Massachusetts Hockey Announces 2021-22 Team Awards

AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts hockey, the 2022 Hockey East Champions, recently celebrated the 2021-22 season, recognizing several individuals with team awards, as voted on by the members of the squad and the coaching staff. All-American and Hobey Baker Top 10 Finalist captain Bobby Trivigno was named the team's Most Valuable Player, assistant captain Colin Felix was selected as the recipient of the Jack Canniff Unsung Hero Award as well as the Minuteman Award, Ryan Ufko was tabbed the Rookie of the Year, Anthony Del Gaizo earned the Coaches Award and Ryan Lautenbach was honored as the team's Most Improved Player.

Trivigno was chosen as the team's Most Valuable Player for his contributions to the program during the 2021-22 season. The forward became the first player in program history to become a two-time All-American at the Division I level this spring, among a host of accolades. He was selected as the 2021-22 College Hockey News Player of the Year and was the recipient of the Walter Brown Award for a second-straight year in 2022, presented annually to the best American-born Division I college hockey player in New England, just the fourth player to win the award in back-to-back years since it was first presented in 1953.

In addition to back-to-back All-America and Walter Brown Award nods, Trivigno also repeated as a member of the Hockey East All-Tournament Team and Hockey East Tournament MVP this spring after helping UMass to its second consecutive Hockey East Tournament title. Continuing his laundry list of accolades, Trivigno was a Top-10 Finalist for the 2022 Hobey Baker Award and was crowned the 2021-22 Hockey East Player of the Year, joining 2019 Hobey Baker winner Makar as the only two Minutemen to earn that distinction. In addition, Trivigno was named a unanimous 2021-22 Hockey East First Team All-Star selection, his second career Hockey East First Team recognition. He also became the second Minuteman to be named a Leonard Fowle Award winner (New England Division I Men's Most Valuable Player) and the third player in program history to receive the Herb Gallagher Award (top forward in New England).

Trivigno finished third in the nation in points with 49 on 20 goals and 29 assists, all career highs for the Setauket, New York native over 37 games this season. He was fifth nationally in points per-game (1.32), tied for eighth in assists and was 11th in goals. Trivigno was crowned the 2021-22 Hockey East Scoring Champion with an average of 1.33 points per game, nearly .20 higher than his closest competitor, putting up a league-best 32 points over 24 contests on 14 goals and 18 assists, ranking second in both categories.

Felix earned the Jack Canniff Unsung Hero award and the Minuteman Award. 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. The Minuteman Award is given to the individual who best exemplifies UMass hockey's core values and team identity. Felix began his UMass career with an iron man streak that lasted 124 games and saw action in a total of 140 contests over four years. As a senior in 2021-22, the Ocean City, New Jersey native put up 10 points (2g, 8a) and was named to the Hockey East All-Tournament Team after helping UMass repeat as league champions.

Ufko was honored for being the most positive contributor in his first season as the squad's Rookie of the Year. A Hockey East All-Rookie Team selection, Ufko led Hockey East in league play with 19 assists in 24 games and tied for sixth in scoring in league action with 22 points as he also netted three goals en route to a Hockey East All-Star Honorable Mention nod. The February Hockey East Rookie of the Month put up 31 points over 37 games on five goals and 26 assists to finish tied for the national lead among rookie defensemen in assists and third among rookie defensemen in points. A native of Smithtown, New York, Ufko contributed three power-play goals and one shorthanded goal and posted a +5 rating on the year.

Del Gaizo was recognized with the Coaches Award after posting career highs in points, goals and assists in his final season with the Minutemen. Over 36 games in 2021-22 the Basking Ridge, New Jersey native logged 17 points on seven goals and 10 helpers with three power-play goals and two game winners, while earning Hockey East Player of the Week recognition once.

Lautenbach was voted by his peers as having improved more than any player on the roster over the course of the 2021-22 campaign as the team's Most Improved Player. The Brighton, Michigan native appeared in 31 games and logged 10 points on three goals and seven assists with one game-winning tally.

Scoreboard

Players Mentioned

Anthony Del Gaizo

Colin Felix

Ryan Lautenbach

Bobby Trivigno

Ryan Ufko

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics