NORTH ANDOVER — Merrimack College was well represented at the annual Hockey East awards banquet last night.
On the heels of his tremendous debut season, Stephane Da Costa became the first-ever Merrimack player to earn Hockey East Rookie of the Year while coach Mark Dennehy became the first-ever Merrimack coach to earn Bob Kullen Hockey East Coach of the Year, sharing the honors this season with UNH's Dick Umile.
Da Costa was also a finalist for the Player of the Year and was the lone freshman on an all-star team, being named to the second team.
Da Costa dominated Hockey East on the way to 45 points, tied for fourth overall in the league and 19 more than Steven Whitney of BC, who was second among rookies in scoring. Da Costa was the first five-time Hockey East Rookie of the Month in league history.
A candidate for NCAA Rookie of the Year, Da Costa leads all rookies nationally in scoring and points per game and ranks ninth nationally in points per game.
Dennehy has led a major turnaround in his five years at Merrimack. This season, his squad finished 16-19-2, including a 12-3-1 home mark and qualified for the Hockey East playoffs for the first time since 2004.
Despite the Warriors being picked to finish in last place in Hockey East this season in the preseason coaches' poll, Dennehy guided the Warriors to their most since the program moved to Division 1, a sixth-place finish, and their first playoff win since 1998.
UNH's Bobby Butler was named the Player of the Year, while Lowell's Ben Holmstrom earned Best Defensive Forward honors. UMass' Justin Braun was the Old Time Hockey Best Defensive Defenseman. The Hockey East First-Team included goaltender Brian Foster (UNH), defensemen Braun (UMass), Colby Cohen (BU), and Blake Kessel (UNH) and forwards Butler (UNH), Brian Gibbons (BC) and Gustav Nyquist (Maine), who was a unanimous selection.
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