Six Gulls Receive CCC Postseason Honors; Kurapov & Tolan Claim Major Awards
BEVERLY, Mass. — Six members of the No. 4 nationally ranked Endicott men’s ice hockey team have earned Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) postseason honors, as announced by the league office earlier today.
BEVERLY, Mass. — Six members of the No. 4 nationally ranked Endicott men's ice hockey team have earned Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) postseason honors, as announced by the league office earlier today.
Junior forward Andrew Kurapov (Corvallis, Ore.) and head coach R.J. Tolan headlined the group of award winners.
Kurapov garnered CCC Co-Player of the Year and All-CCC First Team honors, while Tolan was named the CCC Coach of the Year for the third time in his career.
The Gulls also saw Jackson Sterrett (Hendersonville, Tenn.) and Cam Speck (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) chosen to the All-CCC Second Team.
Zach Mazur (Lancaster, N.Y.) and Matt Giroux (Bedford, N.H.) rounded out the list of award winners with selections to the All-CCC Third Team.
ANDREW KURAPOV | JR. | F
Kurapov is now the third student-athlete in program history to claim CCC Player of the Year honors joining defenseman Logan Day (Seminole, Fla.) and goaltender Conor O'Brien (Pinellas Park, Fla.) on the list.
Kurapov also is the first student-athlete in CCC men's ice hockey history to earn Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year accolades during their career.
In 25 games played this season, Kurapov has compiled 13 goals (1 PPG, 3 GWG) and 17 assists for 30 points.
Kurapov currently ranks second on the team in power play points with 11 total (1 G, 9 A) and sports a plus-20 rating.
His CCC ranks include the following categories/stats: goals (7th), assists (8th), points (7th), +/- (10th), and game-winning goals (4th).
This is Kurapov's second career All-CCC selection (second team, 2021-22).
R.J. TOLAN | HEAD COACH
Tolan led the Gulls to their third CCC championship in program history behind a 22-2-2 overall mark and a league-record 18 wins (18-1-2) this season.
It also marks the fourth 20-win campaign in program history (2016-17, 2019-20, 2021-22, 2022-23), all under his guidance.
Overall, Tolan has won four Coach of the Year honors during his time at Endicott (2015-16, ECAC Northeast; 2016-17, 2019-20, 2022-23 CCC).
His efforts, along with the rest of the staff, have positioned Endicott as high as No. 3 overall in the USCHO national rankings and No. 1 in the PairWise rankings on multiple occasions during the 2022-23 campaign.
Among their NCAA Division III peers, the Gulls currently rank in the top-15 in the following categories: penalty kill percentage (11th, .887), power play percentage (6th, .278), scoring defense (3rd, 1.50), scoring margin (3rd, 2.85), scoring offense (4th, 4.35), team assists (186, 8th), team points (7th, 299), and winning percentage (3rd, .885).
Tolan's coaching records are as follows: 141-42-12 (.754) overall at Endicott, 96-27-6 (.757) conference-only at Endicott, 269-116-28 (.685) career record in 16 seasons.
JACKSON STERRETT | JR. | F
In 25 games played this season, Sterrett has produced 12 goals (4 PPG, 2 GWG, 1 GTG) and 15 assists for 27 points and a plus-26 rating.
His CCC ranks include the following categories/stats: goals (10th), assists (12th), points (12th), +/- (3rd), power play goals (11th), game-winning goals (11th).
This is Sterrett's first career All-CCC selection.
CAM SPECK | JR. | D
Speck has played a major role in Endicott's league-leading 1.48 goals against average (GAA) figure this season.
The Gulls also lead the rest of the CCC in the category for conference-only games at 1.38.
In 26 games played, Speck has sparked the offense as well with three goals and eight assists for 11 points. His plus-22 rating also is positioned sixth overall in the CCC, while his 27 blocked shots rank second on the team.
This is Speck's first career All-CCC honor.
ZACH MAZUR | SR. | F
In 25 games played, Mazur has potted 13 goals (6 PPG, 2 GWG) and dished 11 assists for 24 points.
Mazur ranks third on the team in power play points with nine total (6G, 3A) alongside a plus-11 rating.
His CCC ranks include the following categories/stats: goals (7th), assists (25th), points (16th), power play goals (2nd), and game-winning goals (11th).
This is Mazur's third career CCC postseason honor (third team, 2021-22; Rookie of the Year, 2019-20).
MATT GIROUX | SR. | D
Giroux's plus-27 rating this season tops all Gulls' skaters and ranks second overall in the conference.
In 22 games played, Giroux has accumulated two goals and four assists for six points. He also ranks third on the team with 22 blocked shots.
Giroux's impact on the defensive end was just as instrumental to Endicott's league-leading 1.48 GAA figure this season.
This is his first career All-CCC selection.
WHAT'S NEXT
No. 4 Endicott (22-2-2) hosts the winner of Plattsburgh State/Norwich in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals on Saturday, March 18.
For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
(Photo Credit - David Le '10)