ROCHESTER, NY - The United Collegiate Hockey Conference is pleased to announce its men's year-end award winners, and All-Rookie and All-UCHC teams for the inaugural 2017-18 season. The honors are voted on by the league's nine head coaches in an extensive balloting process. Performance in the sixteen game UCHC regular season is the primary basis for evaluation.
Seniority ruled in this annual awards cycle as seniors grabbed every major award they were eligible for, and half of the twelve All-UCHC honoree spots also went to members of the senior class. The full list of All-UCHC and All-Rookie nominees also includes a wide range of representation, with seven of nine schools earning at least one award.
The first UCHC Men's Player of the Year award is bestowed upon Utica College senior forward Roman Ammirato. The conference's statistical champion in points per game had a banner season in his second and last campaign in the blue and orange, guiding Utica to the second best regular season in program history and their best since the team's run to the NCAA Division III Frozen Four in 2013.
Ammirato finished the UCHC schedule with fifteen goals and thirteen assists for 28 points, and continues on the overall slate with an impressive twenty one goals and twenty assists. He finished tied alongside Elmira's Nick Ford for the conference goal scoring title, and was a force to be reckoned with in all game situations. Ammirato set the league pace with five shorthanded goals in addition to a UCHC runner-up performance in power play goals with six. His twenty goals in overall regular season play are a single season school record, and he is the school's first forty point scorer since Jimmy Sokol in the 2003-04 season. On the national scene, Ammirato leads the nation in shorthanded goals, is tied for fourth in overall power play goals, and is also in the top ten in goals per game (7th) and points per game (9th). The Pioneers are third in the nation in total offense largely as a result of Ammirato's efforts.
The UCHC Goaltender of the Year is senior goaltender Jacob Caffrey of Stevenson University. The Mustangs' homegrown netminder from Bethesda, Maryland oversaw a five win improvement in conference play to take SU from playoff qualifier to semifinal host this season. He led the UCHC in most major goaltending categories while steadying Stevenson to a UCHC best 1.88 goals against per game in conference matchups and a second place regular season finish. Caffrey posted a conference best nine wins to go with other superlatives in save percentage (.941) and goals against average (1.80). He will wrap his collegiate career with eighteen victories.
The UCHC's Defensive Player of the Year award is awarded to Neumann University senior defenseman Jake Davidson. The blue liner from Duluth, Minnesota was an electrifying force offensively, and a mobile and disruptive presence in the defensive zone for first year head coach Kyle Mountain. In sixteen conference games as the co-captain of the Knights, Davidson was one of just three defensemen in the conference to put up a point per game or more and averaged 1.25 points per contest to rank second in the UCHC at that position. His 20 points also stood second on the Knights' roster in conference play behind fellow All-UCHC honoree and co-captain Liam Board. Nationally, Davidson's 0.96 overall points per game tied him for seventh among defensemen.
UCHC Rookie of the Year honors were landed by Utica College freshman forward Conor Landrigan. The native of New Tripoli, Pennsylvania has fit right into head coach Gary Heenan's lineup with nine goals and nine assists for eighteen points while appearing in fifteen of sixteen conference games. He was the only rookie in the conference to average more than a point per game in UCHC play, and is ninth nationally in points per game among freshmen.
The inaugural UCHC Coach of the Year honor is presented to Don Parsons of Lebanon Valley College. Parsons earns the award after he piloted the Dutchmen to a historic season in Hershey, Pa. In just their second year back in NCAA hockey, Parsons had Lebanon Valley in the thick of conference contention as the team's 10-4-2 record landed the third seed in the UCHC playoffs, and the team's first NCAA level conference playoff appearance since 2004. That was made possible by a nine win improvement in conference play, as LVC snared just one conference win last season in their first return voyage in Division III. Parsons also oversaw the league's top ranked power play unit in UCHC play as the Dutchmen converted at 26.8 percent.
UCHC Annual Awards
UCHC Player of the Year: Roman Ammirato, Utica, Senior Forward
UCHC Goaltender of the Year: Jacob Caffrey, Stevenson, Senior Goaltender
UCHC Defensive Player of the Year: Jake Davidson, Neumann, Senior Defenseman
UCHC Rookie of the Year: Conor Landrigan, Utica, Freshman Forward
UCHC Coach of the Year: Don Parsons, Lebanon Valley
FIRST TEAM MEN'S ALL-UCHC
| Position |
Name |
Institution, Class |
| FWD |
Roman Ammirato |
Utica, Senior |
| FWD |
Matt Lippa |
Manhattanville, Junior |
| FWD |
Nick Ford |
Elmira, Sophomore |
| DEF |
Jake Davidson |
Neumann, Senior |
| DEF |
Dalton Carter |
Utica, Senior |
| GOAL |
Jacob Caffrey |
Stevenson, Senior |
SECOND TEAM MEN'S ALL-UCHC
| Position |
Name |
Institution, Class |
| FWD |
Brett Johnson |
Lebanon Valley, Junior |
| FWD |
Matthew Cuce |
Elmira, Sophomore |
| FWD |
Liam Board |
Neumann, Senior |
| DEF |
Doug Rose |
Stevenson, Senior |
| DEF |
Ryan Jackson |
Manhattanville, Sophomore |
| GOAL |
Patrik Virtanen |
Utica, Sophomore |
UCHC MEN'S ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
| Position |
Name |
Institution, Class |
| FWD |
Conor Landrigan |
Utica, Freshman |
| FWD |
Ray Falso |
Nazareth, Freshman |
| FWD |
Taylor Bommarito |
Manhattanville, Freshman |
| DEF |
Ryan Blais |
Elmira, Freshman |
| DEF |
Aaron Murray |
Stevenson, Freshman |
| GOAL |
Gennaro Anzevino |
Elmira, Freshman |