It only took him 10 seasons, 228 wins, three Hockey East regular-season championships and three Hockey East tournament championships. At last, Boston College head coach Jerry York has received the Bob Kullen Award as Hockey East Coach of the Year. A unanimous selection by his peers, York steered the Eagles to a 17-4-3 record in Hockey East play, good for first place. BC has been ranked as one of the top five teams in the nation all season long, and enjoyed a midseason run of 23-1-3 overall.
York was the Spencer Penrose Award winner as national coach of the year in 1977 while with Clarkson. He was also previously CCHA Coach of the Year in 1982 with Bowling Green.
Meanwhile, 5-foot-7 New Hampshire senior Steve Saviano was named the Hockey East Player of the Year, after racking up 26 goals and 21 assists through 39 games this season. Saviano has also been honored with the Len Ceglarski Sportsmanship Award, which recognizes his gentlemanly play as much as his scoring talent.
Saviano is the fifth UNH player in the last six years to take home Player of the Year honors (Jason Krog- 1999, Ty Conklin-2000, Darren Haydar-2002 and Mike Ayers-2003). Saviano ranks tied for sixth in point scoring among Division I players and his 1.21 points per game is 10th best in the nation. Saviano posted a career-high four goals twice this season, Oct. 24 vs. Canisius and Jan. 23 vs. Merrimack.
The Hockey East Rookie of the Year is Maine’s Michel Léveillé, who has totalled 32 assists through 37 games in his first season. That is the highest total for any Hockey East player this year.
Boston College also named two first teamers and four second teamers to the annual Hockey East All-Star squads. BC teammates and Hockey East’s leading scorers Ryan Shannon and Tony Voce made up two-thirds of the first team’s forward line, while Saviano completed the trio as the only unanimous selection. On defense, it was the offensively-gifted Thomas Pöck of Massachusetts and Stephen Wood of Providence garnering first-team recognition, while Jim Howard’s record-setting season at Maine made him the first team’s goalie.
The second team featured three of Howard’s teammates — forwards Todd Jackson and Colin Shields, and defenseman Prestin Ryan. Together, the Black Bears recorded 10 shutouts, twice their previous high, and limited Hockey East opponents to just 1.75 goals per game, the best defense ever. Rounding out the second team were three BC players — forward Patrick Eaves, defenseman Andrew Alberts and goaltender Matti Kaltiainen.
Indvidual Awards
Player of the Year: Steve Saviano, New Hampshire (Sr. F; Reading, Mass.); Runner-up: Tony Voce, Boston College
Bob Kullen Coach of the Year: Jerry York, Boston College; Runner-up: Tim Whitehead, Maine
Goaltending Champion: Jim Howard, Maine (So.; Ogdensburg, N.Y.); Runner-up: Matti Kaltiainen, BC
ITECH “Three Stars” Award: Keni Gibson, Northeastern (Jr. G; Stittsville, Ont.); Runner-up: Jim Howard, Maine
Rookie of the Year: Michel Léveillé, Maine (So. F; Levis, Que.); Runner-up: Jim Healey, Merrimack
Len Ceglarski Sportsmanship Award: Steve Saviano, New Hampshire (Sr. F; Reading, Mass.); Runner-up: Ben Eaves, Boston College
Charlie Holt Team Sportsmanship Award: Northeastern; Runner-up: University of New Hampshire
Best Defensive Forward: Todd Jackson, Maine (Sr.; Cortland, N.Y.); Runner-up: Ryan Shannon, Boston College
Best Defensive Defenseman: Andrew Alberts, Boston College (Jr.; Eden Prairie, Minn.); Prestin Ryan, Maine
2003-04 Hockey East All-Stars
First Team
G Jim Howard, Maine (So.; Ogdensburg, N.Y.)
D Thomas Pöck, Massachusetts (Sr.; Klagenfurt, Austria)
D Stephen Wood, Jr, Providence (Sr.; Sudbury, Mass.)
F Steve Saviano, New Hampshire (Sr.; Reading, MA)
F Ryan Shannon, Boston College (Jr.; Darien, Conn.)
F Tony Voce, Boston College (Sr.; Philadelphia, Pa.)
Second Team
G Matti Kaltiainen, Boston College (Jr.; Espoo, Finland)
D Andrew Alberts, Boston College (Jr; Eden Prairie, Minn.)
D Prestin Ryan, Maine (Sr.; Arcola, Sask.)
F Patrick Eaves, Boston College (So.; Faribault, Minn.)
F Todd Jackson, Maine (Sr.; Cortland, N.Y.)
F Colin Shields, Maine (Sr.; Glasgow, Scotland)
Honorable Mention
G Frank Doyle (Maine)
D J.D. Forrest (Boston College), Ryan Whitney (Boston University), Brian Yandle (New Hampshire)
F Chris Chaput (Providence), Elias Godoy (Mass.-Lowell), Jason Guerriero (Northeastern), Marco Rosa (Merrimack)
All-Rookie Team
Jim Healey, Merrimack, Goaltender (Holyrood, Newf.)
Cleve Kinley, Mass.-Lowell, Defenseman (Powell River, B.C.)
Kevin Schaeffer, Boston University, Defenseman (South Huntington, N.Y.)
Brett Hemingway, New Hampshire, Forward (Surrey, B.C.)
Michel Léveillé, Maine, Forward (Levis, Que.)
Colin McDonald, Providence, Forward (Wethersfield, Conn.)
Jason Tejchma, Mass.-Lowell, Forward (Muskegon, Mich.)
