SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Emil Norrman from Buffalo State has been selected as the 2023 SUNYAC Men’s Ice Hockey Scholar Athlete of the Year. This award is nominated and voted on by the conference sports information directors.

Norrman had an excellent final season for the Bengals, culminating in a second team All-SUNYAC selection. The senior finished the year with a 14-9 record and one shutout in goal, earning the SUNYAC Goaltender of the Week award three times. Norrman led the SUNYAC with 824 saves, while also finishing third in the conference with a .929 save percentage. Norrman’s 14 victories this year tied him for third-most wins in a single season by a Bengal goaltender. In the classroom, the business major has a 3.90 cumulative GPA and has earned Dean’s List honors in every semester at Buffalo State.

By Warren Kozireski —

Ten seniors or graduate students dotted the Boston University men’s hockey roster this season, but it was Thornwood native Domenick Fensore who was chosen to wear the “C”.

And no wonder. The 5’9”, 165 lb. defenseman led the Terriers with a career-high 31 points and a career-high 26 assists last season and was named a Hockey East Second Team and a New England Division I All-Star.

He followed up that season by scoring a career-high nine goals this season with three game-winners. His 27 points ranked third in Hockey East among defensemen. And he was fifth on the team in blocked shots.

Fensore helped guide Boston University to a conference championship and won the NCAA Manchester Regional with wins over #9 Western Michigan and #12 Cornell to earn a spot in the school’s 38^th appearance in the Frozen Four.

“Looking at my time over at BU, last year we won a Beanpot but that’s not the goal when you come to BU,” Fensore said at the pre-Frozen Four press conference. “You want to raise as many banners and trophies as you can.

“We want to be remembered here. We want to leave a legacy, be a part of the history. It’s kind of what I wanted to come back and do. We’ve done a great job so far.”

Selected in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by Carolina, Fensore will now likely take his on-ice and leadership ability and move on to the next phase of his hockey career that started with the Mid-Fairfield Rangers, the P.A.L. Islanders and the U.S. National Team Development Program.

“I think for our group, we’re never really satisfied, so we always want more. We always want to get better. I think it starts in practice. We always compete with each other and kind of push each other to become better. And I think that kind of leads to the game.

“And, like, in the regionals there, we wanted more. We had a good game against Western. But then we knew we had a tough test with Cornell. We knew it was going to be tough, knew it was going to be a battle. Especially into these games, we’re never satisfied. We want more.

As with most seniors, there is some reminiscing as their final season winds down and it was now different with the captain. It ended with the 6-2 semi-final loss to Minnesota that included two late empty-net goals.

“It’s been awesome coming to the rink every day and competing with these guys,” Fensore said in the press conference after the loss. “It’s been unbelievable. The way we bought in this year was really fun to see. I think throughout the year you kind of saw guys buy into roles and really understand what it takes to win here. Give it to them, they put their egos aside and wanted to be a part of success. That’s what playing for BU means.

“Everything matters,” that was our motto this year. And it was really cool to see everyone buying into that. It stinks. I’m just not going to be here anymore, not going to be a Terrier, which is crazy. I can’t even put it into words right now. But I’m real excited to see what happens for them in the future.”

(Boston University Athletics/Hockey Photos)

By Warren Kozireski —

Quinnipiac advanced to the Frozen Four for the third time in program history setting the program’s win record with 33 while ranked as the second-stingiest defense in the nation and the fourth ranked penalty kill.

They came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Minnesota in overtime for the first national championship in program history.

A major part of that blueline corp. is senior defenseman CJ McGee from Pearl River.

“I don’t think there’s any feeling like that; kids dream about doing that, dream about playing college hockey in midget and juniors, and you dream about playing in the national championship and the to go and win it in overtime is unbelievable—that was a lot of fun,” McGee said in the celebratory locker room.

A product of the North Jersey Avalanche and Don Bosco Prep for five years, the 6’0”, 181 lb. left shot set career-bests in goals (4) and points (11) more than doubling the combined total from his first three years.

Of course, that comes with playing a collegiate career best 40 games.

McGee took a bit different route to Division I…through Louisiana.

“I played…all my midget years and finished out with the North Jersey Avalanche and then within that last year…I was tendered in Louisiana (Shreveport-NAHL).  At first, I wasn’t going to Louisiana to play, it’s going to be a little bit weird. But it worked out really well. I had probably the best billet family situation I probably could have asked for and had really good roommates and was a lot of fun.”

As for the Frozen Four experience since the Bobcats won the Bridgeport Regional with wins over Merrimack and Ohio State as at-large entry.

“It’s just an unbelievable experience; just getting on the plane is just a blast with just us and the band and the Icecats and then we get off the plane and walk right on the tarmac and there’s a big crowd, playing music, the trophy is there…it’s just so cool.

“And on top of that the weather is just unbelievable—it’s just a little bit warmer here. It’s so hard not to get overwhelmed by the surroundings and what’s going on down here and try to refocus on the games.

“What our whole team is trying to do is embrace the experience, but also be able to dial it in and lock in for the games.

McGee is just one of six seniors or graduate students on the Bobcats blueline. Add six more seniors-plus at forward and the team is not lacking for voices in the room.

“For me and a bunch of other guys on the team, you don’t really need to have a letter on your jersey to be a leader. We have a big crew of older guys who have played big games, whether it’s against Michigan or St. Cloud last year or Minnesota State the year before or go to like North Dakota or Ireland this year, we have veteran experience in these big games, and I think our older guys have been able to lead and show our younger guys the way.”

Part of that leadership is taking on whatever role needed by the team at any time. When injuries hit the Bobcats this season, McGee moved up to forward.

“I played a few games at forward, which I think makes me go a little rogue at times, so I’ve been getting a little too close to the net than I should as a defenseman sometimes. But luckily a bunch of those times it’s just found its way to my stick, and I’ve been able to put it in the back of the net.

“Rand asked me one day if I would be comfortable playing a couple shifts up front and I think he was pretty happy with what I did and thought I could do it a little bit more, and then a little bit more, and then a little bit more, but thankfully our guys are back now.”

McGee got his undergraduate degree in finance and is getting his MBA this year.

“Get through this year and kind of go from there and see what happens.”

(Quinnipiac Athletics/Hockey Photos)