(Above Photo: Noah Wilson with Army head coach Brian Riley)
By Warren Kozireski —
Devon Levi was named the 2022-23 winner of the Mike Ritcher Award and Army senior Noah Wilson won the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award while Emily McNamara of Hamilton College and Mark Taylor of Division III National Champion Hobert College were named by the American Hockey Coaches Association as Division III Coaches of the Year in women’s and men’s hockey respectively. Matt Corronato (Greenlawn) was named a Second Team All-American-East..
Levi, also a first team All-American on the East Team, posted an incredible final season of play for Northeastern recording a .933 save percentage, a 2.24 goals against average, and posting a 17-12-5 record in net with six shutouts. His save percentage ranked first in the NCAA this season, while his 1,066 saves were third among all college goaltenders. He also posted 18 games in which the opponent tallied two goals or fewer and had 20 games where he made 30+ saves.
During his tenure with the Huskies, Levi re-wrote the Huskies’ goaltending record book, setting seven new program records:
Best career goals against average (1.90)
Best career save percentage (.942)
Most career shutouts (16)
Best single season goals against average (1.54)
Best single season save percentage (.952)
Most shutouts in a single season (10)
Most saves in a single game (60)
Wilson played in all 37 contests for the Black Knights while serving as an alternate captain. He registered a career-best 12 points. Wilson was standout defenseman for Army, setting a program-record with 84 blocks in a single season during his junior campaign of 2021-22. After Army’s 1-7-1 start to his senior season, Wilson selflessly made the switch to forward which allowed a freshman defenseman to play and earn a role. It marked the turning point of the season for Army, as the team went 5-2-1 in its next eight games.
“Since he got here, he has reminded me the most of Derek (Hines); they are identical in terms of their character,” Army head coach Brian Riley said.
“Coming from West Point and being there for four years, I learned about (Derek) Hinesy from day one and it was a feeling of ‘wow’, I never thought the coaches or anyone saw me on this level,” Hines said after the ceremony.
“To even have my name mentioned in the same sentence as Derek Hines is an incredible honor. To be here and meet his family and the entire week has just been incredible.
“I think I’m the second Army guy and there have been a few Air Force guys, but I think the best part about this is that know that I’m bringing the award home to where it started. That’s why it’s so special for me and my family, my brother (Michael) being a West Point graduate as well. There are plenty of guys on every team in college hockey who could win an award like this and on mine as well, so I’m very happy to be here representing my team.
McNamara led nationally fourth-ranked Hamilton to a 22-6-2 record setting a program record for wins in a season and was named the New England Small College Athletic Coach of the Year. They advanced to the NESCAC playoff championship game before losing to Amherst. The Continentals then defeated Nazareth and Adrian in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament before again falling to Amherst in the semi-finals.
Taylor, also the New England Hockey Conference Coach of the Year, led Hobart to their first national championship in program history. The nationally second-ranked Statesmen finished with a program record 29 wins and swept through the NEHC playoffs. They then defeated seventh-ranked Curry, fourth-ranked Endicott and third-ranked Adrian in overtime in the title game.
Harvard sophomore and Greenlawn native Corronato was named a Second Team All-American after his 20-16 assist season with the Crimson. He signed a professional contract with the Calgary Flames, who selected him in the first round 13th overall in 2021.
(Wilson photo by Koz)
