Photos

LOWELL, Mass. – With the 2024-25 season coming to a close, the UMass Lowell ice hockey team came together one final time to celebrate the season and hand out the set of annual team awards.   

Senior captain Owen Cole (Dunnville, Ontario) was named the team's Most Valuable Player following an extremely productive season with the River Hawks. He collected a team-leading and career-high 20 points on eight goals and a career-high 12 assists, playing in all 36 games for the squad. He also led all forwards on the team in blocked shots with 27 and was named the 2024-25 Hockey East Academic Champion for his impact both on and off the ice. With his team lead in points, Cole also earned the G. Harvey Chandler Award, which is given annually to the team's top scorer. 

Graduate student Ben Meehan (Walpole, Mass.) received the Gus Coutu Award, which is given to the player who best exemplifies the spirit of the River Hawk hockey program. The defenseman dedicated five years to the program and served as a two-time captain. This season, he played in all 36 games, scoring three goals with a career-high 14 assists for 17 total points to tie his career high. He also finished second on the team in blocked shots with 51 and scored the game-winning goal against Minnesota Duluth at home on October 12. 

Freshman Mirko Buttazzoni (Langely, B.C) made an immediate impact this past season, and was recognized as the Rookie of the Year after finishing tied for the team lead with 14 assists to go along with five goals for the team's second-most points (19). Those 14 assists tied him for sixth among Hockey East freshman, while his 19 points ranked him ninth among freshman in the conference. 

Graduate student captain Pierson Brandon (Irvington, N.Y.), who proved to be a force on both ends for the River Hawks, earned Defensive Player of the Year honors. He led the team in blocked shots with 52, while leading all UMass Lowell defensemen with six goals and two game-winners in his 34 games played.  

Two freshmen shared Most Improved Player honors following the season, as both Lee Parks (Ottawa, Ontario) and Daniel Buchbinder (Calrence Center, N.Y.) were acknowledged for their productive second halves of the year. Parks finished with eight goals and six assists for 14 total points, with seven of those eight goals coming after the halfway point of the season. Buchbinder also enhanced his game from the back end as the season went on, playing in 11 games in the second half, compared to his four first-half appearances. He concluded the year with one assist and five blocked shots, and proved himself as a productive and reliable defenseman by the end of the year. 

Former Head Coach Billy Riley was in the building to present the Billy Riley "Unsung Hero" Award, which is named for the former longtime coach whose teams won 363 total games and three Division II National Championships. This year, the award went to graduate student Jack Robilotti (New York, N.Y.), whose hard-nosed play style impacted the team in a positive way, as he finished with two goals, one being a game-winner at home against Merrimack on February 1, and four assists for six points. He also ranked fourth on the team in blocked shots (28) and played in all 36 games for the River Hawks. 

Sophomore Jak Vaarwerk (Clarence, N.Y.) was given the Coaches' Perseverance Award for his unrelenting determination and drive displayed throughout the season, as he fought through adversity and finished the year playing in all 36 games with five goals and 11 assists for 16 points to rank tied for sixth on the team. 

Rounding out the awards, Director of Hockey Operations and Video Analysis Kolby "Red" Green earned the Marc Connelly Award, which is given to a non-player who makes a positive significant impact on the program. He has now won the award two times in the last three years, first earning the honors after the 2022-23 season.  

Related Videos

Now Playing:

• Play Video