ECAC Hockey has announced that Quinnipiac senior Zach Metsa is the winner of the 2022 best defensive defenseman award and Clarkson graduate student Zach Tsekos has won the best defensive forward award.
Metsa is just the second Bobcat in program history to earn this award, and the first since 2013, while Tsekos has won his award for the second straight season.
Metsa led a defensive unit that put together one of the best seasons in the history of NCAA hockey, smashing the single-season shutout record with 16 blank sheets as a team. Metsa and the Bobcats led both the league and the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 0.93 goals per-game in 2021-22. He blocked 24 shots, and led the team with 34 points, 16 of which came in league play.
Metsa was also named a first-team all-league honoree for 2021-22.
Tsekos is also the fifth consecutive Golden Knight skater to earn this award, following Josh Dunne, and Nico Sturm, who was also a two-time recipient. He’s the seventh Clarkson player to be honored since the award’s inception in 1993.
Tsekos continues to prove himself as one of the best 200-foot players in the NCAA, recording 27 points in 2021-22 while ranking second on the team with 41 blocks. He played in every situation, scoring three goals on the power play and one short-handed tally. His strong defensive presence helped Clarkson finish second in the league with 2.09 goals allowed per-game to ECAC Hockey opponents.
He is also a finalist for the 2021-22 player of the year award, which will be announced later this week.
