Megan Keller Voted Hockey East Player of the Year

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Boston College senior defenseman Megan Keller won the Cammi Granato Award as Hockey East's Player of the year on Friday night, being voted the league's top player by the conference coaches for the second time in her career.

Additionally, several other Eagles were recognized at the annual Hockey East Tournament Banquet, held in conjunction with the Hockey East Championship weekend.

Keller was a unanimous Hockey East First Team-All Star - the fourth time in her career earning a spot on the first team - while Daryl Watts earned a spot on the Hockey East Second Team All-Star squad and Cayla Barnes, Kali Flanagan and Caitrin Lonergan were voted to the third team. Captain Makenna Newkirk was named to the Honorable Mention squad. Earlier this week, Keller was unanimously named the league's Best Defenseman and took home the Three Stars Award while Newkirk was voted the Best Defensive Forward and Barnes and Kelly Browne were selections to the Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team.

Keller posted one of the best regular seasons in league history after setting the single-season points (37) and goals record (16) for a defender. The captain now holds the conference career and single-season points, goals and assists records by a defender. The Patty Kazmaier Award Top-3 Finalist was named the Hockey East Player of the Month for January and has also earned two Player of the Week awards and a Defensive Player of the Week award. Her 16-21-37 scoring line in Hockey East play was good for a tie for third overall while her plus-36 was tops. Keller led the league with five power-play goals in conference play and her five game-winning goals ranked second. She becomes the third player – and only blue liner – to be recognized as the top player in the league multiple times, joining Kelli Stack '11 (2007. 2009, 2011) and Alex Carpenter '16 (2013, 2015).

Overall, Watts posted 33 points in conference play on 15 goals and 18 assists to finish fifth overall in league scoring. The sophomore, who is tied with Keller for the team lead overall with 42 (19-23-42), potted three game-winning goals in conference play and assisted on two others. Her 4.44 shots on goal per game total was sixth in the league and she was a plus-19.

Lonergan finished conference play with 29 points off of 11 goals and 18 assists, good for seventh overall. The junior's .613 face-off winning percentage was fourth overall and second among payers with at least 200 face-offs taken. She averaged 4.62 shots on goal per game in Hockey East play and finished a plus-19. Lonergan was a first-team selection last season and All-Rookie two years ago. Flanagan, a 2017 Hockey Eat All-Star Honorable Mention honoree, earns her third-team nod after finishing the conference slate with 16 points on three goals and 13 assists while blocking 41 shots – tied for 10th among defenders and second overall for BC – and plus-15. The Burlington, Mass. native had five power-play points, including two goals.

Barnes blocked 43 shots in Hockey East play to lead BC and sit second among Hockey East rookies and seventh overall. Her eight power-play points in conference play tied for seventh overall and second among first-year players. Barnes led all rookie defenders in conference scoring (3-13-16) and tied for fourth overall among all rookies. Her 21 total points on the year is tied for 16th in the country among first-year players. Barnes was a unanimous All-Rookie squad selection.

Newkirk earns her Honorable Mention nod after leading league forwards with 42 blocks in conference and also sitting sixth with a face-off winning percentage of .598. The captain put up eight points and 19 goals for 27 points in Hockey East play, 10th overall, while finishing a plus-14. Nine of her points came on the power play, good for a tie for fifth, while she assisted on four-game winning goals. Newkirk's overall season-average of 1.50 blocks per game ranks 12th in the country.

Newkirk is the Hockey East active career point leader with 113 on 37 goals and 76 assists while Keller is second with 111 points on 31 goals and 80 assists. Keller finishes her career second overall in career assists with 80, trailing Alex Carpenter '16's 84, while Newkirk's 76 tie with Northeastern's Kendall Coyne for third.

BC, the second seed in the Hockey East tournament, will battle the third-seeded Boston University Terriers on Saturday, March 9 in the semifinals. Faceoff is set for 4:35 p.m. at Providence's Schneider Arena.

Megan Keller Voted Hockey East Player of the Year

Players Mentioned

Cayla Barnes

Kelly Browne

Kali Flanagan

Megan Keller

Caitrin Lonergan

Makenna Newkirk

Daryl Watts

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