May 7, 2010
Senior goaltender Carter Hutton (Thunder Bay, Ont.) was named UMass Lowell's Most Valuable Player and Riley Wetmore (Swanton, VT) was selected as the team's Rookie of the Year at the annual awards banquet on Friday night.
Hutton ranked third in the NCAA in save percentage (.928) and fourth in goals against average (2.04), both figures were tops in Hockey East. Over the course of the season he set the program's record for single season save percentage, career goals against average (2.33), career shutouts (10) and tied the career save percentage mark (.913).
Widely recognized for his efforts, he was named a Hockey East Second-Team All-Star, a New England Hockey Writer's Division I All-Star and was crowned as the conference's Bauer Goaltending Champion.
Wetmore contributed from day one, scoring three points in his first four games, including an assist in his collegiate debut. The freshman forward led all River Hawk rookies in points (15) and assists (9). Wetmore played in all 39 UMass Lowell games, tied for the fifth most among Hockey East freshman.
Also recognized at the banquet were Scott Campbell (Navan, Ont.), Jeremy Dehner (Madison, WI), Kory Falite (Billerica, MA), Barry Goers (Ivyland, PA), Ben Holmstrom (Colorado Springs, CO), Paul Worthington (Penndel, PA), and Colin Wright (Burlington, Ont.).
Campbell and Falite were co-winners of the G. Harvey Chandler Award as they tied for the scoring title with 34 points each.
Campbell led the team with nine power play goals, tied for the fourth most in Hockey East. He is the first back-to-back scoring champion for the River Hawks since Ed McGrane in 2003, earning his second consecutive G. Harvey Chandler Award.
Falite led the team with 18 goals, tied for eighth in Hockey East. With an assist against Maine on Feb. 20, he became the 39th player in program history to reach 100 career points. This is his second G. Harvey Chandler Award as well.
Dehner claimed the Best Defensive Player honor for the fourth consecutive season. The Wisconsin native scored 21 points, ranked 14th among Hockey East defenseman, including a career-high six goals. The conference recognized his outstanding play as he was named a Hockey East Second-Team All-Star.
Goers was named the Unsung Hero for his contributions on and off the ice. A stalwart on the blue line for most of his career, the three-year alternate captain had five points and a plus-2 rating this season as he was limited to 28 games due to an injury. Goers was semi-finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS award, nominated for the Hockey Humanitarian Award and collected 412 phones for the Cell Phones for Soldiers program.
Holmstrom received the "Gus" Coutu Award, given annually to the player who best exemplifies the spirit of the UMass Lowell hockey program. The three-year captain led the team with four game-winning goals. Holmstrom's efforts did not go unnoticed as he was named Hockey East's Best Defensive Forward and presented with the Frank Jones Award, also given to the best defensive forward, by the New England Hockey Writers.
Wright was deemed the Most Improved Player after stepping into lineup early in the season and filling whichever role he was asked. The hard skating forward scored 10 points with seven goals and occasionally switched to defenseman when injuries struck. He came alive down the stretch, scoring six points in the final nine games.
The staff recognized Worthington with the Coaches' Perseverance Award. This speedy senior overcame a devastating concussion as a sophomore to play in all 77 games over the last two seasons. He scored 20 points and had a career-high 12 goals, including two on the power play and one short-handed. He scored the game-winner, and sent John Muse for a ride, in a 3-1 victory against eventual National Champion Boston College on Jan. 23. This is his second Coaches Perseverance Award.
The 2010 Marc Connelly Award went to John Defreitas for his work behind the scenes.
The River Hawks finished the 2009-10 season with a 19-16-4 overall record and a 12-11-4 mark in conference play. UMass Lowell tied for third in Hockey East, their highest finish since 1995-96.
