Men's Ice Hockey

Assumption's Surrette Wins 25th Joe Concannon Award

Best College Hockey Player in New England at DII/DIII Level

BOSTON, Mass. – Gridiron Club of New England president Tim Whelan, Jr., announced on Thursday that Jonathan Surrette, a junior from Assumption University, is the winner of the 25th Joe Concannon Award, presented annually to the best American-born college hockey player in New England at the Division-II/III level.

The Joe Concannon Award was established in 2001, shortly after the passing of the longtime writer for The Boston Globe, who had a great passion for college hockey and always advocated strongly for amateur athletics.

Surrette, a junior forward from Woburn, Massachusetts, led his team to the NE10 regular season and conference tournament titles. During the season, he played in 33 games, scoring 34 goals and adding 31 assists for a conference-record 65 points, while posting a +29 rating with the Greyhounds. Surrette earned Player of the Year and 1st-team All-NE10 honors while becoming just the second DII player to receive the Joe Concannon Award, and the first since 2010.

"This news about Jonathan just made my month," noted Assumption head coach Michael Looney. "He is a quiet and humble kid with Boston roots, which makes this award so much more special. Jonathan came in as a first-year player and had such an impact, earning Rookie of the Year honors and scoring a double overtime winner for us in the conference tournament. He produced his sophomore year but fell off a bit and really used the offseason to prepare for this past season. His focus on training and diet made him much stronger and fueled his uber-competitive nature, driving the incredible outputs this season. He is probably the only player in the country who has scored points against DI, DII, and DIII opponents this season, as our schedule also included an exhibition game against LIU. He is the first player to receive the award here at Assumption and one of only two DII players to earn the Joe Concannon Award, so we are very proud of his accomplishments."

"This season has seen great parity and terrific performances by so many players across the DII/DIII hockey landscape in New England," said Gridiron Club Hockey Awards Committee chairman Tim Costello. "The committee always is challenged by determining the worthiest winner, but found Jonathan Surrette's incredible statistics and leadership in Assumption's championship season hard to ignore. He is the first DII player to be recognized with the Concannon Award since 2010, when Saint Anselm forward Coleman Noonan won. Jonathan certainly earned the award during Assumption's great NE10 season and is a terrific representative among past winners in this, the silver anniversary of the Concannon Award."

The Joe Concannon Award will be presented to the winner at the New England College Hockey Writers' Brunch on Sunday, April 19th, in Saugus, MA.

Release provided by Gridiron Club of New England.

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 10 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.
 
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