Boston College pulled off the same awards hat trick that the University of New Hampshire netted last year, sweeping the three major individual awards acknowledging the season’s top player, rookie and coach.
BC’s freshman sensation Kelli Stack had a torrid second half the season, ringing up 34 points to outdistance teammate and classmate Allie Thunstrom (31 points), and claimed the honor of TPS Hockey Player of the Year. That accomplishment almost guaranteed Stack the league’s “daily double,” as she also won the Mission Rookie of the Year Award.
Thunstrum, who also finished second in the Rookie of the Year balloting, joins Stack on the Mission All-Rookie Team as unanimous selections. BC Head Coach Tom Mutch earned CCM Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Eagles to a sparkling 23-8-2 overall mark (15-6-0 record in league play including key wins over nationally ranked opponents New Hampshire and Harvard. The Eagles’ success included a Beanpot championship, and second seed in the WHEA Championships.
The ITECH Three Stars Award winner, identifying the best collection of single-game performances this season, goes UNH dynamo Sam Faber, last year’s Rookie of the Year and WHEA tournament MVP.
The sophomore finished the season with points in league play (despite missing four WHEA games), and led the league in assists with 21.
Boston College junior Deb Spillane will be presented with the Sportsmanship Award, breaking a Providence College stranglehold on the award after Karen Thatcher won it for the past three years. UNH netminder Melissa Bourdon will finish her remarkable career guarding the Wildcats’ cage by winning her fourth consecutive Goaltending Champion award. She finished with 1.23 goals-against-average and .919 save percentage in league play, and also owns the NCAA mark for wins with 84.
TPS Hockey Player of the Year
Kelli Stack, Boston College (Fr. F; Brooklyn Heights, OH)
Runner-up: Allie Thunstrom, BC
Mission Rookie of the Year
Kelli Stack, Boston College (Fr. F; Brooklyn Heights, OH)
Runner-up: Allie Thunstrom, BC
CCM Coach of the Year
Tom Mutch, Boston College
Runner-up: Brian McCloskey, New Hampshire
ITECH “Three Stars” Award
Sam Faber, New Hampshire (So. F; Mount Sinai, NY)
Runners-up:
Allie Thunstrom, Boston College
Brittany Wilson, Connecticut
Sportsmanship Award
Deb Spillane, Boston College (Jr. F; Franklin, MA)
Runner-up: Natalie Vibert, Connecticut
Hockey East First Team
G: Brittany Wilson, So., UConn
D: Kristin Gigliotti, Sr., Providence
D; Martine Garland, Jr., UNH
D: Natalie Vibert, Sr., UConn
F: Kelli Stack, Fr., BC
F: Allie Thunstrom, Fr., BC
F: Sam Faber, So., UNH
Hockey East Second Team
G: Molly Schaus, Fr., BC
D: Kacey Bellamy, So., UNH
D: Maggie Taverna, So., BC
F: Jennifer Hitchcock, Jr., UNH
F: Becky Zavisza, So., BC
F: Jaclyn Hawkins, Jr., UConn
Honorable Mention
G: Jana Bugden, PC
D: Erin Normore, PC
D: Kelly Law, Maine
F: Meghan Fardelmann, BC
F: Chelsea Jones, Northeastern
F: Sonny Watrous, PC
All-Rookie Team
G: Molly Schaus, BC
F: Kelli Stack, BC
F: Allie Thunstrom, BC
F: Chelsea Jones, Northeastern
F: Kelly Paton, UNH
F: Dominique Thibault, UConn
