With the 2019-20 MIAA hockey season having come to a conclusion, now is the time for the New England Hockey Journal awards for excellence.
I saw every noteworthy team in Division 1 and a lot of Division 2 and Division 3, especially once tournament time came around. Stating the obvious, I did not see every team in the state, but have done my best to come up with accurate year-end awards.
Below are my selections for Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, first and second All-MIAA teams, and an MIAA All-Rookie team. These awards are based on players’ performance this year and not projecting future success.
Player of the Year
Will Trischitta
Framingham, 10/9/01, sr., C, left shot, 5-9/130
Trischitta had 19 goals and 25 assists this season as he led the Flyers to a berth in the MIAA Division 1A Super 8. As the team’s first-line center and captain, he seemingly never came off the ice. He scored two overtime goals in the playoffs. Trischitta is on the lighter side, but he can snap off a puck and he skates well. He should be highly coveted by teams in the USPHL NCDC and EHL.
Rookie of the Year
Ryan Leonard
Pope Francis, 1/21/05, fr., RW, right shot, 5-9/160
Leonard was the best prospect I saw in the MIAA this winter — and it wasn’t close. A pure goal scorer, he finished the season with 24 goals and seven assists. The Amherst, Mass., native put on quite a show in his team’s first Super 8 game, scoring a hat trick and adding two helpers. Leonard sees the ice incredibly well and is heavy on pucks, especially for a player his age. The future is bright — and likely not for long in the MIAA.
Coach of the Year
Will Ortiz
Framingham
There were a couple of deserving candidates to be Coach of the Year, but my vote goes to Ortiz, who just finished his fourth season coaching his alma mater. Ortiz had a couple of really good players, but he made the most out of less. With the exception of a couple of lopsided wins over inferior opponents, Framingham rolled just two offensive lines and two defensive pairings for the majority of the season.
While other public schools, such as Reading, Hingham, and Burlington, are used to success in hockey, it’s more unfamiliar ground for Framingham. Much of that goes back to the pride Ortiz and his coaching staff put into coaching at this level and for the town they grew up in. A former player at UMass Amherst, Ortiz has done a great job keeping some top players for all four years.
First Team All-MIAA
Ryan Leonard
Pope Francis, 1/21/05, fr., RW, right shot, 5-9/160
(See above)
Anthony Messuri
Arlington, 7/24/01, sr., C, left shot, 5-9/165
NCAA commit: Northeastern
Messuri is a speedster who led the way offensively for the Spy Ponders. He played the point on the power play and centered the top line. The only committed player in the MIAA this winter, Messuri was a terrific leader and a four-year star for the team coached by his father, John Messuri. He’s tendered to play the 2020-21 season in the NAHL with the Northeast Generals.
Will Trischitta
Framingham, 10/9/01, sr., C, left shot, 5-9/130
(See above)
Damon Alexander
Boston Latin, 7/12/04, so., D, left shot, 5-10/170
I saw Alexander twice, once around Christmas and once in the tournament, but he’s silky smooth on the backend. His feet are very good and he’s strong. Almost every single one of his breakout passes were right on the tape.
John Logan
BC High, 5/3/03, jr., D, right shot, 5-10/170
Logan was one of the best puck-moving, offensive defensemen in the MIAA circuit. He has good mobility, skates well and can jump into the attack.
Jake Handy
Framingham, 1/1/02, sr., G, catches left, 5-11/160
Handy had some really good performances for the Flyers when their lack of depth allowed opponents to apply significant pressure as the game went along. Handy has good reflexes and should get ample opportunity to do a postgrad year or play some level of Tier III junior hockey in the region, if he so chooses.
Second Team All-MIAA
Brendan Fennell
Melrose, 1/1/02, jr., LW/RW, left shot, 5-10/180
Fennell, also a star on the gridiron, put up huge numbers for the Red Raiders. He put up 22 goals and 28 assists while leading Melrose to a solid season and high seed in Division 1 North. Fennell’s skating could use improvement, but he has a hard shot, can protect pucks and cycle below the dot.
Ben Fici
Belmont, 4/15/02, jr., RW, right shot, 5-10/160Â
Fici was part of a terrific trio on Belmont’s top line. As a junior, his speed and ability to create offense on the rush was noteworthy in a few viewings this winter. The Marauders advanced to the canceled Division 1 championship game at TD Garden.
Ryan O’Halloran
Burlington, 5/2/02, sr., C, left shot, 5-10/145
O’Halloran completed a stellar career playing for the Red Devils this winter. An athletic center, he put up big numbers offensively and played in all situations. O’Halloran skates well and has skill. If he puts full effort into hockey and improves his habits, he could play college hockey.
Jack Kennedy
Pope Francis, 5/14/04, so., D, right shot, 5-8/150
Kennedy logged big minutes for the Cardinals as the team advanced to the Super 8 championship game for the fourth consecutive season. Kennedy skates well, has an above average shot and was a threat on the power play.
Cam Lawhorne
Reading, 11/6/01, sr., D, left shot, 5-9/165
Lawhorne, or his defensive partner, Matthew Fiorenza, could both have been pegged in this slot. Lawhorne had a solid senior season, moving pucks north and defending with his feet. He played a big part in the Rockets getting a chance to play in the Super 8 play-in game and coming up just short in Division 1 North.
Nico Carere
Belmont, 1/9/02, sr., G, catches left, 6-0/180
Carere wore a letter and backboned the Marauders to a Division 1 North championship. Carere was really good in a couple of playoff games, including a 1-0 overtime triumph over St. Mary’s. I asked a few coaches around the Middlesex League, and they all pointed to Carere when asked about a game-changing goaltender.
MIAA All-Rookie Team
Ryan Leonard
Pope Francis, 1/21/05, fr., RW, right shot, 5-9/160
(See above)
Ryan Flaherty
BC High, 4/25/05, fr., C, right shot, 5-9/140
Flaherty started the season on the third or fourth line, but worked his way up to the second line. Although he didn’t put up the offensive numbers of others, his role was pivotal. He brought it physically in all three zones and chipped in offensively.
Pavit Mehra
Hopkinton, 7/16/04, fr., C/RW, right shot, 5-9/130
Mehra is on the smaller side, but he put up monster numbers for the Hillers. He keeps his feet moving and has more skill than he’s given credit for. Don’t let the fact Hopkinton is in Division 3 fool you. Mehra is a player worthy of accolades.
Will Brophy
St. John’s Shrewsbury, 1/1/04, fr., D, right shot, 6-3/170
Brophy is a big, lanky defenseman with a ton of upside. I liked his play for the Pioneers down the stretch and in the playoffs. He’s rangy and has length. The future is bright for this player who hasn’t had the benefit of playing on top teams like the other freshmen on this list.
Jonathan Lanza
Winthrop, 3/10/05, fr., D, right shot, 6-0/155
Lanza is a big, physical, two-way defenseman who logged a ton of ice time for the Vikings. Despite being a young freshman, he had the puck on his stick a lot and brought a physical presence in his own zone.
Thomas Kiesewetter
BC High, 1/2/05, fr., G, catches left, 6-5/180
Kiesewetter wrestled the starting job away from an upperclassman and did a good job in net for the Eagles. He’s big and was definitely the most deserving of any freshman goaltender.
