BEVERLY – Three members of the Endicott men’s ice hockey team will be honored at the New England Hockey Writers Association (NEHWA) Reception on Wednesday, April 19.
Later this month, senior defenseman Kevin Craig (Hyannis) will receive the J. Thom Lawler Award, which is sponsored by the Eastern Massachusetts Hockey Officials Association (EMHOA).
R.J. Tolan has also been named the NEHWA Division II/III Men’s Coach of the Year, while Andrew Kurapov (Corvallis, Ore.) was selected to the association’s Division II/III Men’s All-Stars Team.
KEVIN CRAIG | SR. | D
In 23 games played this season, Craig dished out six assists and finished with a +15 plus/minus rating to lead the Gulls to their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament Semifinal Round.
His steady play on the backend aided Endicott to the following top-10 NCAA Division III rankings: penalty kill percentage (No. 10, .886), scoring defense (No. 2, 1.50), and scoring margin (No. 4, 2.68).
Academically, Craig currently sports a 3.62 cumulative grade point average (GPA) as a business management major.
The J. Thom Lawler Award is presented annually at the NEHWA reception by the EMHOA to a student-athlete that might not be the “star”, leading scorer, or top defenseman/goalie, but a student-athlete that every coach needs on their game-day roster.
The award is given to a team leader who leads by example on and off the ice, is a hard worker with heart, and is willing to make sacrifices for the good of their team, program, and communities.
“Kevin is a great person from a great family that has made Endicott a better place since the day I saw a video of him taking batting practice at Proctor Academy,” said Tolan. “Kevin is a great athlete, competitor, and an even better person!”
RJ TOLAN | HEAD COACH
Tolan guided this year’s squad to a 23-3-2 overall record and an 18-1-2 mark in conference play.
The Gulls captured their third conference championship in program history (2016-17, 2019-20, 2022-23) with a 6-0 victory over No. 5 Curry on March 4.
Endicott followed that win with a 3-0 triumph over No. 9 Norwich in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal Round to secure a spot in the national semifinals for the first time in program/school history.
The Gulls ultimately fell to eventual national champion No. 2 Hobart, 3-1, at home, marking the first time in College history an NCAA Division National Championship was hosted on the seaside campus.
As a team, Endicott was consistently ranked No. 1 in the PairWise Rankings this season and finished the year positioned No. 3 on the final USCHO.com Poll.
Tolan has amassed a 142-43-12 (.751) overall record and 96-27-6 (.767) conference mark in eight years as the program’s varsity head coach (ninth overall, coached club in 2014-15).
The Gulls have produced four 20-plus win seasons (2016-17, 2019-20, 2021-22, 2022-23) and punched their ticket to NCAA Tournament three times in program history.
Tolan also was named a finalist for the Edward Jeremiah Award, which is given annually to the College Division Men’s Ice Hockey Coach of the Year, for the fourth time in his Endicott career earlier this season.
Lastly, under his tutelage at Endicott, 11 student-athletes have signed pro contracts, advancing as high up in the pro ranks to the American Hockey League (AHL).
ANDREW KURAPOV | JR. | F
In 27 games played this season, Kurapov compiled 13 goals (3 GWG, 1 PPG) and 18 assists for 31 points.
He also finished the year with a +22 plus/minus rating.
Among his NCAA Division III peers, Kurapov concluded the season ranked No. 59 in assists per game (0.67), No. 25 in game-winning goals, No. 71 in goals per game (0.48), and No. 44 in points per game (1.15).
Kurapov’s postseason awards from this season now include Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Co-Player of the Year honors, All-CCC First Team accolades, CCM/AHCA All-America East First Team laurels, All-USCHO First Team honors, and a selection to the Sid Watson Award (AHCA DII/DIII Player of the Year) finalist list.
YEAR IN REVIEW
Endicott posted a 23-3-2 overall record and an 18-1-2 conference mark this past season. The Gulls also finished the year ranked No. 3 nationally. For a full recap of achievements from this season click here: 2022-23 Season Highlights
