NEW ENGLAND WRITERS' ASSOCIATION ALL-REGION RELEASE
BEVERLY, Mass. – For the first time in their respective careers, Endicott men's ice hockey student-athletes Conor O'Brien (Pinellas Park, Fla.) and James Winkler (York, Maine) have received New England Hockey Writers' Association All-Region accolades.
CONOR O'BRIEN | SO. | G | PINELLAS PARK, FLA.
In 26 games played this season (all starts), O'Brien went 21-4-0 behind a .944 save percentage (685 saves) and a 1.66 goals against average (GAA). The sophomore goaltender also recorded four shutouts in 1,478:55 minutes of action in between the pipes for the Gulls.
O'Brien led all Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) goalies in nearly every category including games played, games started, minutes, GAA, save percentage, wins, and win percentage (.840). Additionally, O'Brien was second in saves and fifth in goals against (41) to round out the remainder of the categories.
Meanwhile, nationally, O'Brien ranked fourth in GAA, third in save percentage, fifth in winning percentage, and tied for sixth in shutouts.
O'Brien also tied the Endicott single-season record for wins and shutouts, posted the third-most saves, and registered the second-best save percentage and GAA this year.
This is the sixth postseason award O'Brien has earned in 2019-20. That list of awards includes three All-America selections and the CCC Goaltender of the Year award.
JAMES WINKLER | SR. | F | YORK, MAINE
In 26 games played, Winkler led the Gulls in points with 35 via a team-best 20 goals and 15 assists.
His 35 points ranked tied for No. 10 all-time in a single season at Endicott, while his 20 goals are tied for first.
Winkler also potted a team-high seven power play goals, tied for program-high in game-winners with four, buried one short-handed goal, and finished with a +19 plus-minus rating.
Among his fellow CCC student-athletes, Winkler ranked first in goals, third in points, second in power play tallies, first in game-winners, and first in hat-tricks with two on the season.
Winkler also was positioned well in many categories in comparison to all NCAA Division III student-athletes. Winkler wrapped up the year tied at No. 24 in points per game (1.35), fifth in goals per game (0.77), tied at No. 18 in power play goals, and tied at No. 11 in game-winning goals.
Meanwhile, Winkler's best game of the season came against Becker on January 25 as the senior forward potted a program-record five goals and dished out three assists for a program-best eight points.
This is the third postseason for Winkler in 2019-20.
YEAR IN REVIEW
Endicott went 22-5-0 overall and 16-2-0 en route to capturing the CCC Championship with a 2-0 win over Wentworth. The Gulls also finished the year nationally ranked at No. 7 overall and were set to host an NCAA Tournament First Round game before their season was canceled due to COVID-19.
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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)
