Senior Chris Tasiopoulos, the 2013-14 NE-10 Goaltender of the Year, headlines three returning All-Conference performers for the Skyhawks from last season. |
Skyhawks are coming off first regular season NE-10 title in program history in 2013-14
2014-15 Northeast-10 Conference Ice Hockey Coaches Poll
EASTON, Mass. (October 31, 2014) – Stonehill College has been picked to finish third out of six teams in the 2014-15 Northeast-10 Conference ice hockey preseason coaches poll, the league office announced this morning.
Saint Anselm College was selected as the preseason favorite, with 21 total points including two first place votes, while Saint Michael's College was picked second with 19 points, also with two first place tallies. Stonehill and Southern New Hampshire University, the 2013-14 NE-10 Champion, finished in a tie for third with 18 points each, while both squads also garnered one first place vote. Franklin Pierce University and Assumption College rounded out the poll with eight and six points, respectively.
Stonehill's 2013-14 campaign was the most successful in the history of the program, as the Skyhawks tied a team mark with 16 wins and set a new record with their ten-game winning streak from January 15th to February 20th en route to the first regular season NE-10 Championship in program history. Stonehill also became the first team in NE-10 hockey history to finish the regular season with a perfect 11-0 record in league play.
Stonehill returns three players that earned All-Conference accolades a season ago, headlined by senior goaltender Chris Tasiopoulos (Norwell, Massachusetts/Thayer Academy). In 2013-14, Tasiopoulos became the second Stonehill student-athlete to win the NE-10's Goaltender of the Year award, after Mike Manna, 11', was honored as a freshman in 2007-08. The Norwell, Massachusetts native led the NE-10 in goals against average (2.26), save percentage (.931), and winning percentage (.684) last season, while posting a program-record five shutouts.
Junior forward Robbie Dorgan joined Tasiopoulos on the All-NE-10 first team after recording 25 points on nine goals and 16 assists. |
Joining Tasiopoulos on the first team was junior forward Robbie Dorgan (Ossining, New York/Ossining), who ranked second on the team and seventh in the NE-10 with 25 points on nine goals and 16 assists last winter. Dorgan opened his season with an 11-game point streak, and was named the NE-10 Player of the Week on December 2nd for the first time in his career.
Rounding out Stonehill's returning All-Conference honorees is junior defenseman Travis Army (Englewood, Colorado/Worcester Academy). Army earned a second team nod after recording the second-highest point total among NE-10 defenseman, with 19 on three goals and 16 assists.
Stonehill returns 13 of its top 14 point scorers overall, with the only loss being forward Bryan Rooney, who led the Skyhawks with 26 points and was named as a finalist for the Joe Concannon Award in addition to earning All-NE-10 first team honors. Junior Richard Harris (Grand Island, New York/Kent School) is Stonehill's top returning goal scorer, with 12 last season, while senior forward Kevin Aufiero (Canton, Massachusetts/Xaverian Brothers Academy) was among the team leaders with 23 points.
The Skyhawks will also be experienced on the defensive end, with Army, classmates Brian Furey (Quincy, Massachusetts/BC High), Connor Fallon (Weymouth, Massachusetts/Thayer Academy), and Scott Rolph (Bow, New Hampshire/Tilton School) all returning, in addition to senior Brendan Greene (Weymouth, Massachusetts/Catholic Memorial).
Stonehill finished 16-10 in 2013-14, including a perfect 11-0 mark in NE-10 action. The Skyhawks earned the top seed in the four-team NE-10 Championship, before falling to Saint Michael's College, 2-1, in the semifinal round.
Stonehill opens its 2014-15 campaign tonight on the road at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine. The Skyhawks will take on the Division III ECAC East members at 7 p.m. before heading to Gorham tomorrow afternoon to face the University of Southern Maine at 4 p.m. Stonehill opens its home slate at the Foxboro Sports Center next Thursday, November 6th against Salve Regina University at 7 p.m.
2014-15 Northeast-10 Conference Men's Ice Hockey Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Saint Anselm (2) (10-12-4, 4-1) – 21
2. Saint Michael's (2) (7-17-3, 2-3) – 19
3. – Tie – Stonehill (1) (16-10, 11-0) – 18
3. – Tie – So. New Hampshire (1) (17-8-1, 7-4) – 18
5. Franklin Pierce (4-17-3, 2-8-1) – 8
6. Assumption (4-19-2, 0-10-1) – 6