The NEHC announced Thursday the recipients of the league’s major awards, All-Conference and All-Rookie Teams.
UMass Boston’s Colin Larkin earned Player of the Year honors after leading the NEHC in goal scoring with 15. He also added 15 assists on the season for 30 points, tied for tops in the league. Larkin is one of the more potent goal-scorers in the country as his 19 overall goals rank at third in the nation.
This recognition marks the first time in UMass Boston program history to see a Beacon earn Player of the Year accolades.
Fellow Beacons teammate Ryan Cusin was honored as the league’s Rookie of the Year. Cusin tied for the league lead in points (with Larkin) with 30. His 11 goals were good for third best in the NEHC, while his 19 assists placed him at second in assist scoring. In addition, Cusin’s 40 overall points this season pace him at fourth nationally.
Brett Kilar of New England College earned Goaltender of the Year recognition after playing an incredible 1,066 minutes between the pipes for the Pilgrims. He also maintained a top-five position in every goaltending statistical category in the NEHC. His 564 saves in league play led the NEHC, while his 13-5-0 record earned him the third best winning percentage. Kilar also ranks amongst tops in the nation as his 1,363 overall minutes played and four shutouts this season both rank second. His .939 overall save percentage ranks fifth best in the country.
After leading Norwich to its 18th regular season title in the past 19 seasons, Mike McShane was recognized as NEHC Coach of the Year. His Cadets squad rank in the top ten nationally in both team offense (4.28 g/gm – 8th) and team defense (1.72 g/gm – 3rd). Norwich led the NEHC in scoring offense (4.44 g/gm), scoring defense (1.44 g/gm), power play (29.5%) and special teams net (+16).
McShane also notched his 700th career win this season, becoming only the seventh coach in NCAA hockey history at any level to amass the 700 mark.
First Team All-NEHC
| Player's Name | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
| Colin Larkin | F | UMass Boston |
| William Pelletier | F | Norwich |
| Anthony Bird | F | Skidmore |
| Tyler Bishop | D | UMass Boston |
| Cody Smith | D | Norwich |
| Brett Kilar | G | New England College |
Second Team All-NEHC
| Player's Name | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Phillips | F | Babson |
| Andreas Zollner | F | New England College |
| Tyler Piacentini | F | Norwich |
| Jake Donahue | D | Babson |
| Danny Divis | D | St. Michael's |
| Peter Sikalis | D | St. Anselm |
| Braeden Ostepchuk | G | Norwich |
Third Team All-NEHC
| Player's Name | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Salvucci | F | Norwich |
| Marc Cibelli | F | Skidmore |
| Ryan Cusin | F | UMass Boston |
| Patrick Thornton | D | Castleton |
| Alec Brandrup | D | Norwich |
| Matt Pompa | G | Babson |
| Kyle Shapiro | G | Southern Maine |
NEHC All-Rookie Team
| Player's Name | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Cusin | F | UMass Boston |
| Nolan Redler | F | UMass Boston |
| Carlos Fornaris | F | New England College |
| Connor Dahlman | D | Babson |
| Troy Taylor | D | Castleton |
| Brandon Kasel | G | Skidmore |
