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University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Hockey Announces Team Awards
April 24, 2019 | Hockey
The squad celebrated its record-breaking 2018-19 season with its team banquet last night.
AMHERST, Mass. – National Runner-Up University of Massachusetts hockey celebrated its historic 2018-19 season with a team banquet last night where the recipients of the squad's team awards were revealed. Hobey Baker winner Cale Makar was voted the Most Valuable Player, Jake McLaughlin and Bobby Trivigno were co-recipients of the Jack Canniff Unsung Hero Award, Mario Ferraro earned the Coaches Award, Marc Del Gaizo was tabbed the Rookie of the Year, Kurt Keats earned Most Improved Player honors, Mitchell Chaffee received the Minuteman Award and Oliver Chau garnered the team's Academic Award.
Makar was chosen by his peers as the Most Valuable Player for his contributions to the program during the 2018-19 season. The Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner and first-team All-American was chosen as the Hockey East Player of the Year by unanimous selection. Makar, a native of Calgary, Alberta, also received the Leonard Fowle Award as New England Player of the Year and the Bob Monahan Award (New England's Best Defenseman) in addition to being named a Hockey East First-Team All-Star and a New England All-Star this season.
The first defenseman in history to lead Hockey East in overall scoring with 49 points in 40 games, Makar finished the year eighth the nation in points per-game (1.20), sixth in assists per-game (0.80), third in defenseman scoring and second in plus-minus (+32). He was voted the Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Ice Hockey Northeast Regional after leading UMass to a Northeast Regional Championship with a goal and an assist and a +3 rating in 4-0 shutouts of Harvard and Notre Dame. In the national semifinal, Makar logged his 33rd assist of the season and helped the Minutemen earn a spot in the NCAA Championship game for the first time in program history. He broke UMass' single-season records for points by a defenseman and assists by a defenseman in 2018-19 and is second in program history for single-season assists, as well, second in plus-minus and fifth for single-season points.
Makar totaled 30 points in 24 Hockey East games on eight goals and 21 assists, ranking second in points per-game (1.25) and first in plus-minus (+21). He was recognized as Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week three times this season, Player of the Week three times and was the Hockey East Player of the Month in October.
Jack Canniff Unsung Hero award is presented to the UMass player recognized by his teammates to have contributed the most to the team without receiving the recognition that others have. McLaughlin appeared in 35 of 41 games and logged two goals and six assists for eight points. Both of the defenseman's tallies were game winners, including a snipe against Boston College with 2.3 seconds to go in regulation that lifted the Minutemen to a 4-3 win over the Eagles. Trivigno registered 28 points on 13 goals and 15 assists over 39 contests and was +9. The Setauket, New York native was tabbed the Hockey East Rookie of the week on Dec. 3 and finished 16th in the nation in freshman scoring.
The Minuteman Award is given to the individual recognized by the team having exemplified the standards upon which the UMass program is built—dedication, determination, character and sportsmanship. Chaffee was named a CCM/AHA Hockey First Team All-American, finished as the Hockey East Scoring Champion, was the Herb Gallagher Award recipient (New England's best forward), a New England All-Star and Hockey East First-Team All-Star in 2018-19. He totaled 31 points over 23 league contests for an average of 1.35 points per-game. Overall, he logged 42 points over 41 contests on a team-high 18 goals with 24 assists and a plus/minus rating of +21. Chaffee finished fourth overall in Hockey East in points, third in goals, tied for eighth in assists, tied for fifth in power-play points (14), tied for third in power-play goals (7) and tied for sixth in plus/minus. He has amassed 12 multi-point games, as well.
For having exemplified dedication in the classroom as well as on and off the ice, Ferraro received the Coaches Award. The Third Team Hockey East All-Star defenseman was one of six players to appear in all 41 games on the season, logging two goals and 12 assists for 14 points with a +6 rating. Nine of his points came in Hockey East play, including both goals. He was second on the team in blocked shots with 40.
Del Gaizo, a Hockey East Third Team All-Star, Hockey East All-Rookie Team and All-CNH Rookie Team selection, was recognized by the team as having contributed the most in his first season as the squad's Rookie of the Year. He became the first rookie defenseman in Hockey East history to score 10 goals in league play, which tied him for fifth overall on the Hockey East list for goals by a defenseman in a single season. He totaled 17 points in 24 league games (10g, 7a) and was +18, including four power-play goals and one game-winner.
Overall, in 41 games Del Gaizo amassed 29 points, a UMass record for a freshmen defenseman, on 13 goals and 16 assists. The Basking Ridge, New Jersey native finished second in Hockey East at +31, ranked fourth in Hockey East in defenseman scoring, was third in freshman scoring and tied for ninth in power-play goals (6) and power-play points (14). He was selected as the Hockey East Rookie of the Week on Jan. 7 and was the hero of the national semifinal against Denver, sending UMass into the national championship game with the OT winner.
