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Leaderer, Kostka Honored By New England Hockey Writers
April 8, 2008
BOSTON - The New England Hockey Writers special awards have been announced and will be presented at the annual awards banquet on Wednesday, April 16 at the Prince Restaurant in Saugus, Mass. UMass' David Leaderer was named New England's Joe Tomasello Unsung Hero, while Mike Kostka was named to the Division I All-Star Team. Leaderer, a defenseman, played in 149 straight games, never missing a contest in his collegiate career, and posted 11 goals and 22 assists over his career. The Rochester, N.Y., native set the UMass program record for games played. This past season, he played in all 33 games scoring three goals and adding five assists. Kostka, also a defenseman and team captain, earned his second postseason honor after also being named to the Hockey East All-Conference Second Team. The native of Ajax, Ont., finished the season ranked third on the team with a career-high nine goals and led the Minutemen with a plus-11 rating. Seven of his nine goals were on the power play, which led all defensemen nationally. A Hobey Baker nominee, Kostka finished his career with 15 goals and 38 assists in 143 career games and a plus-16 rating. Following the season, he signed an Amateur Tryout Contract (ATO) with the Rochester Americans and a two-year contract with Buffalo Sabers. University of New Hampshire goalie Kevin Regan (So. Boston, Mass./Waterloo Blackhawks) was named New England's Most Valuable Player. The senior posted a 23-8-1 record with a 2.21 goals against average and a .930 save percentage. He was named a Hobey Baker Award top-10 finalist and led UNH to the NCAA Tournament. Boston College junior Nathan Gerbe (Oxford, Mich./U.S. Under-18 Team) was
voted New England's Best Forward. With BC heading into the NCAA Frozen Four, Gerbe ranks second in the nation in points (60) and third in goals (30). Gerbe was also named a Hobey Baker Award finalist.
Matt Gilroy (North Bellmore, N.Y./Walpole Jr. Stars), a junior from Boston University, was named Best Defenseman. Gilroy posted six goals and 15 assists for 21 points and a plus-17 rating on the blueline. Freshman teammate Colin Wilson (Winnipeg, Manitoba/U.S. Under-18 Team) was named New England Rookie of the Year after posting 12 goals and 23 assist for 35 points for BU. Northeastern junior Joe Vitale (St. Louis, Mo./Sioux Falls Stampede) was named Most Improved Player. He led the improved Huskies with 35 points (12-23-35), more than doubling his previous career best of 16 points. Boston College senior Matt Greene (Plymouth, Mass./Boston College High) was named Best Defensive Foward after posting a plus-10 to go along with an 8-3-11 scoring line. New Hampshire's Dick Umile was named Div. I Coach of the Year. In a season of parity in Hockey East, Umile's Wildcats were the only standout team, posting a 19-5-3 record in the league to win the regular season title by eight points. The team earned a No. 1 seeding in the NCAA Tournament and finished the season with a final record of 25-10-3. The New England Hockey Writers banquet is college hockey's social event of the year. It will be held Wednesday, April 16 beginning at 6 p.m. at the Prince Restaurant on Route 1 in Saugus, Mass. Reservations must be made by April 10 with Northeastern Athletic Ticket Manager John Gruppo at 617-373-7409. 2007-08 NEW ENGLAND DIVISION I ALL-STARS Defense Forwards
2007-08 NEW ENGLAND AWARDS
Herb Gallagher Award - Best Forward
Bob Monahan Award - Best Defenseman
George Carens Award - Rookie of the Year
Paul Hines Award - Most Improved Player
Frank Jones Award - Best Defensive Forward
Joe Tomasello Award - Unsung Hero
Coach of the Year
Parker-York Award - Contribution to New England Hockey
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