Aurora’s Darci Matson is 2023 Laura Hurd Award Winner As AHCA Division III Women’s Player of the Year

Darci Matson, a sophomore forward from Aurora University, is the recipient of the 2023 Laura Hurd Award. The award, voted on by the nation's Division III head coaches, is presented to the best player at the NCAA Women's Division III level. Matson is the first player from Aurora to be so honored.

In the 2022-23 season, Matson finished with 31 goals and 34 assists for 65 points and surpassed the 100 point plateau in just her second collegiate season. In two seasons, she has compiled 105 points with 54 goals and 51 assists. She is the Division III leader in points, while also leading in points per game with 2.41, assists (34), assists per game (1.26) and is tied as the leader in goals per game (1.15) and is second overall with the 31 goals scored. She was anmed an AHCA First Team All-American on Thursday as well.

In helping Aurora to a record of 21-5-1, Matson was the 2022-23 Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) Player of the Year and All-Conference, just one season after earning Freshman of the Year and All-Conference recognition in 2021-22. She also earned AHCA Second Team All-American recognition as a freshman.

A native of Wasilla, Alaska, Matson competed in soccer, hockey and lacrosse at Wasilla High School. The runner-up for this year’s Hurd Award is Ann-Frederique Guay (St. Lambert-de-Lauzon, PQ), a senior forward at Norwich University.

The award is named in honor of former Elmira College star Laura Hurd who died in a car accident shortly after graduation. Hurd was a four-time All-American who led Elmira to victory in the first NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Championship.

Winners of of the Laura Hurd Award
Division III Women’s Hockey Player of the Year
2000 Sylvia Ryan Middlebury Forward
2001 Michelle Labbe Middlebury Forward
2002 Sarah Moe Gustavus Adolphus Forward
2003 Angela Kapus Middlebury Forward/Defense
2004 Molly Wasserman Williams Forward
2005 Laura Hurd Elmira Forward
2006 Emily Quizon Middlebury Forward
2007 Andrea Peterson Gustavus Adolphus Defense
2008 Danielle Blanchard Plattsburgh Forward
2009 Kayla Coady Elmira Forward
2010 Isabel Iwachiw Trinity Goaltender
2011 Sarah Dagg RIT Forward
2012 Julie Fortier Norwich Forward
2013 Teal Gove Plattsburgh Forward
2014 Sydney Aveson Plattsburgh Goaltender
2015 Ashley Ryan Elmira Forward
2016 Michelle Greeneway Lake Forest Forward
2017 Dani Sibley UW-River Falls Forward
2018 Melissa Sheeran Plattsburgh Forward
2019 Bre Simon Hamline Forward
2020 Amanda Conway Norwich Forward
2021 Not Awarded
2022 Callie Hoff UW-River Falls Forward
2023 Darci Matson Aurora Forward