After polishing off its best campaign in school history, the Massachusetts hockey team saw two of its members recognized this week for their successes.
Coach Don Cahoon and junior defenseman Thomas Pock each earned individual honors Tuesday from the New England Hockey Writers Association for their accomplishments this year. Cahoon was honored as the organization’s Coach of the Year, while Pock won the Paul Hines Award, given to New England’s most improved player.
Cahoon led the Minutemen to their most successful season since joining Hockey East in the 1994-95 season. UMass finished in sixth place in the conference (19-17-1), and knocked off third-seeded Maine in the Hockey East quarterfinals at Alfond Arena. The Minutemen fell to eventual Hockey East champion and Frozen Four participant New Hampshire in the semifinals, the Maroon and White’s first appearance at the FleetCenter.
“From my perspective, it’s very similar to the Hockey East Coach of the Year award, in that it represents a total team effort,” Cahoon said. “It’s a nice acknowledgement, and a great recognition of a lot of kids buying in to what we’re trying to do here.”
Pock garnered “most improved” honors after his first season with the Minutemen on the blue line. The Klagenfurt, Austria native enjoyed his most offensively productive year since arriving at UMass, netting 37 points (17 goals, 20 assists) in 2002-03 after scoring 12 points in each of his previous two years in Amherst. His point total made him Hockey East’s top-scoring blueliner and ranked him fourth nationally in that department.
“He’s a mature player, and I think it became an adjustment he was very comfortable with,” Cahoon said. “There were some aspects that were very difficult, but he was able to overcome them with his extreme athletic ability.
“From an offensive standpoint, the opportunity he had to handle the puck and to see the ice allowed him to feel more comfortable,” he added.
Pock is currently in his home nation training with the Austrian national team for the upcoming World Championships. The tournament begins at the end of this month, according to Cahoon.
Other recipients of awards given by the NEWHA include Boston College’s Ben Eaves (Most Valuable Player), Yale’s Chris Higgins (Outstanding Forward), Maine’s Cliff Loya (Outstanding Defenseman), Boston University’s Mark Mullen (Outstanding Defensive Forward) and Dartmouth’s Hugh Jessiman (Rookie of the Year). The awards will be presented at the NEHWA’s annual awards banquet on April 16.
