LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell hockey team recently handed out its annual awards, as voted on by the program's student-athletes.
Junior
Lucas Condotta (Georgetown, Ontario) was tabbed the team's 2020-21 Most Valuable Player by his peers. He appeared in all 20 games, totaling 10 points (6g,4a). Condotta was also honored with the Gus Coutu Award, which is given to the player who best exemplifies the spirit of the River Hawk hockey program.
"Lucas is a program-first individual that cares deeply for others," explained Head Coach
Norm Bazin. "He made great strides in his game this season and is an excellent two-way player that is extremely difficult to play against. He is a tremendous leader for our team and an outstanding representative of UMass Lowell hockey."
Sophomore
Andre Lee (Karlstad, Sweden) earned the G. Harvey Chandler Award, which is presented annually to the team's top scorer. Lee finished the shortened season with seven goals and nine assists for 16 total points.
"We are excited by Andre's progression," said Bazin. "Andre had a productive season and continues to improve his all-around game. He works hard, is an excellent teammate and cares about the success of the program."
Freshman goaltender
Henry Welsch (Lakeville, Minn.) took home Rookie of the Year honors. He finished his first season with the River Hawks with a 6-5 record, including wins in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Hockey East Tournament. Welsch boasted an .899 save percentage and a 2.54 goals against average.
"Henry had a strong freshman campaign," added Bazin. "He is a driven student-athlete that is self-motivated. He played well in the playoffs and has a bright future."
For the second year in a row, junior blueliner
Jon McDonald (Livonia, Mich.) was named Defensive Player of the Year. He finished third on the team with eight assists in 17 games.
"Jon battled injury, yet continued to make opponents compete for every inch of ice," commented Bazin. "He is a fierce competitor that continues to improve his game. Jon is an excellent, two-way defenseman, and we look forward to having him lead our defensive core next season."
The Most Improved Player title went to sophomore
Blake Wells (Blackie, Alberta.). Wells logged one goal and three assists this year, including a helper in the double-overtime, semifinal thriller against No. 1 Boston College.
"Blake made significant strides this season," stated the veteran coach. "He played through injury and used his skating to become more of a factor in games. We are pleased with his development and excited about his continued growth."
Sophomore
Zach Kaiser (Orangeville, Ontario) received the Billy Riley "Unsung Hero" Award for his hard work on and off the ice. The award is named for the former, longtime coach who took the program to three Division II National Championships, and raised the program to Division I and a NCAA Tournament berth.
"Zach became an integral part of our lineup this season," said Bazin. "He is a well-rounded player and excels in many areas that don't always show up on the score sheet, but his work and improvement have been noticed by his teammates. He is a high-effort individual, who established himself as one of the most feared penalty killers in all of Hockey East and we look forward to his continued improvement."
Senior
Charlie Levesque (Russell, Ontario) garnered the Coaches Perseverance Award for his determination and courage exhibited throughout his final season.
"Charlie is a throwback student-athlete that does not shy away from an academic or athletic challenge," concluded Bazin. "One of our hardest workers, Charlie helped lead our team through a unique season and played his best hockey in the second half of this shortened campaign. He took advantage of everything that Lowell has to offer and we are better as a result of his tremendous effort."
Rounding out the annual awards, second-year equipment manager
Brian Mundy was given the Marc Connelly Award, which is presented annually to a non-player who makes a positive significant impact on the program.
