JOE CONCANNON AWARD PRESS RELEASE

BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott freshman forward Parker Wood (Rochester Hills, Mich.) has been named a semifinalist for the 16th Joe Concannon Award, presented annually to the best American-born college hockey player in New England at the NCAA Division II/III level by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston.

The Gridiron Club established the Joe Concannon Award in 2001 to honor Joe, a lifelong devotee of college hockey, former member of the Walter Brown Award Selection Committee and, as a journalist, a staunch advocate for the amateur athletes he knew and covered.  A native of Litchfield, Connecticut, Joe graduated from Boston University in 1961. He served as sports information director (SID) at Holy Cross before joining the Boston Globe in the late 1960's to cover college sports.  Joe declined frequent invitations by his editors to write about Boston's major professional sports teams, preferring to concentrate on the colleges, distance running and golf.  He wrote the book Marathoning with Bill Rodgers and established the highly successful Litchfield Road Race in his hometown.  Joe was a world traveler and was especially proud of his Irish heritage, frequently sojourning to the Emerald Isle.  He passed away in 2000.

So far during his freshman season, Wood has scored 10 goals – which includes three power play tallies and two game-winning markers – and dished out six assists for 16 points in 20 games played. Wood currently ranks fifth in goals and No. 15 in points in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast.

This year's Joe Concannon Award list is comprised of twelve forwards, six versatile defensemen and four outstanding goaltenders including last year's winner, Jamie Murray (Scituate, MA) from nationally-ranked Babson College. The candidates include seven players from the NEHC conference, six from the ECAC Northeast conference; five from the MASCAC conference; three from the NESCAC conference and one from the NE-10 Conference.

The Gridiron Club expects to announce the finalists and winner of the 16th Joe Concannon Award in March, prior to the start of NCAA Division III Frozen Four Tournament play, and to present the award during the New England Hockey Writers dinner in April.

Past Joe Concannon Award Winners

2001: Keith Aucoin, Norwich University

2002: Michael Carosi, Bowdoin College

2003: Nick Stauder, Salem State College

2004: Jim Pancyzkowski, Wesleyan University | Michael O'Sullivan, Curry College

2005: Brian Doherty, Curry College | Joseph Ori, Trinity College

2006: Adam Dann, Bowdoin College

2007: Greg Osborne, Colby College

2008: Tom Maldonado, Middlebury College

2009: Jeff Landers, Amherst College

2010: Coleman Noonan, St. Anselm College

2011: Josh Harris, Castleton State College

2012: Jeremiah Ketts, Johnson & Wales University

2013: Colin Mulvey, Norwich University

2014: Jackson Brewer, Trinity College

2015: Jamie Murray, Babson College 

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