FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Greyhounds and Penmen Receive a Pair of Major Awards.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Franklin Pierce’s Alex Lester has been chosen as the Northeast 10 Conference Ice Hockey Player of the Year, as announced on Friday by the league office – in addition to the other major awards and All-Conference teams. Lester is the first Raven to ever win NE10 Player of the Year.
Assumption had two players receive major awards, including Defensive Player of the Year Robert Roche and Rookie of the Year Devan Sheth. Southern New Hampshire had the other two major honors on Friday, with Goaltender of the Year Kurt Gutting and Coach of the Year Sean Walsh.
Saint Anselm led all teams with four players earning an All-Conference nod, while Saint Michael’s and SNHU each had a pair of players named to the First Team. Assumption had three players elected All-Conference by the NE10 head coaches, second only to the regular-season champion Hawks.
Lester had a sensational offensive year for the Ravens, leading the league in total points (29), while tying for the NE10 lead in assists (19) and tied for fourth in goals (10). He had eight multi-point games – including a three-assist performance as part of a 4-0 shutout win over Assumption on Jan. 26. Franklin Pierce’s attacking forward recorded a pair of game-winning goals throughout the season, while firing 77 shots – eighth-most of any NE10 player. The Ravens tallied a program-record 10 wins this season behind Lester’s performance.
Assumption’s Roche, who helped lead the Greyhounds to the No. 4 spot in the upcoming NE10 Ice Hockey Championship semifinals, becomes the second-straight Assumption player to receive Defensive Player of the Year (Dante Tomassini, 2018). Roche accounted for 17 points, including five goals, while recording a +16 plus-minus this season– third-best in the league. The Greyhounds ranked second in the NE10 in goals against average (2.30) and first in penalty kill percentage (85.2) with Roche in the defensive zone.
SNHU’s Gutting – a three-time NE10 Goaltender of the Week in 2018-19 – earned Goaltender of the Year and a place on the First Team after leading the Penmen to the No. 2 seed in the NE10 Championship semifinals. Gutting ranked second in goals against average (2.14) and save percentage (.936) in the league, going 9-5-4 between the pipes. He had a shutout win against Stonehill on Feb. 9.
Assumption’s Sheth had an outstanding freshman campaign, resulting in his selection as Rookie of the Year. He was tied for 11th in the NE10 in total points (18) and goals (9), including five multi-point games. Sheth had a three-point effort in a 6-2 win over Stonehill on Feb. 1 and scored a game-winning goal against Saint Michael’s on Jan. 12. He becomes the first Assumption player to earn Rookie of the Year since Taylor Larsen in 2008-09.
After getting his team to the No. 2 seed in the NE10 Championship, thus earning a home game in the semifinals on Saturday, SNHU’s Sean Walsh was named Coach of the Year after leading the Penmen to a 7-5-3 mark in conference play and 12-9-4 overall. It is just Walsh’s second season with SNHU. His team prepares to host No. 3 Saint Michael’s on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Player of the Year
Alex Lester, Franklin Pierce
Defensive Player of the Year
Robert Roche, Assumption
Goalkeeper of the Year
Kurt Gutting, SNHU
Rookie of the Year
Devan Sheth, Assumption
Coach of the Year
Sean Walsh, SNHU
All-Conference First Team
Alex Lester, Franklin Pierce, F
Sam D’Antuono, Saint Michael’s, F
Brett Strawn, SNHU, F
Sel Narby, Saint Michael’s, D
Robert Roche, Assumption, D
Kurt Gutting, SNHU, G
All-Conference Second Team
Matt Damelio, Assumption, F
Mike Ferraro, Saint Anselm, F
Sean Verrier, Saint Anselm, F
Dave Almeida, Saint Anselm, D
Liam O’Sullivan, Saint Anselm D
David Zulauf, Assumption, G
All-Rookie Team
Robert Holyoke, Assumption
Devan Sheth, Assumption
Kyle Martin, Franklin Pierce
Anthony Iacullo, Saint Anselm
Jake Cox, SNHU
Joe Fiorino, SNHU
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 student-athletes compete in conference championships, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.