Teams: Men's Ice Hockey: Press Releases

Friday, February 5, 2010

BARCHARD, DEROSA AMONG 16 NOMINEES FOR GRIDIRON CLUB'S CONCANNON AWARD

Tom Derosa

Scott Barchard

MEDFORD -- Sophomore goalie Scott Barchard (Reading, MA) and junior forward Tom Derosa (Charlestown, MA) of the Tufts University Hockey team are among 16 NCAA Division II/III players who have been selected as semi-finalists for the eighth Joe Concannon Award, presented annually by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston to the best American-born college hockey player in New England playing at the D-II/III level.

Tufts is the only team in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) with two nominees. Barchard currently leads the nation with a .943 save percentage. Derosa, a repeat nominee, leads the Jumbos and is tied for seventh in the conference with 19 points on seven goals and 12 assists. They have been the pivotal players on offense and defense for a rejuvenated Tufts team.

The other NESCAC nominees include senior Alex Smigelski (Mt. Lakes, NJ), who leads Williams in scoring and has helped the Ephs to stay near the top of the conference standings. Junior Billy Crinnion (Smithtown, NY) leads the White Mules of Colby in their quest to return to the playoffs among the best in NESCAC. Junior Bryan Curran (Wilmette, IL) is the sole defenseman among his conference's nominees but plays big for Middlebury in the offensive zone with fourteen points in his first sixteen games.

"With the new league alignments this season, we have seen great individual talent shine through in each of the conferences in New England. Each and every season it becomes increasingly more challenging to single out worthy nominees for the Concannon Award," said Gridiron Club Hockey Awards Committee chairman Tim Costello. "There are many players that have been considered by the committee but do not appear as semi-finalists. Our committee believes this is a strong group of nominees and it will take the remaining games of the regular season and conference tournaments to identify the most worthy player for the 10th anniversary winner of this prestigious award."

The Gridiron Club plans to announce the finalists and winner of the Joe Concannon Award in March, prior to the start of NCAA Frozen Four Tournament play and present the award during the New England Hockey Writers dinner in mid-April.

The Gridiron Club established the Joe Concannon Award in 2001 to honor a lifelong devotee of college hockey and, as a journalist, a staunch advocate for the amateur athletes he knew and covered. A 1961 Boston University graduate, Mr. Concannon served as sports information director at Holy Cross before joining the Boston Globe in the late 1960's to cover college sports. He passed away in 2000.

Some materials taken from US College Hockey Online and Gridiron Club of Greater Boston releases

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