Men's Ice Hockey All-NESCAC Selections Announced
HADLEY, Mass. – Hamilton junior goaltender Evan Buitenhuis (Burlington, Ontario) has been chosen by the conference coaches as the 2017 NESCAC Player of the Year. Buitenhuis, who is a repeat First Team selection, leads all conference goaltenders with a 1.52 goals against average and a .948 save percentage. He owns a 15-3-4 record and anchors a Continental defense that has allowed just 1.60 goals per game. Buitenhuis is the third Continental to earn Player of the Year honors, joining Gus Katsuras (2005 & 2006) and Joe Houk (2011). He is also the second netminder to ever receive the award, and is the first since 2012 (Amherst’s Jonathan LaRose).
- Eight of 12 All-NESCAC honorees are first-time recipients. Hamilton and Williams each had three players land on the all-conference team, while Trinity had two players earn All-NESCAC accolades. Amherst, Colby, Tufts and Wesleyan were represented by one player.
- Williams forward David Italiano earned his first All-NESCAC accolade with a spot on the First Team. The junior is tied for the league lead in points (31) and assists (19), and has scored 12 goals. He is also tied for the league lead in power-play goals with six tallies and netted three game-winners.
- Junior forward Anthony Sabitsky is a key member of the high-powered Trinity offense, which leads the league in scoring at 4.24 goals per game. Sabitsky paces the Bantams with 16 goals, which leads all NESCAC players, and is third on the squad with 28 points. He has contributed five power-play goals and four game-winning tallies.
- Junior Brandon Willett of Hamilton ranks second on the team in scoring with 21 points, including 15 in 17 conference games. He has scored a team-high 12 goals and added nine assists. Willett has helped the Continentals post an impressive 17-3-4 overall record and a 11-3-4 mark in the league to grab the top seed in the NESCAC Championship for the first time since 2011.
- Defenseman Jack Burton has been a key player for Colby as the Mules earned the No. 2 seed in the NESCAC Championship, the team’s highest seed since 2008. The senior leads all NESCAC defensemen and ranks second on the team in scoring with 22 points. He has netted six goals, five of which have been power-play tallies, and handed out 16 assists, the second-most among NESCAC defensemen.
- Senior Frankie Mork of Williams ranks fourth of the Ephs in scoring with 18 points, which is fourth among the defensemen in the conference. Mork has dished out 15 assists, ranking third on the Ephs, and added three goals. A Second Team selection as a rookie, he has been a key member of the defensive unit for Williams and helped the Ephs earn the fourth seed in the NESCAC Championship.
- First-year Walker Harris has been selected as the NESCAC Rookie of the Year. Harris is the first Wesleyan player since 2006 to earn the honor and third overall, joining Will Bennett (2004) and Dallas Bossort (2006). Harris is tied for second among the league leaders in power-play points (12) and ranks second on the Cardinals in scoring with 21 points on nine goals and 12 assists. Harris scored all nine goals during conference play, and tallied 19 points in 18 NESCAC contests. Harris helped the Cardinals return to the NESCAC Championship after a two-year hiatus.
- Rob Haberbusch of Hamilton was selected by his peers as NESCAC Coach of the Year for the first time in his six years at the helm of the Continentals. Haberbusch guided Hamilton to the No. 1 overall seed in the NESCAC Championship after posting a 17-3-4 overall record and an 11-3-4 conference mark. The Continentals opened the year with a 13-game unbeaten streak (11-0-2) and are allowing a league-low 1.58 goals per game. Haberbusch is the second Hamilton coach to earn Coach of the Year honors, joining Norm Bazin (2010 & 2011).
Men's Ice Hockey All-Conference Teams
| First Team All-NESCAC |
| Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| F |
David Italiano
|
Williams |
Jr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
| F |
Anthony Sabitsky
|
Trinity |
Jr. |
Sicklerville, N.J.
|
| F |
Brandon Willett
|
Hamilton
|
Jr. |
Toronto, Ontario
|
| D |
Jack Burton
|
Colby
|
Sr. |
Baltimore, Md.
|
| D |
Frankie Mork
|
Williams |
Sr. |
Victoria, Minn.
|
| G |
Evan Buitenhuis |
Hamilton |
Jr.
|
Burlington, Ontario |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Second Team All-NESCAC |
| Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| F |
Roberto Cellini
|
Williams
|
So. |
Montreal, Quebec
|
| F |
Thomas Lindstrom
|
Amherst |
Jr. |
Brooklyn Park, Minn.
|
| F |
Sean Orlando
|
Trinity
|
Sr. |
Ivyland, Pa.
|
| D |
Jon Carkeek
|
Hamilton
|
Sr. |
Phoenix, Ariz.
|
| D |
Chad Malinowski
|
Wesleyan |
So. |
Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.
|
| G |
Nik Nugnes |
Tufts
|
Jr. |
West Barnstable, Mass.
|
|
|
