Bowdoin College football standout Kevin Saxton is reaping the rewards after turning in a stellar senior season for coach Howard Vandersea’s Polar Bears.

Saxton has been selected as the New England Small College Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and also has been invited to play in the prestigious Aztec Bowl.

The 6-foot-5, 240-pound defensive end from Palo Alto, Calif., was a four-year starter at Bowdoin. He set the school career sack record with 23, including eight this season and registered 65 tackles to rank second on the squad.

Saxton is one of 38 Division III players chosen by the American Football Coaches Association to compete against a Mexican all-star contingent Dec. 13 in the 51st Aztec Bowl in Monterrey, Mexico.

Joining Saxton, who was an ECAC Division III New England first-team all-star, on the All-NESCAC team were teammates Sean McHugh (offensive line), Brendan Ryan (linebacker) and Randy Petit (safety).

Colby College of Waterville placed linemen Tony Pasquariello and Ryan Aldrich, linebacker James Scribner and punter Darren Ireland on the squad, while Bates lineman Chris Patuto also was honored.

Pat Sheehan and Aaron Dashiell of the University of Maine have been selected for the New England Football Writers Division I All-Star Team.

Sheehan, a 6-6, 345-pound senior offensive tackle from Iselin, N.J., anchored the offensive line for the 6-5 Black Bears. Dashiell, a junior free safety from Plainfield, N.J., led UMaine with 100 tackles and made six interceptions.

Dashiell, Sheehan and 26 other players from 11 other schools will be honored Thursday night at the annual NEFW Captains and Awards Banquet in Randolph, Mass.

College New England Football Writers Division I All-Star Team

OFFENSE – Quarterback: James Perry (Brown); Running backs: Jerry Azumah (New Hampshire), Mike Cloud (Boston College); Wide receivers: Dave Klemic (Northeastern), Sean Morey (Brown); Tight ends: Bobby Andrews (Holy Cross), Kerry Taylor (UMass); Offensive linemen: Pat Sheehan (Maine), Doug Brzezinski (Boston College), Dennis Callaghan (UConn), Marek Ruben (Yale), Mike Shreve (Harvard), Damien Woody (Boston College); Kicker: Mike Murawczyk (Yale)

DEFENSE – Defensive linemen: Matt Crispino (UNH), Frank Ferrara (Rhode Island), Chris Hovan (Boston College), Fry Wemick (Brown); Linebackers: Isaiah Kacyvenski (Harvard), Steve Kives (Northeastern), Khari Samuel (UMass), Miguel Viera (Rhode Island); Defensive backs: Aaron Dashiell (Maine), Pedro Cirino (Boston College), Andre Dixon (Northeastern), Brad Verber (Dartmouth), Jordan Younger (UConn); punter: Andrew Maclay (UMass)

Maine Maritime Academy in Castine joined in on the postseason awards again Tuesday when two Mariners claimed spots on the ECAC Division III New England All-Star Team.

Steve Tardif, a tailback from Biddeford, was a first-team selection. The speedy junior rattled off 1,607 rushing yards and scored 13 touchdowns for coach Mike Hodgson’s MMA team.

Tardif also was an All-New England Football Conference pick after leading the league in rushing for the third straight year.

Senior Rob Cody of Milford earned a spot on the ECAC New England second team. The 270-pound noseguard previously had been named the NEFC Defensive Player of the Year.

The UMaine women’s basketball team is preparing to welcome back freshman center Eva Moldre.

Coach Joanne Palombo-McCallie said Tuesday that Moldre is expected to be able to begin working out with the Bears’ post players after UMaine returns from this weekend’s Roger L. White Invitational Tournament at Northwestern in Evanston, Ill.

Moldre, a 6-foot-3 player from Tallinn, Estonia, has been undergoing rehabilitation after injury her left knee during an Oct. 28 practice. Her return should bolster an already UMaine frontcourt paced by Jamie Cassidy, Martina Tinklova and Andrea Clark.

On the down side, freshman guard Ellen Geraghty continues to recuperate from mononucleosis.

UMaine also awaits the January arrival of freshman Raquel Burke, a 6-1 forward who is fulfilling her academic requirements to meet NCAA initial eligibility guidelines.

It’s 38 days and counting before Burke, who hails from Ontario, Canada, is expected to join the Bears.