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Two days after SU won the College Hockey America Tournament, Syracuse defenseman Jessica DiGirolamo was named CHA Defenseman of the Month. This is the fourth time that the graduate student received the honor this season. DiGirolamo was also named CHA Defenseman of the Year last week.

This season, DiGirolamo became SU’s all-time leader in assists by a defenseman and recorded six goals and 13 assists on a team-leading 157 shots. DiGirolamo also led the team in blocks with 74, and the next closest player was Hannah Johnson with 46.

DiGirolamo was second on the Orange in shots taken in February behind forward Victoria Klimek. In Syracuse’s 2-1 road win against Penn State, DiGirolamo scored on a power-play goal from the top of the Nittany Lions’ zone. In the CHA semifinals against RIT, DiGirolamo tallied assists on Abby Moloughney’s first two goals of her hat trick performance.

But DiGirolamo’s biggest assist came in overtime of the CHA Championship game against Mercyhurst. The defenseman held the puck near the right wing in the Lakers’ zone before she skated toward the center of the zone. Similar to her goal against Penn State, DiGirolamo fired a wrist shot straight to the goaltender. But Mercyhurst’s Ena Nystrøm made the initial save.

However, Sarah Thompson was right in front of Nystrøm, and as the puck moved toward her stick, she had an open shot. Thompson buried the puck in the net, sealing Syracuse a 3-2 victory and its second-ever CHA Tournament championship.