In a season with lots of twists and turns across NCAA D-II/III college hockey, the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston has announced that 40 players are semifinalists for the 24th Joe Concannon Award, presented annually to the best American-born NCAA Division II/III hockey player in New England.
The Joe Concannon Award was established in 2001 shortly after the passing of the longtime writer for the Boston Globe who had a great passion for the game of college hockey while always advocating strongly for amateur athletics.
Overall, 32 institutions are represented in the slate of candidates that includes eight players from the NEHC, seven from the NE-10, five from the MASCAC, 10 from the NESCAC, and eight from the CNE. One independent program, Keene State, also has two nominees this season.
The 2024 winner was Trinity goalie Devon Bobak, also a semifinalist this season.
The following is the complete list of semifinalists with statistics reflecting games through Feb. 5, 2025:
Albertus Magnus: Tim Manning, senior forward from Concord, OH (5G – 9A – 14 points; +9)
Amherst: Josh Burke, junior forward from Tampa, FL (5G – 10A – 15 points; -3)
Anna Maria College: Matthew Gilbert, graduate student forward from Wyandotte, MI (12G – 8A – 20 points; +20)
Assumption: Ronny Paragallo, senior forward from Huntington, NY (10G – 20A – 30 points; -15)
Babson: Wyatt George, senior forward from Mount Lebanon, PA (7G – 9A – 16 points; +4)
Bowdoin: Luke Wheeler, senior forward from Golden, CO (7G – 6A – 13 points; +3)
Colby: Connor Gallagher, junior defenseman from Novi, MI (3G – 10A – 13 points; +6)
Curry: Shane Soderwall, sophomore goaltender from Algonquin, IL (19 GP – 1.47 goals-against average; .945 save percentage; 6 shutouts); Killian Rowlee, junior forward from Fulton, NY (7G – 8 A – 15 Pts; +14)
Endicott: Andrew Kurapov, senior forward from Corvallis, OR (11G – 9A – 20 points +11); Ryan Willett, senior forward from Bayville, NY (5G – 19A – 24 points; +12)
Fitchburg State: Samuel Rennick, senior forward from Salisbury, MA (4G – 12A – 16 points; +2)
Johnson & Wales: Jake Inzirillo, sophomore goaltender from Bayshore, NY (15 GP – 2.51 goals-against average; .935 save percentage; 1 shutout)
Keene State: Chase Carney, first-year forward from Lynnfield, MA (11G – 12A – 23 points; +15); Marcus Chrisafeidis, first-year forward from Kansas City, KS (18G – 12A – 30 points; +10)
UMass Boston: Michael Krupinski, senior forward from Dallas, TX (2G – 8A – 10 points; +4)
UMass Dartmouth: Tyler Stewart, junior forward from Pittsburgh, PA (12G – 16A – 28 points; -3)
Middlebury: Revy Mack, sophomore forward from Anchorage, AK (8G – 10A – 18 points; +15)
New England College: Anthony Beaulieu, first-year goaltender from Lawrence, MA (18 GP – 2.31 goals-against average; .931 save percentage; 2 shutouts)
Norwich: Clark Kerner, senior forward from Kansas City, KS (6G – 6A – 12 points; +1)
Post: Aidan Canady, first-year defenseman from Schaumburg, IL (2G – 14A – 16 points; +13)
Salem State: Landon Greatorex, junior forward from Reading, MA (8G – 16A – 30 points; +13)
Salve Regina: Arvega Hovsepyan, first-year forward from Glendale, CA (7G – 23A – 30 points; +13)
Southern Maine: Matt Sullivan, sophomore forward from Hingham, MA (5G – 9A – 14 points; -8)
Southern New Hampshire: Collin Berke, sophomore goaltender from Crofton, MD (18GP – 2.12 goals-against-average – .938 save percentage; 4 shutouts)
St. Anselm: Mark Blaney, senior defenseman from Braintree, MA (2G – 14A – 16 points; +5); Hunter Brackett, senior forward from Fort Lauderdale, FL (17G – 17A – 34 points; +4)
St. Michael’s: David Ciancio, senior defenseman from Scituate, RI (10G – 10A – 20 points; +4); Case Kantgias, senior defenseman from Bloomfield Hills, MI (4G – 15A – 19 points; -4)
Suffolk: CJ Hapward, senior goaltender from West Caldwell, NJ (20 GP – 1.98 goals-against average; .929 save percentage; 3 shutouts)
Trinity: Devon Bobak, junior goaltender from Northwood, OH (18 GP – 2.01 goals-against average; .928 save percentage; 1 shutout) Theodore Griffin, senior defenseman from Marshfield, MA (0G – 10A – 10 points; +10); Spencer Korona, senior forward from Enfield, CT (5G – 18A – 23 points; +15)
Tufts: Tyler Sedlak, senior forward from Wykoff, NJ (6G – 8A – 14 points; +2)
University of New England: Ryan Kuzmich, senior forward from Norton, MA (16G – 13A – 29 points; +18); Drew Olivieri, sophomore forward from Swampscott, MA (9G – 19A – 28 points; +20)
VSU-Castleton: Andrew Stefura, senior forward from Boston, MA (6G – 14A – 20 points; +7)
Wesleyan: Owen Sweet, senior forward from Madison, CT (8G – 12A – 20 points; +3)
Westfield State: Cooper Board, senior forward from Glen Ellin, IL (8G – 8A – 16 points; +5)
Williams: Jake McManus, first-year forward from Winthrop, MA (7G – 10A – 17 points; +3)
“This year has seen as balanced a level of competition that there has ever been on the D-II/III landscape in New England,” said Gridiron Club Hockey Awards Committee chairman Tim Costello. “A watch list of over 100 outstanding players showcased talents throughout the season to date which has made this year’s group of nominees the deepest across conferences and number of teams that the committee has ever seen. While the 40 semifinalists represent our largest field in the 24-year history of the Joe Concannon Award, it was an immense challenge to reduce to this list of semifinalists.
“While there are just a few weeks remaining in the regular season and conference tournaments, we are confident that the best players will rise to the occasion when stakes are highest.”
The Gridiron Club will announce the finalists and winner of the 24th Joe Concannon Award in March, following league playoffs and before the start of NCAA Frozen Four on March 28 and March 30 at a site TBD.
