June 9, 2009

LOWELL, Mass. – Frank Stegnar (Toronto, Ont.) was named a Hockey East Top Scholar Athlete for the second straight year and was one of 10 River Hawks named to the 2009 Hockey East All-Academic Team, the league announced Monday.

The honors mark the fifth straight year UMass Lowell has had at least 10 players named to the All-Academic Team. This year’s total is the fifth-most among the 10-member league. Merrimack College had the most with 16 members.

Student-athletes who earn a grade point average of 3.0 or higher in each of the two academic semesters in which they competed receive all-academic honors.

Stegnar was one of two players to be named Hockey East’s Top Scholar Athlete with a 4.0 GPA. Merrimack goaltender Andrew Braithwaite was the other. Stegnar was also named to the Hockey East All-Academic Team for the third year in a row.

Seniors Mark Roebothan (St. John’s, Nfld.) and Nick Monroe (Groton, Mass.) earned Distinguished Scholar status for making the list for the fourth straight year. A Distinguished Scholar is anyone of who achieves a 3.0 GPA or better in each semester of their four years.

Roebothan and Monroe each had outstanding senior seasons for the River Hawks. Roebothan had 19 points overall, with 14 coming over the final 20 games when UMass Lowell went 12-6-2.

Monroe totaled a career-high 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) as a senior and led UML with three shorthanded points. He was one of four River Hawks to score a power play, shorthanded and even strength goal for UML in 2008-09.

In addition to Stegnar, juniors Tommy Powers (Coral Springs, Fla.) and Paul Worthington (Langhorne, Pa.) each made the All-Academic Team for the third straight year.

Juniors Jeremy Dehner (Madison, Wis.) and Jonathan Maniff (Revere, Mass.) were named to the team for the second straight year.

Sophomores Scott Campbell (Navan, Ont.), Jason DeLuca (East Moriches, N.Y.) and Maury Edwards (Rocky Rapids, Alta.) also earned All-Academic Team selections for the second straight year.

Campbell maintained a 3.77 GPA as a Business major. He led the River Hawks in scoring with 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists). He 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) over the final six games of the season and was named to the Hockey East All-Tournament Team.

Edwards had a 3.53 GPA as a business major. The All-Academic Team selection is just the latest of many post season awards for Edwards. The blue liner was named a Second Team All-American, to the Hockey East Second Team All-Star and to the New England Division I Men’s Hockey All-Star team. He was also tabbed for the 2009 Hockey East All-Tournament Team.

The River Hawks finished 20-16-2 overall record in 2008-09. UML finished fifth in Hockey East with a 14-11-2 league mark and advanced to the Hockey East championship game for the second time in program history.

UMass Lowell swept the University of Vermont in the Quarterfinals and knocked out Northeastern, 3-2 in overtime, in the Semifinals to advance to the title match against Boston University.

The River Hawks return the bulk of their team, including leading scorers Campbell and Edwards, and captains Ben Holmstrom (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Barry Goers (Ivyland, Pa.) and Dehner.

2008-09 UMass Lowell Hockey East All-Academic Team Members
Scott Campbell, Business (3.78)
Jeremy Dehner, Business Management (3.24)
Jason DeLuca, Undeclared (3.36)
Maury Edwards, Business (3.54)
Jonathan Maniff, Undeclared (3.37)
Nick Monroe, English (3.38) +
Tommy Powers, Exercise Physiology (3.68)
Mark Roebothan, Marketing and Finance (3.51) +
Frank Stegnar, Business Finance (4.00) *
Paul Worthington, Undeclared (3.18)
* Hockey East Top Scholar Athlete
+ Hockey East Distinguished Scholar