News from
The Gridiron Club of Greater Boston
Web site: www.gridclubofgreaterboston.com
Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Announces 16 Semi-Finalists
for 61st Walter Brown Award
Slate of American-born Division One hockey players in New England includes eight from Hockey
East, seven from ECAC, one repeat nominee from Atlantic Hockey
BOSTON – February 4, 2013 – Gridiron Club of Greater Boston president John Ingoldsby announced today that
16 NCAA Division One players are semi-finalists for the 61st Walter Brown Award, presented annually to the best
American-born college hockey player in New England.
The nation’s oldest nationally-recognized college hockey honor, the Walter Brown Award was established in 1953
by the members of the 1933 Massachusetts Rangers, the first American team ever to win the World Championship
Tournament. Brown coached the Rangers to the title in Prague, Czechoslovakia, that year; the team defeated Canada
2-1 in overtime in the championship game.
Twelve teams are represented in the slate of candidates that includes eight players from Hockey East, seven from
ECAC Hockey, and one from Atlantic Hockey. The slate comprises nine forwards, three goalies, and four
defensemen. Boston College, New Hampshire, Yale, and Quinnipiac each have two nominees..
Atlantic Hockey’s lone semifinalist, Bentley University junior forward Brett Gensler (St. Charles, MO), was the
Walter Brown Award winner last year. He currently leads Atlantic Hockey in scoring and has 12-19-31 overall
through 24 games.
In Hockey East, Boston College has set the pace for most of the season thus far, thanks in large part to the scoring
leadership of sophomore Johnny Gaudreau (Carney’s Point, NJ) and senior Steve Whitney (Reading, MA).
Gaudreau’s 13-20-33 in 21 games leads the nation in points per game. He also leads all Hockey East scorers.
Whitney, a right wing who also plays defense occasionally for the Eagles, has 16-12-28 to date.
New Hampshire junior Kevin Goumas (Long Beach, NY) and Merrimack junior Mike Collins (Boston, MA) and
both a single point astern of Goudreau in the overall scoring chase. Goumas has 10-22-32 in 24 games while Collins
stands at 14-18-32 in 27 contests. New Hampshire’s other semifinalist is Trevor Van Riemsdyk, (Middletown,
NJ), a sophomore defenseman with 6-13-19 to date to lead all Hockey East defensemen in scoring.
UMass-Lowell junior Chad Ruhwedel (San Diego, CA) is another defenseman whose play has figured prominently
in his team’s impressive performance to date. Ruhwedel has 6-8-14 for the River Hawks.
Rounding out the Hockey East representatives are a pair of freshmen, Boston University defenseman Matt
Grzelcyk (Charlestown, MA) and Providence goalie Jon Gillies (South Portland, ME). Grzelcyk’s 2-14-16 place
him second in scoring among the league’s defensemen. Gillies has a 2.18 goals-against average and a .927 save
percentage for the fast-improving Friars.
In the ECAC, Quinnipiac’s surge to first place, both in the league standings and in the national pair-wise rankings,
has been due in large part to senior goalie Eric Hartzell (White Bear Lake, MN), who has a 1.46 goals-against
average in 25 games. Another senior, forward Jeremy Langlois (Tempe, AZ) leads the Bobcats’ offense with 1114-25 in 25 games.
Yale, currently in second place behind Quinnipiac in the ECAC standings, is represented by senior forward Andrew
Miller (Bloomfield Hills, MI) and junior forward Kenny Agostino (Flanders, NJ). Agostino leads the Elis in
scoring with 12-15-27, while Miller is third at 10-13-23.
Dartmouth senior defenseman Mike Keenan (Weymouth, MA) has been a bulwark for the Big Green and has 2-911 to date. Brown’s senior goaltender Anthony Borelli (Grand Island, NY), playing his first full season as a
regular, has posted a sparkling 1.54 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage for the Bruins. Harvard
freshman forward Jimmy Vesey (North Reading, MA) is the Crimson’s leading scorer to date, bagging ten goals
and adding four assists in 17 games.
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Gridiron Club Announces 2013 Walter Brown Award Semi-Finalists
Page 2
“We feel that we’ve got a superb roster of semifinalists for the Walter Brown Award this year. That said, there were
many others in all three leagues whose play merited strong consideration. It’s never a simple task to evaluate all
nominees and make a cut to a manageable number,” said Gridiron Club Hockey Awards Committee chairman Tim
Costello.
