ECAC NORTHEAST ALL-CONFERENCE RELEASE
BEVERLY, Mass. – The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast Hockey League announced its major award winners and All-Conference teams on Friday, as voted by the league's head coaches.
R.J. Tolan and Kevin Aldridge (Beverly Hills, Mich.) highlighted the list of honorees for the Gulls as the duo claimed two major awards, combined. Tolan was named the ECAC Northeast Coach of the Year after leading Endicott to the regular season title in its first-year as an NCAA varsity program, while Aldridge picked up ECAC Northeast Goaltender of the Year.
Additionally, teammates Ross Olsson (Billerica, Mass.) and Carter Horwitz (Tustin, Calif.) were placed on the All-ECAC Northeast First Team and the All-Rookie Team. Parker Wood (Rochester Hills, Mich.) rounded out the list of honorees for the Gulls as the freshman forward claimed All-ECAC Northeast Honorable Mention accolades to go along with a selection to the All-Rookie Team.
In the program's first campaign at the varsity level, Tolan guided the Gulls to a 15-8-2 mark and an 11-4-1 record in the ECAC Northeast as they finished the regular season atop the conference standings. Impressively, Endicott did so by closing out the season by winning four straight games and six out of its final eight outings to take the top spot away from Nichols.
Aldridge played every minute in net for Endicott this year, posting a 15-8-2 record with two shutouts, a 2.74 goals against average (GAA) and a .921 save percentage overall to help the Gulls finish at the top of the league standings. In conference play, Aldridge compiled an 11-4-1 mark to lead the ECAC Northeast in wins in conference action, and ended the 16-game league slate with a 2.55 GAA and a .929 save percentage.
Among all NCAA Division II/III goaltenders in the country, Aldridge ranks No. 16 (tied) in shutouts, No. 29 in winning percentage (.921), No. 39 in save percentage, and No. 53 in GAA.
Olsson finished the 2015-16 regular season with 11 goals and 16 assists for a total of 27 points in 20 games played for the Gulls. Olsson currently ranks second in the ECAC Northeast in points, third in assists and fifth in goals, while nationally Olsson is No. 14 in points per game (1.35), and No. 2 in points per game among all rookies in the country.
Horwitz posted eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points during his freshman campaign with Endicott in 25 games played. Horwitz currently ranks tied for first among defensemen in the conference in points, first in goals and tied for fourth in assists. Nationally, Horwitz is No. 17 in points per game (0.72) among all defensemen, and No. 42 in points per game among all rookies.
Wood compiled 20 points on 11 goals and nine assists over 22 games played for the Gulls. Wood currently ranks No. 11 in the conference in points, and fifth overall in goals scored. Wood also ranks No. 19 in the country among all rookies in points per game (0.91) and No. 23 in game-winning goals (3).
Endicott (15-8-2) will play the lowest remaining seed from the ECAC Northeast quarterfinals at home on March 2 in the semifinal round of the tournament at a time to be determined later. The ECAC Northeast quarterfinal matchups include: No. 2 Nichols vs. No. 7 Becker, No. 3 Salve Regina vs. No. 6 Johnson & Wales, and No. 4 Suffolk vs. No. 5 Wentworth. For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
