FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 27, 2013
Championship Finalists Franklin Pierce and Saint Anselm Each Place Two on First Team
South Easton, Mass. – Saint Anselm College senior forward Mike Richard was named the 2013 Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year by the conference's head coaches today. Richard helped lead the Hawks to a Northeast-10 Conference regular season title, and they will play host to Franklin Pierce University in this Saturday's Championship Final.
The high-scoring senior leads the Northeast-10 with 19 goals this season, and was third with 31 total points. His seven power play goals tied for tops in the league. He's also tied for 15th in the conference with 12 assists on the season. Richard was also a unanimous first team all conference selection.
Southern New Hampshire University forward James Gabrione was named the 2013 NE-10 Conference Rookie of the Year. Gabrione was among the league leaders in scoring, and also helped the Penmen reach the Northeast-10 Conference Championship semifinal round.
The first-year forward finished with 22 points (11th-best currently), 10 goals (7th), and 12 assists (tied for 15th). He also provided the Penmen with some key goals as he was tied for second in the league with two game-winning tallies on the season.
Franklin Pierce's Dave O'Brien was named the Northeast-10 Conference Goalkeeper of the Year. O'Brien helped lead the turnaround for the Ravens, who were picked to finish fifth prior to the start of the season, and will be competing in this Saturday's conference championship finals against Saint Anselm.
The junior net-minder leads the league with a .923 save percentage, and is second in winning percentage (.625). He's also third in the NE-10 in goals against average, only allowing 2.87 goals per contest. O'Brien was also named to the NE-10 All-Conference First Team.
Richard's teammate, Greg Merrill was tabbed as the conference's Defender of the Year. The junior helped spearhead a Hawks' defensive unit that is tops in the league, only allowing 2.73 goals per game. Offensively, Merrill has chipped in with 16 points, including 13 helpers so far in the 2012-13 season.
Merrill is tied for second in defenseman scoring, and his 13 assists is currently tied for 11th-best in the Northeast-10. The junior also earned a spot on the Northeast-10 All Conference First Team in 2013.
Franklin Pierce's Jaymie Harrington was named the Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year following a vote by his peers. Harrington's Franklin Pierce squad was picked to finish towards the bottom of the league prior to the season, but following the first postseason victory in program history this past Saturday in the semifinal, they will be playing for a league title.
Harrington helped lead the Ravens to a second-place finish in the Northeast-10 Conference during the regular season, compiling a 6-4-1 mark in league play, and posting a 9-12-3 mark overall so far this season. It's the first time he's earned this award, and the nine wins is a career-best for Harrington, who is currently in the midst of his fifth season at the helm.
The Northeast-10 is an association of 16 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 5,500 student-athletes. Each year, 4,000 of those student-athletes compete in Conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
2012-2013 Northeast-10 Conference - Men's Hockey All-Conference Teams
First Team Year Position School Hometown
Mike Richard* Senior Forward Saint Anselm Derry, N.H.
Josh Geary Senior Forward Saint Michael's Wellesley, Mass.
Dana Borges Senior Forward Stonehill Taunton, Mass.
Brendan McCarron Senior Defense Franklin Pierce Andover, Mass.
Greg Merrill Junior Defense Saint Anselm Brighton, Mich.
Dave O'Brien Junior Goalkeeper Franklin Pierce Groton, Mass.
Second Team Year Position School Hometown
Keven Meehan Senior Forward Assumption Melrose, Mass.
Roscoe Sweeney Senior Forward Franklin Pierce Falmouth, Mass.
Tim King Senior Forward Saint Anselm Weymouth, Mass.
Liam McKillop Sophomore Forward Saint Anselm New York, N.Y.
Morgan Bell Senior Defense Saint Michael's Vancouver, B.C.
Brendan Greene Sophomore Defense Stonehill Weymouth, Mass.
Nick Dries Junior Goalkeeper Saint Anselm Commerce Township, Mich.
Tyler Holske Junior Goalkeeper So. New Hampshire Attleboro, Mass.
All-Rookie Team Position School Hometown
Alex Erban Forward Assumption Attleboro, Mass.
James Gabrione Forward So. New Hampshire Boca Raton, Fla.
Joe Collins Forward So. New Hampshire Mansfield, Mass.
Kevin Altidor Forward Saint Michael's Montreal, Quebec
Robbie Dorgan Forward Stonehill Ossining, N.Y.
Dan Graham Forward Stonehill Billerica, Mass.
Travis Army Defense Stonehill Englewood, Colo.
Matthew Palella Goalkeeper Stonehill Chicago, Ill.
* Indicates a unanimous selection
Player of the Year: Mike Richard, Saint Anselm
Rookie of the Year: James Gabrione, Southern New Hampshire
Goaltender of the Year: Dave O'Brien, Franklin Pierce
Defensive Player of the Year: Greg Merrill, Saint Anselm
Coach of the Year: Jaymie Harrington, Franklin Pierce
- #NE10 -