The Gridiron Club will announce the finalists and winner of the 61stth Walter Brown Award in March, following
league playoffs and before the start of NCAA Tournament play. The award will be presented to the winner at the
New England College Hockey Writers’ Dinner in April.
Walter Brown Award Winners
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
Ray Picard
Northeastern
Bob Babine
Boston College
Bill Cleary
Harvard
R.J. Cavanaugh Northeastern
Bob Cleary
Harvard
Bob Cleary
Harvard
Mike Karin
Middlebury
Art Chisholm
Northeastern
Tom Martin
Boston College
Dave Grannis
Harvard
Bill Hogan
Boston College
Richie Green
Boston University
Bob Gaudreau Brown
John Cunniff
Boston College
Jerry York
Boston College
Tim Sheehy
Boston College
Paul Hurley
Boston College
Tim Sheehy
Boston College
Joe Cavanagh
Harvard
Bob McManama Harvard
Tom Mellor
Boston College
Ed Walsh
Boston University
Ron Wilson
Providence
Richie Smith
Boston College
Bob Miller
New Hampshire
Joe Mullen
Boston College
Ralph Cox
New Hampshire
Bill Army
Boston College
Mark Switaj
Boston College
Chuck Marshall Northeastern
Mark Fusco
Harvard
Cleon Daskalakis Boston University
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Tim Army
Providence
Scott Fusco
Harvard
Scott Harlow
Boston College
Brian Leetch
Boston College
Mike McHugh Maine
Lane MacDonald Harvard
Greg Brown
Boston College
Dave Emma
Boston College
Rob Gaudreau Providence
Dave Sacco
Boston University
Jacques Joubert Boston University
Mike Grier
Boston University
Jay Pandolfo
Boston University
Chris Drury
Boston University
Chris Drury
Boston University
Mike Mottau
Boston College
Mike Omicioli Providence
Mike Mottau
Boston College
Ty Conklin
New Hampshire
Brian Gionta
Boston College
Jim Fahey
Northeastern
Mike Ayers
New Hampshire
Steve Saviano
New Hampshire
Dov Grumet-Morris Harvard
Chris Collins
Boston College
John Curry
Boston University
Kevin Regan
New Hampshire
Matt Gilroy
Boston University
Bobby Butler
New Hampshire
John Muse
Boston College
Brett Gensler
Bentley University
The Walter Brown Award
Commemorating the life and works of America's greatest sportsman, the Walter Brown Award is given annually to the outstanding
American-born college hockey player in New England. The Walter Brown Award is the oldest nationally recognized honor accorded to
individual players in the sport of American college hockey. Brown coached the United States to its first world hockey championship in 1933.
The U.S. team, the Massachusetts Rangers, comprised players from Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Notre
Dame, and Boston Commerce High School. The Americans defeated the Toronto National Sea Fleas, coached by Harold Ballard, 2-1 in
overtime in the final game of the 1933 World Tournament at Prague, Czechoslovakia. It was also America’s first win over a team from
Canada and the first loss ever suffered by the Canadians in international play. The U.S. team members established the Walter Brown award at
their 20th reunion in 1953. Criteria for the selection committee include leadership, character, sportsmanship, and ability as well as on-ice
achievement. The Gridiron Club of Greater Boston has been the steward of the Walter Brown Award since 1977.
2012-2013 Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Officers: John Ingoldsby, President; Bob Norton, First Vice President; Jim Kearney, Second
Vice President; Larry Abare, Third Vice President; Dick Lawrence, Secretary/Treasurer.
2012-2013 Gridiron Club Hockey Awards Selection Committee and Advisory Board: Tim Costello, Chairman; Joe Bertagna, Tom Burke,
Jim Connelly, Ned Cully, Bob DeGregorio, Kevin Fleming, Steve Hagwell, Nancy Marrapese-Burrell, Hon. Gordon A. Martin, Jr., Paul
McNamara, and William J. Stewart III.
Press Contacts:
Tim Costello, Committee Chairman
Phone: 732-425-5922
Tom Burke, Communications Director Phone: 617-323-5694
Tim.costello@ymail.com
tomburke99@aol.com