2014-15 MIH All-NESCAC Teams announced

2014-15 NESCAC MIH Player of the Year Ryan Cole

Yesterday the NESCAC released their 2014-15 men's hockey First and Second Team All-NESCAC teams. Trinity sophomore Ryan Cole (F, '17) earned Player of the Year honors in addition to making 1st Team All-NESCAC. Amherst coach Jack Arena, whose Lord Jeffs will host the semifinals and finals of the conference tournament this weekend, earned Coach of the Year.

Cole led the conference in scoring overall (14-21-35) as well as in conference (13-14-27). The Anchorage, Alaska becomes the second straight Trinity Banatm to earn POTY honors after his teammate Jackson Brewer (F, '15) won last year and the second sophomore to win, joining Hamilton's Joe Houk (D), who won in 2011. After winning POTY honors, Houk left the 'Cac to follow his Continental coach Norm Bazin to D-I UMass-Lowell.

Cole actually had a better season statistically as a freshman (19-29-48), when he won a First Team All-NESCAC spot and Rookie of The Year honors. He becomes the first NESCAC player to ever win ROTY and POTY honors in the same career, which seems odd, right?

Joining Cole on the 1st Team forward line are teammate Mike Hawkrigg (F, '16), who made his second straight 1st Team and gained entrance into the 100 point club, and Amherst freshman, David White (F, '19), who also took home ROTY honors. As for the blueliners, the offensive minded Mike Flynn (D, '16) from Trinity made his second straight 1st Team, while Jeffs senior Jake Turrin (D, '15) earned his first All-Conference honors. In net, the Bantams Nate Heilbron (G, '16) made the cut in his first full season as a starter after taking over for 2013 First Team goalie Ben Coulthard (G, '14).

Overall, Trinity and Amherst - who finished first and second in the conference regular season - claimed four All-Conference spots apiece for 2/3 of the overall selections. All-around forward Mike Rowbotham (F,, '15) joins 2012 ROTY John McGinnis (F, '15) from Bowdoin and Hamilton's Robbie Murden (F, '17) on the 2nd Team forward line. In the back, smooth skating d-man from Amherst, Aaron Deutsch (D, '15) Blake Edwards (D, '15) of Tufts - who just shocked 1st seed Trinity this past weekend in the NESCAC Quarterfinals - hold down the d-line for the second team. In net, Tom Conlin (G, '16) becomes the first Conn College Camel to make an All-NESCAC team since 2010-11.

Of the four teams that will play in teh semis this weekend (Amherst, Tufts, Conn College, Williams) only the Ephs did not land anyone on the All-NESCAC teams. It's the first time since 2007 that one of Bill Kangas' players isn't on the year end conference awards list. Another notable omission is Middlebury, who failed to earn a selection for the first time in the sixteen years the conference has announced all-conference teams. After his Panthers finished seventh in the regular season and exited the playoffs in the  Quarterfinals for the second straight year, Middlebury coach Bill Beaney announced he would step down as men's hockey coach (though he will stay as golf coach). Beaney leaves the hockey world as the All-Time winningest coach in D-III history 602-26-59, with 28 of his 35 seasons spent in the Green Mountains.


NESCAC Official All-NESCAC release

Bill Beaney announces retirement from Middlebury MIH 

First Team All-NESCAC Position Name Institution Class Hometown F Ryan Cole Trinity So. Anchorage, Alaska F Michael Hawkrigg Trinity Jr. Toronto, Ontario F David White Amherst Fy. Fairfield, Conn. D Michael Flynn Trinity Jr. Cheshire, Conn. D Jake Turrin Amherst Sr. Brewster, N.Y. G Nathaniel Heilbron Trinity Jr. West Vancouver, British Columbia Second Team All-NESCAC Position Name Institution Class Hometown F John McGinnis Bowdoin Sr. Cocoa, Fla. F Robbie Murden Hamilton So. Georgetown, Ontario F Mike Rowbotham Amherst Sr. Stittsville, Ontario D Aaron Deutsch Amherst Sr. Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. D Blake Edwards Tufts Sr. Columbus, Ohio G Tom Conlin From NESCAC Official Release Conn. College Jr. Norwood, Mass.