GENESEO, N.Y. - SUNY Geneseo senior forward Conlan Keenan and head coach Chris Schultz were each named finalists for separate awards by the American Hockey Coaches' Association (AHCA) on Saturday. Keenan was named a finalist for the Sid Watson Award (NCAA Division III Men's Player of the Year) while Schultz was named a finalist for the Ed Jeremiah Award (NCAA Division III Coach of the Year).
AHCA SID WATSON AWARD RELEASE | AHCA ED JEREMIAH AWARD RELEASE
Keenan was named State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Herb Hammond Player of the Year for the second season in a row. He scored 22 goals and handed out 28 assists for 50 points in just 27 games this season, ranking third in NCAA Division III in goals, fourth in goals scored per game, third in points and fourth in points per game. Keenan also scored a team-high five game-winning goals, tied for fourth in the nation. In four years as a Knight, Keenan has played in 110 games, scoring 86 goals and handing out 86 assists for 172 points and closed the 2019-20 campaign as NCAA Division III's active leading scorer in his career. A three-time first-team All-SUNYAC selection, Keenan was an All-American in 2018 and 2019. He ranks third all-time in Geneseo history with 86 career goals and seventh all-time with 172 career points. Keenan has the chance to become the second-consecutive Knight to win the Sid Watson Award after Devin McDonald '20 was named national player of the year a season ago, becoming the first Geneseo player ever to earn the honor.
In his 14th season, Geneseo head coach Chris Schultz led the Knights to their third-consecutive SUNYAC Championship, finishing the season with a record of 22-3-2, including a 13-1-2 mark in conference play. The Knights earned an automatic-qualifying bid to the NCAA Tournament where they received a first-round bye and were scheduled to host the national quarterfinals. Schultz and his assistants Kris Heeres and Dan Loughran earned SUNYAC Coaching Staff of the Year while senior forward Conlan Keenan earned SUNYAC Herb Hammond Player of the Year and junior goaltender Aaron Mackay was named SUNYAC Co-Goaltender of the Year. Schultz commanded the nation's top offense as Geneseo averaged 5.11 goals per game, while senior forward Andrew Romano led the country in points (56) and assists (42). Geneseo also owned the fourth-ranked scoring defense in the nation, allowing just 1.93 goals per game, the country's largest scoring margin (+3.19 goals per game) and deadliest power play with a Division III best 48 power play goals on 149 opportunities (32.2%, third in NCAA Division III). The Knights are the only team in NCAA Division III hockey to boast four active players with 100 career points as senior forwards Conlan Keenan (172), Andrew Romano (171), David Szmyd (108) and Tyson Empey (103) each reached the milestone. A two-time Ed Jeremiah Award winner, Schultz was named national coach of the year in 2014 and 2016.
The AHCA will announce its major award winners on Friday, March 27.
