs (403.1), respectively, in 2024. On the defensive side, Stony Brook slashed its points allowed per game from 39.2 to 24.8, giving it the CAA’s seventh-best scoring defense after ranking dead last the year prior.
Cosh was named the CAA, American Football Coaches Association Region 1 and Walter Camp FCS Coach of the Year. In addition to Dempster’s success, Stony Brook had six other All-CAA honorees under Cosh’s tutelage, including another First-Team member in defensive tackle Rushawn Lawrence, who was also selected to the Stats Perform FCS All-America Third Team.
Voting Summary: Cosh (9), Joe Spallina – Women’s Lacrosse (5), Tobias Bischof – Women’s Soccer (1)
Men’s Transfer of the Year: Nico Azpilcueta – Baseball
After transferring to Stony Brook from Ohlone College — a junior college in California — infielder Nico Azpilcueta quickly took the reins as the biggest run producer in the Seawolves’ lineup in 2025. He was the starting designated hitter and cleanup batter for head coach Matt Senk on opening day, and went 2-for-3 in his Stony Brook debut.
Despite not homering for the first 12 games of the season, Azpilcueta went on a power surge, hitting 20 bombs in the team’s final 40 games to lead the conference. While Stony Brook lacked power as a team a season ago, Azpilcueta spearheaded an offense that slugged the second-most roundtrippers in the CAA. He became just the second player in school history to launch 20 or more home runs in a single season. Additionally, Azpilcueta was productive even when not leaving the yard, tallying 18 multi-hit games and slashing .320/.390/.711, with an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.101 — the fourth-best in the league. His 61 runs batted in were the most of any CAA player, and also the third-most of any Seawolf in history in a single season. Azpilcueta made the 2025 All-CAA First Team.
Voting Summary: Azpilcueta (9), Rudy Silvera – Football (4), C.J. Luster II – Men’s Basketball (2)
Women’s Transfer of the Year: Charlotte Wilmoth – Women’s Lacrosse
After losing every starting attacker from the 2024 season to graduation, the Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team’s acquisition of attacker Charlotte Wilmoth from the University of Massachusetts Amherst through the transfer portal was a notable one.
This year, Wilmoth lived up to the high expectations sprung upon her, leading the Seawolves in goals (64) and being second on the team in assists (28). Those marks earned her a spot on the All-CAA First Team, as she was third in the conference in goals per game (3.05) and second in points per contest (4.38). Wilmoth also earned a 2025 USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American Honorable Mention.
Voting Summary: Wilmoth (12), Riley McDonald – Women’s Lacrosse (3), Braeden Siverson – Women’s Lacrosse (0)
Men’s Rookie of the Year: Collin O’Connor – Men’s Basketball
In his first year of collegiate basketball, guard Collin O’Connor won the starting point guard job for the Stony Brook men’s basketball team from the jump. His impact was pronounced throughout the 2024-25 season, as O’Connor was on the floor for tip-off for 29 of the Seawolves’ 32 games — playing in all — and averaged 8.1 points on a .387/.311/.726 shooting line.
O’Connor also served as Stony Brook’s primary facilitator, leading the team with 102 assists and ranking 10th in the CAA in assists per game (3.2). Despite being a rookie, he also placed 14th in the conference in assist to turnover ratio (1.4). O’Connor received league recognition as a member of the 2024-25 All-CAA Rookie Team.
Voting Summary: O’Connor (9), Kian McCoy – Men’s Lacrosse (6), Colin Wenrich – Hockey (0)
Women’s Rookie of the Year: Julia Fusco – Women’s Lacrosse
Like her sister Alexandra, midfielder Julia Fusco contributed heavily on both sides of the ball this season in her rookie campaign for the Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team.
The 2025 CAA All-Rookie Team honoree posted 12 goals and eight assists alongside 14 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers while appearing in all 21 of the Seawolves’ games — starting a pair. Fusco delivered five multi-point outings for Stony Brook.
Voting Summary: Fusco (7), Crimson Rice – Softball (6), Nicole Allen – Softball (2)
Men’s Breakout Player of the Year: Anthony Ferrelli – Football
In his third year with the Stony Brook football team, linebacker Anthony Ferrelli became an instrumental piece of the Seawolves’ defense this past campaign.
After tallying just 32 total tackles in his first two seasons at Stony Brook, Ferrelli received more opportunities — playing in all 12 of the team’s games — and notched 84 total tackles, the second-highest mark on the Seawolves. He also totaled 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Voting Summary: Ferrelli (9), Andre Snoddy – Men’s Basketball (3), Matthew Jackson – Baseball (3)
Women’s Breakout Player of the Year: Isabella Caporuscio – Women’s Lacrosse
After a rookie season of solid production — especially considering the talent possessed by the Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team in 2024 — midfielder Isabella Caporuscio was assumed to take over a more significant role this year, and she did so without an issue.
Caporuscio stood out in 2025 as one of the more complete players in the nation. The Seawolves’ do-it-all weapon ranked third on the team in goals (49) and assists (19), along with second in ground balls (52), caused turnovers (36) and draw controls (82). The unanimous 2025 CAA Midfielder of the Year and All-American Honorable Mention registered at least a point in every game but two this season, never missing an outing for Stony Brook.
Voting Summary: Caporuscio (8), Emily Reinstein – Softball (5), Allie Masera – Women’s Lacrosse (2)
Men’s Comeback Player of the Year: Kyle Nestepny – Hockey
When Kyle Nestepny left the ice on Nov. 5, 2022, the defenseman-turned-winger’s playing career appeared to be over. During that game, Nestepny suffered his third concussion in a three-year span, which shelved him for the remainder of his sophomore season and his entire junior campaign.
After essentially retiring, Nestepny returned to the Stony Brook hockey team for his senior season and was a major player for the Seawolves, as his nine goals and 18 points were both tied for the fifth-highest totals on the team. Along with his offensive capabilities, the smooth skater moved back to his natural position on defense and logged big minutes as Stony Brook’s blue line was depleted by injuries down the stretch.
Voting Summary: Nestepny (6), Robbie Smith – Men’s Lacrosse (5), A.J. Roberts – Football (4)
Women’s Comeback Player of the Year: Reilly Rich – Women’s Soccer
After missing the Stony Brook women’s soccer team’s final six matches of the 2023 season due to a torn ACL, attacker Reilly Rich was instrumental in one of the greatest campaigns in program history, highlighted by its first CAA trophy.
Despite the severity of the injury she suffered, Rich played and started in all 21 of the Seawolves’ games in 2024, scoring eight goals and registering seven assists. She ranked sixth in the conference in the former and fifth in the latter, culminating in a 2024 All-CAA Second Team nod.
Voting Summary: Rich (9), Breauna Ware – Women’s Basketball (3), Emma Scheitinger – Softball (3)
Message from the Editor:
It has been an honor to work for The Statesman these past three years. I am incredibly excited to follow the future of the paper, especially the sports section. A heartfelt thank you to all the editors and writers I had the pleasure of working with during my time with The Statesman.
Alex Streinger, Sports Editor
