von der Linden, Casey Highlight Bears' All-MASCAC Honorees
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Bridgewater State University freshman center Emilie von der Linden (Sanbornville, N.H.) has received a pair of Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference honors.
By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Bridgewater State University freshman center Emilie von der Linden (Sanbornville, N.H.) has received a pair of Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference honors.
von der Linden was named the conference's Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on the All-MASCAC First Team for the 2025-2026 season after helping the Bears win the regular-season championship.
BSU's Bridgett Casey was selected the conference's Coach of the Year for the second straight season after the Bears went 13-1 in the MASCAC.
Junior guard Sophie Bradbury (East Bridgewater, Mass.) joined von der Linden on the first team while senior guard Haley Burchhardt (Schenectady, N.Y.) made the all-conference second team. It is the first All-MASCAC selections for both players.
von der Linden became the first member of the Bears to win the Rookie of the Year honor since Jannise Avelino did so in the 2021-22 season.
Prior to that, the Bears' last Rookie of the Year was Shelly DePina in the 2008-09 seasons.
von der Linden started all 27 games at center and led BSU with 9.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocked shots per game while finishing second in scoring (11.0).
She was first in the MASCAC in blocks, second in field-goal percentage (.506) and fourth in rebounds.
von der Linden recorded 10 double-doubles and had a combined 27 rebounds in a pair of games in Las Vegas, Nev., against Whittier and Redlands.
In a game on Feb. 14 against Westfield State, von der Linden tied the school with eight blocked shot. Colleen Feeney had set the mark against Western New England on Jan. 10, 2008.
Casey was picked as the Coach of the Year for the seventh time in her career.
She also earned the honor in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2023 and 2025.
The Bears began the season 1-9, losing nine straight after opening with a win over UMass Dartmouth.
BSU then won 14 straight games, including 14 in a row in the MASCAC, for the best stretch with Casey as the coach.
The Bears finished 13-1 in the MASCAC and lost in the conference final to Framingham State, 63-59, last Sunday at the Tinsley Center.
In 29 years, Casey has compiled a 427-311 (.579) record at BSU.
Bradbury, in her second year with the Bears after spending one season at UMass Boston, was the team's leading scorer, averaging 11.4 points.
She made 23 starts and played 27 minutes per game, averaging 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals.
Her top game came on Feb. 18 against Framingham State when Bradbury scored 37 points, hitting 14 of 24 shots and going 6-for-11 on 3-pointers. She also had six assists and four rebounds.
Bradbury had at least four 3-pointers in four game and ranked third in the MASCAC with 45 made 3-pointers.
Burchhardt, a transfer from Utica University, played two seasons at BSU and was a team captain this winter.
She started all 27 games, averaging 28 minutes, and scored 10 points to go with 4.5 rebounds.
Burchhardt scored 26 points in a Feb. 9 win over Connecticut College, making 10 of 12 shots.
She averaged five rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals.
As a junior, Burchhardt was named the Most Valuable Player of the conference tournament after scoring 26 points with 11 rebounds in the final against Framingham State.
Sophomore forward Faith Greene (Worcester, Mass.) of Framingham State was picked as the MASCAC Player of the Year.
Salem State senior forward Emidia Goncalves (Everett, Mass.) was named the Defensive Player of the Year.