BEVERLY, Mass. – Six members of the No. 7/9 nationally ranked Endicott men's ice hockey program earned Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) postseason accolades earlier today, including Kevin Aldridge (Birmingham, Mich.) and R.J. Tolan who claimed Goaltender of the Year and Coach of the Year honors, respectively, as announced by the league office on Thursday.
Aldridge and Tolan's selections as Goaltender and Coach of the Year marks the second straight season the duo has earned the distinction, but first as members of the CCC. Last season (2015-16), Endicott played in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast.
Meanwhile, Aldridge's teammates Tommy Besinger (Milton, Mass.) and Logan Day (Seminole, Fla.) joined him on the All-CCC first team, while Cam Bleck (Lake Forest, Ill.) and Ross Olsson (Billerica, Mass.) earned nods to the All-CCC second team.
GOALTENDER OF THE YEAR | ALL-CCC FIRST TEAM
Aldridge currently ranks No. 3 among all of NCAA Division III goaltenders in shutouts (4), No. 5 in winning percentage (17-3-2, .818%), No. 8 in save percentage (.939), and No. 12 goals against average (1.85). All four of those marks also lead the CCC.
COACH OF THE YEAR
In just its second year as a NCAA Division III varsity program, Tolan has guided the Endicott men's ice hockey program to national prominence. The Gulls, who are 20-3-2 overall, are currently positioned No. 7 in the latest D3hockey.com poll and No. 9 in the USCHO.com poll. Along with those rankings, Endicott currently checks in as the No. 1 scoring offense among all NCAA Divisions at 4.92 goals per game. The Gulls also rank No. 1 in scoring margin (3.12) in Division III, No. 4 in scoring defense (1.80 g/gm), No. 2 on the power play (50-156, 32.1%), No. 5 on the penalty kill (130-147, 88.4%), and No. 2 in combined special teams (170-177, 61.4).
ALL-CCC FIRST TEAM
Besinger has been a major offensive force this season for Endicott as the sophomore center has notched 15 goals and 28 assists for 43 points (1.72 p/gm). Besinger currently ranks No. 3 in Division III in assists per game (1.12) and No. 6 in points per game.
On the defensive end, Day has solidified his name into the discussion as one of the best two-way defenseman in the country after transferring to Endicott from Northeastern University. In 25 games played, Day has registered 31 points on 13 goals and 18 assists. Day currently ranks No. 3 in Division III in points per game (1.24), while his play defensively has guided the Gulls – along with Aldridge – in ranking No. 5 on the penalty kill and No. 2 in team winning percentage (.840).
ALL-CCC SECOND TEAM
Bleck's consistency landed him a spot on the second team as the sophomore forward has 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points this season (No. 27 in D3). His skill on the power play, however, is what separates Bleck from the rest of the pack. Ten of Bleck's 17 goals this season have come via the power play, which ranks tied for first in Division III.
Meanwhile, Olsson found his way onto the scoresheet all year to earn his All-CCC second team honor. So far this season, Olsson has 16 goals and 18 assists for 34 points (1.62 p/gm – No. 7 in D3). Olsson also ranks No. 9 in goals per game in Division III, No. 25 in assists per game (0.86), No. 16 in power play goals (7), and No. 22 in game-winning goals (3).
As it stands now, Olsson is first in program history in points with 64 (28g, 36a), while Bleck ranks second (27g-26a-53p), and Besinger is third (21g-30a-51).
WHAT'S NEXT
No. 7/9 Endicott (20-3-2) hosts Western New England University in the CCC Tournament quarterfinal round this Saturday at 2:50 PM at Raymond J. Bourque Arena. For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
