Boston College Athletics
Photo by: John Quackenbos
Miano, Watts Draw Early Hockey East Awards
February 28, 2018 | Women's Hockey
Eagles’ senior defenseman tabbed top defenseman, while freshman forward cops multiple awards
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Two Boston College women's hockey players earned early awards from Hockey East on Wednesday as the league started announcing its 2017-18 honorees.
Senior defenseman Toni Ann Miano was the unanimous selection as the league's Best Defenseman, while freshman Daryl Watts was a unanimous selection to the Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team. Watts also earned Hockey East's Three Stars Award and was officially crowned the league's Scoring Champion.
The conference also announced several other awards on Wednesday, including Best Defensive Forward (UConn's Briana Colangelo), Sportsmanship Award (UConn's Leah Lum), and the Windjammer Best Western Goaltender of the Year (UConn's Annie Belanger). BC senior captain Kenzie Kent was the runner-up for the Sportsmanship Award, while senior assistant captain Katie Burt was the runner-up for the Goaltender of the Year honor.
The Cammi Granato Award for the Player of the Year, Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, as well as the First- and Second-Team All-Stars, plus the honorable mention selections, will be announced on Friday night at the annual Hockey East Tournament Banquet.
Miano anchored the league's top defense, was the conference's top-scoring blue liner and finished seventh in scoring overall.
BC's defense allowed 1.92 goals per game and a league-low 46 goals in 24 games, topping second-place Maine by a quarter of a goal (2.17 goals per game). Additionally, despite recording the league's most penalty minutes this year (228), BC had Hockey East's second-best penalty kill at 87.1 percent.
Offensively, Miano led all conference blue liners with 23 points in 24 league games, scoring 12 goals and adding 11 assists. Her +22 plus/minus mark was third-best in the league and tops among defensemen, and she also finished tied for seventh in league goals and tied for eighth in power-play points (8).
This marks the sixth straight year a Boston College defender has won the Best Defenseman Award: Blake Bolden in 2013, Emily Pfalzer in 2014 and 2015, Megan Keller in 2016 and 2017 and now Miano in 2018.
Watts posted one of the best seasons in Hockey East history, matching the Hockey East single-season points (55) and goals (30) records, last set in 2015-16. She also added 25 assists, which marked the fifth-highest total in single-season history.
Watts led the league in scoring by six points over teammate Caitrin Lonergan (49 points), and also had a nine-goal lead in goals. She was third in the league in assists behind Lonergan and teammate Makenna Newkirk. Additionally, Watts' eight power-play goals were tied as the league's top mark, and she also shared the league lead in shorthanded points (three goals, one assist).
Among freshmen scorers, Watts' 55 points more than doubled over the next closest player, Providence's Maureen Murphy, who had 22 points in league action. Murphy, as well as Maine defenseman Anna Zikova were also unanimous selections to the All-Rookie Team. UNH goaltender Ava Boutilier, Boston University goaltender Corinne Schroeder, BU forward Jesse Compher, Northeastern forward Veronika Pettey and UConn forward Natalie Snodgrass rounded out the Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team.
In 24 league games this year, Watts was chosen among the contest's top three players 15 different times. She was named the No. 1 star of the game 11 times, the No. 2 star twice and the No. 3 star twice.
Watts' placements on the All-Rookie Team mark the 18th All-Rookie honor under current head coach Katie Crowley. BC has played at least one Eagle on the All-Rookie Team every year since 2008-09, Crowley's second year behind the bench.
Third-ranked Boston College (30-3-3, 19-2-3 Hockey East) returns to the ice on Saturday, March 3 when the top-seeded Eagles face seventh-seeded Connecticut in the Hockey East Tournament semifinals. Faceoff is set for 1:30 p.m. at Northeastern's Matthews Arena. The winner of the BC-UConn semifinal will meet the winner of the Maine-Northeastern semifinal at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 4, in the Hockey East Championship game at Matthews Arena.
Senior defenseman Toni Ann Miano was the unanimous selection as the league's Best Defenseman, while freshman Daryl Watts was a unanimous selection to the Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team. Watts also earned Hockey East's Three Stars Award and was officially crowned the league's Scoring Champion.
The conference also announced several other awards on Wednesday, including Best Defensive Forward (UConn's Briana Colangelo), Sportsmanship Award (UConn's Leah Lum), and the Windjammer Best Western Goaltender of the Year (UConn's Annie Belanger). BC senior captain Kenzie Kent was the runner-up for the Sportsmanship Award, while senior assistant captain Katie Burt was the runner-up for the Goaltender of the Year honor.
The Cammi Granato Award for the Player of the Year, Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, as well as the First- and Second-Team All-Stars, plus the honorable mention selections, will be announced on Friday night at the annual Hockey East Tournament Banquet.
Miano anchored the league's top defense, was the conference's top-scoring blue liner and finished seventh in scoring overall.
BC's defense allowed 1.92 goals per game and a league-low 46 goals in 24 games, topping second-place Maine by a quarter of a goal (2.17 goals per game). Additionally, despite recording the league's most penalty minutes this year (228), BC had Hockey East's second-best penalty kill at 87.1 percent.
Offensively, Miano led all conference blue liners with 23 points in 24 league games, scoring 12 goals and adding 11 assists. Her +22 plus/minus mark was third-best in the league and tops among defensemen, and she also finished tied for seventh in league goals and tied for eighth in power-play points (8).
This marks the sixth straight year a Boston College defender has won the Best Defenseman Award: Blake Bolden in 2013, Emily Pfalzer in 2014 and 2015, Megan Keller in 2016 and 2017 and now Miano in 2018.
Watts posted one of the best seasons in Hockey East history, matching the Hockey East single-season points (55) and goals (30) records, last set in 2015-16. She also added 25 assists, which marked the fifth-highest total in single-season history.
Watts led the league in scoring by six points over teammate Caitrin Lonergan (49 points), and also had a nine-goal lead in goals. She was third in the league in assists behind Lonergan and teammate Makenna Newkirk. Additionally, Watts' eight power-play goals were tied as the league's top mark, and she also shared the league lead in shorthanded points (three goals, one assist).
Among freshmen scorers, Watts' 55 points more than doubled over the next closest player, Providence's Maureen Murphy, who had 22 points in league action. Murphy, as well as Maine defenseman Anna Zikova were also unanimous selections to the All-Rookie Team. UNH goaltender Ava Boutilier, Boston University goaltender Corinne Schroeder, BU forward Jesse Compher, Northeastern forward Veronika Pettey and UConn forward Natalie Snodgrass rounded out the Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team.
In 24 league games this year, Watts was chosen among the contest's top three players 15 different times. She was named the No. 1 star of the game 11 times, the No. 2 star twice and the No. 3 star twice.
Watts' placements on the All-Rookie Team mark the 18th All-Rookie honor under current head coach Katie Crowley. BC has played at least one Eagle on the All-Rookie Team every year since 2008-09, Crowley's second year behind the bench.
Third-ranked Boston College (30-3-3, 19-2-3 Hockey East) returns to the ice on Saturday, March 3 when the top-seeded Eagles face seventh-seeded Connecticut in the Hockey East Tournament semifinals. Faceoff is set for 1:30 p.m. at Northeastern's Matthews Arena. The winner of the BC-UConn semifinal will meet the winner of the Maine-Northeastern semifinal at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 4, in the Hockey East Championship game at Matthews Arena.
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