Men's Ice Hockey All-NESCAC Selections Announced
Williams' Masucci Named Player of the Year
HADLEY, Mass. – Williams senior defenseman Zander Masucci (Far Hills, N.J.) has been chosen by the conference coaches as the 2016 NESCAC Player of the Year. Masucci leads all league defensemen with 18 points and seven goals, including two game-winning goals against Trinity. He is also tied for fourth at his position with 11 assists. The senior captain anchored a defense that allowed a league low 1.50 goals against average during the regular season, and helped lead the Ephs to an impressive 14-2-2 conference record as they secured the No. 1 seed in the league tournament for the first time in program history. Masucci is only the second Williams player to achieve Player of the Year recognition, joining Alex Smigelski, who was presented the award in 2010. He is also the fourth defenseman to ever receive the award, and is the first since 2011.
- Ten of the 12 All-NESCAC honorees are first-time recipients. Williams, Trinity, and Hamilton each had three players land on the all-conference team, while Bowdoin, Middlebury, and Connecticut College were represented by one player.
- Hamilton forward Robbie Murden was elevated to the All-NESCAC First Team after being selected to the Second Team last season. The junior leads the league in points (33) and goals (17), and ranks second with 16 assists. He scored four power-play goals and tallied a pair of game-winners. Murden played a crucial role in helping the Continentals secure their first home playoff game since 2011 when they received the No. 4 seed.
- Junior forward Sean Orlando is a key member of the high-powered Trinity offense, which leads the league in scoring at 3.52 goals per game. Orlando paces the Bantams with 15 assists, which is tied for third among all NESCAC players, and is second on the squad with 24 points. Four of his nine goals this season have come on the power play while he has also contributed three game-winning goals.
- Senior forward Tim DiPretoro of Connecticut College ranks second in the conference in scoring with 14 goals, including three power-play goals, to account for nearly 30 percent of the Camels’ offensive output this season. The captain is also tied for fourth among NESCAC players with 24 points.
- Masucci is joined on the blue line by Bowdoin’s Mitch Barrington, who is the lone Polar Bear to earn All-NESCAC honors. The junior was tied for second on the team with 11 assists and fifth with 14 points. Two of his three goals this season were power-play goals.
- Hamilton sophomore goaltender Evan Buitenhuis joins Murden as the only pair of teammates to be named to the All-NESCAC First Team. Buitenhuis set new single-season program records with a 1.74 goals against average and a .943 save percentage to go along with three shutouts after logging nearly 1,400 minutes between the pipes.
- For the first time since 2003, the league coaches selected Co-Rookies of the Year, with Williams goalie Michael Pinios and Bowdoin forward Cody Todesco receiving the honors. Pinios, who was also named to the All-NESCAC Second team, leads the league in goals against average at 1.62 and ranks fifth in save percentage at .940. Todesco is the first Bowdoin rookie to lead the Polar Bears in scoring since 2000 after recording 12 goals, including three game-winning markers, and 12 assists for 24 points. His point and goal totals are both tied for fourth among all NESCAC players. Pinios is the first Eph to garner the accolade while Todesco is the fifth Bowdoin player to be recognized, and the first since John McGinnis was honored in 2012.
- Bill Kangas of Williams was selected by his peers as NESCAC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career, having previously received the award in 2006. Kangas guided the Ephs to the No. 1 overall seed in the NESCAC Championship after posting a 14-2-2 conference record and an 18-5-2 overall record going unbeaten in their final nine regular-season games. Williams also led the NESCAC in power-play efficiency at 20.8 percent and killed off 88.2 percent of opponents’ power-play chances.
Men's Ice Hockey All-Conference Teams
| First Team All-NESCAC |
| Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| F |
Tim DiPretoro |
Conn. College |
Sr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
| F |
Robbie Murden |
Hamilton |
Jr. |
Georgetown, Ontario |
| F |
Sean Orlando |
Trinity |
Jr. |
Ivyland, Pa. |
| D |
Mitch Barrington |
Bowdoin |
Jr. |
Cambridge, Ontario |
| D |
Zander Masucci |
Williams |
Sr. |
Far Hills, N.J. |
| G |
Evan Buitenhuis |
Hamilton |
So. |
Burlington, Ontario |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Second Team All-NESCAC |
| Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| F |
Ryan Cole |
Trinity |
Jr. |
Anchorage, Alaska |
| F |
Anthony Sabitsky
|
Trinity |
So. |
Sicklerville, N.J. |
| F |
Tyler Young |
Williams |
Jr. |
Sayville, N.Y. |
| D |
Ronald Fishman |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Roslyn, N.Y. |
| D |
Conor Lamberti |
Hamilton |
Jr. |
Kings Park, N.Y. |
| G |
Michael Pinios |
Williams |
Fy. |
Montreal, Quebec |
|
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