MANSFIELD, Mass. – Saint Anselm forward Hunter Brackett has been named the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year - as the league office announced All-Conference honors for ice hockey on Wednesday afternoon.
Brackett is the first Hawks' player to earn the honor since Andrew Andary in 2022 and is the fifth all-time in program history. He leads the NE10 in goals (20) and points (40) this season, pacing Saint Anselm as the conference's top-scoring offense at 3.93 goals per game. Brackett had 13 multi-point games this season, while tallying at least one point in 22 of 29 games.
Joining Brackett among major award winners was a pair of Southern New Hampshire players, as Brendan Lynch was named Defensive Player of the Year and Collin Berke was selected as Goaltender of the Year. Post's Aidan Canady was tabbed Rookie of the Year and Saint Michael's Damian DiGiulian earned the Lance "Duke" Brady Coach of the Year honor.
Lynch was a big reason why Southern New Hampshire led the NE10 this season on the penalty kill, recording a 90.6% kill rate (87 kills on 96 chances). Lynch led the league in face-off win percentage at 59.6% and was tied for fourth in plus-minus (+9). Offensively, he added 27 points - fourth-most in the NE10 - and was tied for second in assists with 20. He is the first forward to ever win NE10 Defensive Player of the Year.
Berke led the NE10 in goals against average (2.23) and shutouts (5) this season, while ranking second in saves (640) and third in save percentage (.932). Berke had 14 games this season with 30 or more saves. He becomes only the second SNHU goaltender to ever win the award, preceded only by Kurt Gutting in 2019.
Canady, a defenseman, is the second Post player in the past three seasons to win NE10 Rookie of the Year (Nick Weber in 2023). He led the Eagles with 17 points, including 15 assists, while ranking second among all NE10 players in plus-minus (+10). Canady also blocked 37 shots, which was tied for ninth-most in the conference.
For the first time in his career, DiGiulian was named Lance "Duke" Brady Coach of the Year after leading Saint Michael's to a 17-11-2 record (12-8-0 NE10) and a second-place finish in the league standings. For the second time in three years, Saint Michael's returns to the NE10 Ice Hockey Championship final after a 3-1 victory over Southern New Hampshire in the semifinal round. He is the first coach from Saint Michael's to win this award since Chris Davidson in 2008. The award is named after Lance "Duke" Brady, the former Assumption head coach, who passed away in February of 2019.
Saint Michael's led all NE10 programs with four selections to the All-Conference teams, while Assumption and Southern New Hampshire each had three.
The NE10 Ice Hockey Championship final is scheduled for Saturday between No. 1 Saint Anselm and No. 2 Saint Michael's. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m. at Sullivan Arena in Manchester, N.H. Please visit Championship Central for more information. The game will be broadcast live on NE10 NOW on FloSports.
Player of the Year: Hunter Brackett, Saint Anselm
Defensive Player of the Year: Brendan Lynch, SNHU
Goaltender of the Year: Collin Berke, SNHU
Rookie of the Year: Aidan Canady, Post
Lance "Duke" Brady Coach of the Year: Damian DiGiulian, Saint Michael's
FIRST TEAM
F: Ronny Paragallo, Assumption
F: Hunter Brackett, Saint Anselm
F: Brendan Lynch, SNHU
D: David Ciancio, Saint Michael’s
D: Case Kantgias, Saint Michael’s
G: Collin Berke, SNHU
SECOND TEAM
F: Jonathan Surrette, Assumption
F: Max Burum, Saint Anselm
F: Brennan McFarland, Saint Michael’s
D: John Woernle, Assumption
D: Aidan Canady, Post
D: Ryan Kayser, SNHU
G: Evan Plunkett, Saint Michael’s
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Shane McElhaney, Assumption
Mario Paganini, Franklin Pierce
Aidan Canady, Post
Scotty Swain, Post
Conor Kelly, Saint Anselm
Evan Plunkett, Saint Michael’s
Ryan Kayser, SNHU
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 11 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season. The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast-10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.