The North American 3 Eastern Hockey League (NA3EHL) has announced its award winners for the 2014-15 season, which include: Most Valuable Player, Forward of the Year, Defenseman of the Year, Goaltender of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, General Manager of the Year and Organization of the Year, along with its NA3EHL All-Star Team, Community Service and Academic Award winners as voted by the league’s coaches and general managers, based upon performance during the 2014-15 regular season.
2014-15 Most Valuable Player and Defenseman of the Year: John Wise, Roc City Royals
In his final year of junior hockey the 20-year-old native of Rochester, New York, put together a memorable season. Wise (6’1/205) led all NA3EHL defensemen in scoring this season with 39 points and his 27 assists were also a league-high among defensemen. Wise also scored 12 goals, which ranked one behind the NA3EHL defensive leader. His 39 points was good for 3rd in the Roc City roster.
He finished the regular season recording 10 points in his last eight games and also had two points in three playoff games.
2014-15 Forward of the Year: Wesley Austin, Roc City Royals
Austin, 20, was second in league scoring this season with 67 points in 41 games played. His 33 goals tied for the NA3EHL lead this season and his 34 assists ranked him tied for 3rd. The native of Rochester, New York also led the entire NA3EHL in game-winning goals with six. Austin (6’3/175) also led the Royals in scoring with his 67 points this season and finished the regular season riding a 12-game point streak, in which he accumulated 31 points during that stretch.
2014-15 Goaltender of the Year: Claes Endre, New Hampshire Fighting Spirit
Statistically, Endre (6’1/165) was the league’s top goaltender this season, posting a league-best 1.70 goals against average in 18 appearances during the regular season. The 19-year-old native of Stockholm, Sweden also put together a 15-3 record with a league-leading four shutouts. His 15 wins ranked him tied for 3rd and his 93.9% save percentage also ranked him 3rd amongst all NA3EHL goaltenders. Endre gave up more than three goals just once during the regular season.
2014-15 Rookie of the Year: Anthony Merante, Lockport Express
Merante, a 19-year-old rookie from Niagara Falls, New York, ended up leading the Express in scoring this season with 61 points in 41 games played. Merante (6’0/175) ranked tied for 5th among all NA3EHL players with his 61 points, while his 34 assists was tied for 3rd and his 27 goals ranked 7th. During the middle part of the season, Merante went on a 13-game scoring streak, in which he recorded 33 points during that time span.
2014-15 Coach of the Year: Eric Brule, Jersey Shore Wildcats
The Jersey Shore Wildcats were dominant during the regular season led by Brule’s leadership. The Wildcats posted a league-best 40-1-0 record this season, remarkably losing just one game all season. They led the NA3EHL in offense, scoring 217 goals in just 41 games, an average of over five goals a game. At the same time, they had the league’s second-best defense, allowing just 1.92 goals against per game. They also had the league’s top-ranked power play and penalty kill.
2014-15 General Manager of the Year: Frank Vecchio, Lockport Express
On the ice, Vecchio guided the Express to the 2nd place finish in the Western Division during the regular season with a 24-13-3 record. They also handed Jersey Shore their only loss of the season. Off the ice, the Express endeared themselves to their community and got tremendous support this season, leading the league in attendance. The Express also enjoyed the comforts of their new home, the Cornerstone Arena, which opened midway through the season, with the Express hosting one of the league’s Showcases.
2014-15 Organization of the Year: Lockport Express
Led by their Head Coach and General Manager Frank Vecchio, the Express had a great season on and off the ice. In addition to their on-ice success, the Express were a staple in their community, which included such events as a holiday food drive, hosting Santa for the kids at a home game, a charity hockey game involving local policemen and firefighters, post-game skates with fans and kids, development and growth of their youth hockey program and finally the opening and ceremonies surrounding their new state-of-the-art arena.
2014-15 Academic Achievement Award: Lewis Hackling, Wilkes-Barre Miners
2014-15 Community Service Award: Ian McNamara, New England Stars
2014-15 NA3EHL All-Star Team
Forward: Wesley Austin, Roc City Royals
Forward: Nicholas Siracuse, Lockport Express
Forward: Alexandre Racicot, Jersey Shore Wildcats
Defense: John Wise, Roc City Royals
Defense: Arthur Raevsky, Jersey Shore Wildcats
Goalie: Claes Endre, New Hampshire Fighting Spirit
