SYRACUSE, NY – Potsdam senior forward Kaylee Merrill (Wasilla, AK/Anchorage North Stars) has been selected the 2023 Northeast Women's Hockey League Scholar Athlete of the Year.

The NEWHL announced the winner on Wednesday, March 15, from its league office in Syracuse, N.Y.

Merrill becomes the first player in the history of the NEWHL to claim both the Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in the same season or during a career. She was chosen the NEWHL Player of the Year in early March.

The senior exercise science major boasts a 3.70 grade point average.

The Scholar Athlete of the Year award is nominated and voted upon by the athletic communication directors from the NEWHL and is based on a combination of success in the classroom, as well as in the arena of competition.

Merrill becomes the first Potsdam player to capture the award and just the third different scholar-athlete to claim the honor in the five-year history of the NEWHL. In addition, she becomes the first offensive player to garner the selection.

The previous four NEWHL Scholar-Athlete of the Year award recipients were defensive players and featured Plattsburgh's Erin McArdle (Macomb, MI/Belle Tire) who was chosen in 2022, and Oswego's Kate Randazzo (Ancaster, Ontario, Canada/Burlington Barracudas) who claimed the honor from 2018-20 – the first three years the award was presented. No award was presented in 2021 since the 2020-21 season was cancelled during the pandemic.

In addition to being named NEWHL Player of the Year this season, Merrill claimed First Team All-NEWHL honors and currently leads the conference in scoring (39 points) and goals (37). She ranks second in game-winning goals with six, while her total of 12 assists is tied for 16th in the league. Her +15 rating is tied for 19th.

Nationally, Merrill ranks fourth in goals per game (1.08) and eighth in points per game (1.56) among all NCAA Division III players.

This year she set the Potsdam single-season scoring record with her 39 points, adding a dozen assists to her 27 goals scored. She ranks second in Bears' history in points (76) and goals scored (56).

During her career, Merrill has earned three State University of New York Athletic Conference Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll selections, and she was named to the 2021-22 All-NEWHL Second Team and the 2019-20 NEWHL All-Rookie Team.