Finalists Announced for 2017-18 Sid Watson Award Given to AHCA Division II-III Men's Player of the Year

Ten players who have distinguished themselves on the ice in 2017-18 have been named finalists for the 2018 Sid Watson Award, given annually to the best NCAA Division II-III men's ice hockey player in the country. Two of the finalists are repeat honorees from last year: University of New England junior forward Brady Fleurent and UMass Boston senior forward Colin Larkin. Eight of the finalists are from the United States and two are from Canada. Two players come from the same hometown of Williamstown, NJ: Utica College senior forward Roman Ammirato and UMass Dartmouth junior forward Jonathan Ruiz.

Sponsored by the American Hockey Coaches Association, the Sid Watson Award honors the memory of former Bowdoin College head coach and athletic director Sid Watson. A three-time AHCA Coach of the Year, Watson served Bowdoin for more than 30 years, winning 326 games in 24 seasons as head coach.

The recipient of this year's Sid Watson Award will be announced on Thursday, March 22, during the 2018 NCAA Division III Men's Championship student-athlete banquet in Lake Placid, NY.

2017-2018 Finalists for the Sid Watson Award

Roman Ammirato, Senior Forward, Utica College
(Williamstown, NJ) UCHC Player of the Year

Logan Day, Junior Defenseman, Endicott College
(Seminole, FL) CCC Player of the Year

Cory Dunn, Junior Defenseman, Adrian College
(Trenton, MI) Two-Time All-American

Brady Fleurent, Junior Forward, U. of New England*
(Biddeford, ME) 2016-17 CCC Player of the Year

Mitchell Herlihey, Senior Forward, Oswego State
(Ottawa, ON) SUNYAC Player of the Year

Tanner Karty, Junior Forward, Wisconsin-Stevens Point
(Oklahoma City, OK) WIAC Player of the Year

Colin Larkin, Senior, Forward, UMass Boston*
(Waterford, MI) NEHC Player of the Year

Connor Rodericks, Sophomore Goaltender, Connecticut College
(Buzzards Bay, MA) NESCAC Player of the Year

Jonathan Ruiz, Junior Forward, UMass Dartmouth
(Williamstown, NJ) MASCAC Player of the Year

Mathew Thompson, Senior Forward, Adrian College
(Bolton, ON) NCHA Player of the Year

* Was also a finalist in 2017

Previous Winners of the Sid Watson Award
AHCA Men's Ice Hockey Division III Player of the Year
1993 Frank Cirone Wisconsin-Stevens Point Forward
1994 Ray Alcindor Middlebury Forward
1995 Charlie Gaffney Bowdoin Forward
1996 Ian Smith Middlebury Defense
1997 Steve Toll RIT Forward
1998 Mark Spence Middlebury Forward
1999 Rob Smillie St. Norbert Forward
2000 Steve Aronson St. Thomas Forward
2001 Keith Aucoin Norwich Forward
2002 Jerry Galway RIT Defense
2003 Maris Ziedins St. Norbert Forward
2004 Kevin Cooper Middlebury Forward
2005 Kurtis McLean Norwich Forward
2006 Adam Hanna St. John's Goalie
2007 Andrew Gallant Manhattanville Goalie
2008 Kyle Jones St. Norbert Goalie
2009 Jeff Landers Amherst Defense
2010 David Martinson Gustavus Adolphus Forward
2011 Chris Berenguer Hamline Defense
2012 Jonathan LaRose Amherst Goalie
2013 Paul Rodrigues SUNY Oswego Forward
2014 David Jacobson St. Norbert Goalie
2015 Drew Fielding St. Thomas Goalie
2016 Jamie Murray Babson Goalie
2017 Evan Buitenhuis Hamilton Goalie