MANAHAWKIN, N.J. -- After piecing together one of the most incredible campaigns in the history of the Christopher Newport field hockey program, Courtney Hughlett was recognized as the NFHCA Region VI Player of the Year, which was announced by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association on Thursday morning.

With the prestigious award, Hughlett became just the third Captain to receive the region's highest honor. In that exclusive club, she joined CNU Hall of Famer Belle Tunstall (2013) and longtime legend Abby Asuncion (2021, 2023).

One of six regions in the nation, Region VI encompasses eight states ranging from Tennessee to Wisconsin. Putting the scope of her award into perspective, Hughlett was named the top player in a region that serves as the home to 27 different field hockey programs with 548 total student-athletes.

Rising to the top of the region, Hughlett orchestrated a season for the history books. Staking her claim as one of the finest facilitators in the country, she established a new school record with 15 assists, which also equaled the fifth-most by any player in the nation during the 2025 campaign. Starring throughout the fall, she handed out at least one helper in 11 contests, including four multi-assist outings.

Stepping up in clutch situations, Hughlett assisted on seven game-winning goals, including three against nationally-ranked competition. Among her crunch-time contributions, she set up the overtime winner against No. 17 Lynchburg in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on November 15, which helped jump-start the squad's run to the Final Four. Aided by that effort, she was eventually named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team for her postseason heroics.

Along with her work in the playoffs, Hughlett also assisted on the fourth-quarter clincher against No. 10 Stevens on September 28 and the game-winner at No. 11 Williams on October 12. Additionally, she set up the opening goal during a double-overtime triumph over No. 3 Salisbury on October 8 and handed out a pair of helpers in a 3-0 victory against No. 14 Rowan on October 25.

Remarkably, seven of her 15 assists came in battles with nationally-ranked competition. Meanwhile, half of her goals were scored against top-25 foes. Among her career-high six strikes, she landed the final blow in the win over No. 11 Williams on October 12 and sank a pair of tallies in a victory over No. 5 Johns Hopkins on August 31. For the latter performance, she was named the Synapse Sports National Offensive Player of the Week on September 3.

Flashing her skills as a finisher, Hughlett also kicked off the season with her first career multi-goal effort after hammering home two daggers against Bridgewater on August 29. Later, she notched another goal during a three-point eruption against Virginia Wesleyan on September 10.

Overall, the Charlottesville, Virginia native wrapped up the year with 27 points, including 13 against nationally-ranked opponents. Adding some context to that feat, only eight other players in the illustrious history of the CNU field hockey program ever recorded 13 points against top-25 teams during their entire time with the Captains. Hughlett did it in just over three months.

In addition to her record-setting work on the offensive end of the field, Hughlett was equally effective on the defensive side. During the season, she blocked 10 shots, which equaled the highest total by a Captain in two years. Six of her deflections came as a centerpiece on the squad's elite penalty corner defense, which successfully handled 94 percent of the opposition's attempts during the year.

Among her highlights on the back end, she blocked shots on penalty corners against No. 3 Salisbury, No. 5 Johns Hopkins, No. 10 Stevens, and No. 14 Rowan. Hughlett also deflected a rip to stymie a surge in the second overtime against Messiah on September 20, which helped carry the Captains to a 1-0 triumph.

Meanwhile, in the postseason, Hughlett blocked a shot during a second-quarter surge by Salisbury in the Elite Eight on November 16 and helped silence three penalty corners by No. 6 Tufts in the Final Four on November 21.

Bolstered by those efforts, Christopher Newport finished the year with the nation's top-ranked scoring defense. Overall, the Captains amassed 14 shutouts and surrendered just 0.39 goals per game, which was the ninth-best mark in Division III history.

As a result of her performance on both ends of the field, Hughlett rarely stepped off the turf during the 2025 campaign. She ranked second on the team with 1,155 minutes of action while playing 60 or more on 11 occasions. She saw 76 minutes of work during a pair of double-overtime marathons against Messiah and No. 3 Salisbury, while she never left the field during the squad's postseason run, including all 63 minutes during the overtime win against No. 17 Lynchburg.

A reigning third-team All-American, Hughlett picked up her second straight first-team All-Region accolade for her showcase during the fall. She also wrapped up the year as the program's all-time leader with 34 career assists.

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