The NEHC men’s division has announced the recipients of the league’s major award winners, all-conference and all-rookie teams as selected by the league’s 10 head coaches.
Hobart’s Luke Aquaro was named NEHC player of the year after posting 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points in league play to lead the Statesmen this season. Aquaro also registered an impressive plus-20 plus/minus rating and notched four game-winning goals in league play. His six overall game-winning goals ranks him first nationally in all of D-III men’s hockey.
Norwich’s Drennen Atherton earned NEHC goaltender of the year for the second straight year. Atherton led the NEHC in league wins (11), posting a conference record of 11-2. The senior netminder also ranked third in the league in save percentage (.946), goals against (18), and goals-against average (1.39). He finished the regular season with an overall record of 14-4 between the pipes for the Cadets while also recording two shutouts in league play.
Hobart netminder Damon Beaver was selected as NEHC rookie of the year after finishing second in the league in both goals-against average (1.13) and save percentage (.952). His 1.09 overall GAA and .953 overall save percentage led all of D-III men’s hockey goaltenders in the nation this season. Beaver finished the regular season with an 8-2 record in league play and a 12-2 overall record for the Statesmen.
Hobart’s Mark Taylor was voted NEHC coach of the year by his peers for the second straight year after guiding the program to a 16-2 record in league and No. 1 seed heading into the NEHC postseason. Overall, the Statesmen are 23-2 and lead both the NEHC and the nation in goals per game, goals, assists, and goals against, among several other categories.
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Forward: Luke Aquaro, Hobart
Forward: Chance Gorman, Elmira
Forward: Jonah Alexander, Hobart
Defense: Amedeo Mastrangeli, Elmira
Defense: Joe Nagle, Norwich
Goaltender: Drennen Atherton, Norwich
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Forward: Clark Kerner, Norwich
Forward: Thomas Kramer, Babson
Forward: Curtis Judd, Southern Maine
Defense: Gagik Malakyan, Hobart
Defense: Austin Mourar, Hobart
Defense: James Perullo, Babson
Goaltender: Andrew Kormos, New England College
THIRD TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Forward: Kaeden Patrick, Skidmore
Forward: Philip Elgstam, Norwich
Forward: Bryce Irwin, Castleton
Defense: Callum Jones, Norwich
Defense: Danny Magnuson, Skidmore
Goaltender: Nolan Hildebrand, Babson
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Forward: Connor Wood, Skidmore
Forward: Tanner Hartman, Hobart
Forward: Kerfalla Toure, Elmira
Forward: Johnny Johnson, Norwich
Defense: Zach Whittaker, Castleton
Defense: Nolan Dion, Babson
Goaltender: Damon Beaver, Hobart
