Matt O’Dea Named Joe Concannon Award Semifinalist for Second Consecutive Season
Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Release
Orland Park, Ill. native leads Golden Bears with 23 points (14 goals, 9 assists)
BOSTON, Mass. (February 7, 2019) – For the second straight season, senior forward Matt O'Dea (Orland Park, Ill.) of the Western New England University ice hockey team has been selected as a semifinalist for the 19th Joe Concannon Award, the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston announced on Thursday morning.
The Joe Concannon Award is presented annually by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston to the best American-born NCAA Division II/III hockey player in New England. The award was established in 2001 shortly after the passing of the longtime writer for The Boston Globe, who had a great passion for the game of college hockey while always advocating strongly for amateur athletics.
O'Dea leads Western New England and ranks 12th in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) with 23 points (14 goals, nine assists) this season. In 93 career contests, O'Dea has compiled 79 points with 43 goals and 36 assists.
Of the 25 nominees, O'Dea is among nine student-athletes that were semifinalists last season. Eighteen teams are represented in this year's list of candidates that includes eight players from the CCC, seven from the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), six from the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC), three from the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC), and one from the Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10). The list of nominees includes 17 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies.
The Gridiron Club will announce the finalists and winner of the 19th Joe Concannon Award in March, following league playoffs and before the start of the NCAA D-III Frozen Four. The award will be presented to the winner at the New England College Hockey Writers' Dinner in April.
Western New England (7-15, 2-12 CCC) travels to Milton, Mass. to face Curry College on Friday night, before returning to West Springfield to host the Colonels at the Olympia Ice Center on Saturday night. The Golden Bears wrap up their 2018-19 campaign at home against Endicott on Saturday, February 16.