Keats was voted by his peers has having improved the most over the course of the season as the team's Most Improved Player. The senior forward saw action in 34 games and registered seven points on one goal and seven assists with a career-best +7 rating.
Chau was recognized for his excellence in the classroom with the team's Academic Award. The sophomore forward logged 14 points in 35 games on nine goals and five assists and was +5 while maintaining a 3.876 grade-point average as a finance major.
Makar was chosen by his peers as the Most Valuable Player for his contributions to the program during the 2018-19 season. The Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner and first-team All-American was chosen as the Hockey East Player of the Year by unanimous selection. Makar, a native of Calgary, Alberta, also received the Leonard Fowle Award as New England Player of the Year and the Bob Monahan Award (New England's Best Defenseman) in addition to being named a Hockey East First-Team All-Star and a New England All-Star this season.
The first defenseman in history to lead Hockey East in overall scoring with 49 points in 40 games, Makar finished the year eighth the nation in points per-game (1.20), sixth in assists per-game (0.80), third in defenseman scoring and second in plus-minus (+32). He was voted the Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Ice Hockey Northeast Regional after leading UMass to a Northeast Regional Championship with a goal and an assist and a +3 rating in 4-0 shutouts of Harvard and Notre Dame. In the national semifinal, Makar logged his 33rd assist of the season and helped the Minutemen earn a spot in the NCAA Championship game for the first time in program history. He broke UMass' single-season records for points by a defenseman and assists by a defenseman in 2018-19 and is second in program history for single-season assists, as well, second in plus-minus and fifth for single-season points.
Makar totaled 30 points in 24 Hockey East games on eight goals and 21 assists, ranking second in points per-game (1.25) and first in plus-minus (+21). He was recognized as Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week three times this season, Player of the Week three times and was the Hockey East Player of the Month in October.
Jack Canniff Unsung Hero award is presented to the UMass player recognized by his teammates to have contributed the most to the team without receiving the recognition that others have. McLaughlin appeared in 35 of 41 games and logged two goals and six assists for eight points. Both of the defenseman's tallies were game winners, including a snipe against Boston College with 2.3 seconds to go in regulation that lifted the Minutemen to a 4-3 win over the Eagles. Trivigno registered 28 points on 13 goals and 15 assists over 39 contests and was +9. The Setauket, New York native was tabbed the Hockey East Rookie of the week on Dec. 3 and finished 16th in the nation in freshman scoring.
The Minuteman Award is given to the individual recognized by the team having exemplified the standards upon which the UMass program is built—dedication, determination, character and sportsmanship. Chaffee was named a CCM/AHA Hockey First Team All-American, finished as the Hockey East Scoring Champion, was the Herb Gallagher Award recipient (New England's best forward), a New England All-Star and Hockey East First-Team All-Star in 2018-19. He totaled 31 points over 23 league contests for an average of 1.35 points per-game. Overall, he logged 42 points over 41 contests on a team-high 18 goals with 24 assists and a plus/minus rating of +21. Chaffee finished fourth overall in Hockey East in points, third in goals, tied for eighth in assists, tied for fifth in power-play points (14), tied for third in power-play goals (7) and tied for sixth in plus/minus. He has amassed 12 multi-point games, as well.
For having exemplified dedication in the classroom as well as on and off the ice, Ferraro received the Coaches Award. The Third Team Hockey East All-Star defenseman was one of six players to appear in all 41 games on the season, logging two goals and 12 assists for 14 points with a +6 rating. Nine of his points came in Hockey East play, including both goals. He was second on the team in blocked shots with 40.
Del Gaizo, a Hockey East Third Team All-Star, Hockey East All-Rookie Team and All-CNH Rookie Team selection, was recognized by the team as having contributed the most in his first season as the squad's Rookie of the Year. He became the first rookie defenseman in Hockey East history to score 10 goals in league play, which tied him for fifth overall on the Hockey East list for goals by a defenseman in a single season. He totaled 17 points in 24 league games (10g, 7a) and was +18, including four power-play goals and one game-winner.
Overall, in 41 games Del Gaizo amassed 29 points, a UMass record for a freshmen defenseman, on 13 goals and 16 assists. The Basking Ridge, New Jersey native finished second in Hockey East at +31, ranked fourth in Hockey East in defenseman scoring, was third in freshman scoring and tied for ninth in power-play goals (6) and power-play points (14). He was selected as the Hockey East Rookie of the Week on Jan. 7 and was the hero of the national semifinal against Denver, sending UMass into the national championship game with the OT winner.
Keats was voted by his peers has having improved the most over the course of the season as the team's Most Improved Player. The senior forward saw action in 34 games and registered seven points on one goal and seven assists with a career-best +7 rating.
Chau was recognized for his excellence in the classroom with the team's Academic Award. The sophomore forward logged 14 points in 35 games on nine goals and five assists and was +5 while maintaining a 3.876 grade-point average as a finance major.
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