Toll Gate junior and Warwick Co-op girls’ hockey captain Mary Greenwell will be one of four RIIL female hockey players to receive an Unsung Hero Award from the Rhode Island Reds Heritage Society on Aug. 6.

The awards are given out annually, and they are based on academics, sportsmanship, team play and support, school/community support, hardship and obstacles overcome, perseverance, leadership, hockey ability and other intangible qualities.

Greenwell is certainly a worthy recipient of the award.

She provided steady leadership on the ice as just a junior for the Lady Titans, starting in net and compiling the second-highest saves total in the state with 533 – good for over 31 stops per game.

Warwick Co-op head coach Dave Tibbetts has been impressed with Greenwell’s growth as a goaltender and leader over just three seasons.

“I don’t think Mary ever even skated before ninth grade,” Tibbetts said of his junior netminder. “She’s worked really hard to learn one of the hardest positions to play in sports. She’s come a long way. She really stepped up as a leader for us in a rebuilding season this year, helping along some girls who never played hockey before.”

Greenwell’s athletic prowess didn’t diminish her academic marks, however, as she thrived in the classroom, as well.

Furthermore, she was a member of the school band and devoted her free time to bettering the community. A couple notable things she did this year were organizing a 5K road race to raise funds for a homeless shelter and sending out Veterans Day cards to vets in the area.

“She’s a great student and a great role model for all of her teammates,” Tibbetts said.

There will be six total recipients of the Unsung Hero Award at the Reds’ 17th Annual Reunion Celebration at Goddard on Sunday, Aug. 6 at noon. The female recipients will be Greenwell, Elizabeth Farnham of La Salle/Moses Brown Co-op, Erin Drumm of Smithfield/Coventry Co-op and Burrillville High School senior defenseman Kayla Gravel. The male recipients are North Smithfield goaltender Sean Murphy and Smithfield senior standout Jim Varin.