March 16, 2016

By Dan Colleran

WAKEFIELD, Mass. — Senior forward Sam Herr and freshman defenseman Bobby Nardella picked up Hockey East honors on Wednesday (March 16) as the conference announced its first round of award winners. The Hockey East head coaches voted Herr as the league’s Best Defensive Forward, while Nardella was named to the All-Rookie team.

Herr has played in all 36 games for the Irish this season, scoring 10 goals and adding eight assists for 18 points. In Hockey East games, he scored six goals and had four assists for 10 points to go along with a +3 rating. A regular on the penalty kill, Herr has also blocked 24 shots and his four game-winning goals lead the team.

In the 15 games in which Herr has notched at least one point this season, the Irish are 12-0-3. He is the first Notre Dame player to earn Hockey East Defensive Forward of the Year honors.

Herr has played in 131 career games, scoring 36 goals and adding 28 assists for 64 points. The two-way forward has served as an alternate captain for each of the past two seasons and he has scored nine career game-winning goals.

Nardella has skated in 34 of Notre Dame’s 36 games this season and ranks tied for fifth on the team with 24 points on four goals and 20 assists. A regular on the Irish power play, Nardella scored one power-play goal and added nine power-play assists. In Hockey East play, he scored three goals and added 11 assists for 15 points.

Among defensemen, Nardella is one the nation’s leading scorers. His 24 points rank tied for 14th nationally (tied for third among freshmen defensemen), while his 20 assists are tied for 10th nationally among defensemen.

Nardella is the third Notre Dame player to earn Hockey East All-Rookie Team honors, joining Cal Petersen (2015) and Vince Hinostroza (2014).

The remaining Hockey East honors, including the All-Star teams, the Rookie of the Year, the Player of the Year and the Coach of the Year awards, will be announced at the League’s annual banquet on Thursday night (March 17).

Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team
D: Casey Fitzgerald, BC (N. Reading, Mass.)
D: Charlie McAvoy, BU (Long Beach, N.Y.)
D: Bobby Nardella, ND (Rosemont, Ill.)
F: Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, BU (Stockholm, Sweden)
F: Max Letunov, UConn (Moscow, Russia)
F: Colin White, BC (Hanover, Mass.)

Old Time Hockey Best Defensive Defenseman Award
Steve Santini, Boston College (Jr., D; Mahopac, N.Y.)

Gladiator Custom Mouthguards Best Defensive Forward
Sam Herr, Notre Dame (Sr., F; Hinsdale, Ill.)

Len Ceglarski Sportsmanship Award
Joe Gambardella, UMass Lowell (Jr., Staten Island, N.Y.)

Army ROTC Three Stars Award
Kevin Boyle, UMass Lowell (Sr., G; Manalapan, N.J.)

Hockey East Scoring Champion
Andrew Poturalski (12-19-31), New Hampshire (Jr., F; Williamsville, N.Y.)

Stop It Goaltending Goaltending Champion
Kevin Boyle, UMass Lowell (Sr., G; Manalapan, N.J.)
Runner-up: Cal Petersen, Notre Dame (So., G; Waterloo, Iowa.)

Charlie Holt Team Sportsmanship Award
Northeastern

— ND —

Dan Colleran, associate athletics communications director at the University of Notre Dame, has been a part of Fighting Irish Media since August 2015 and coordinates all media and publicity efforts surrounding the Notre Dame hockey and men’s golf programs. A native of Walpole, Massachusetts, Colleran spent the previous three years working with the men’s hockey and soccer programs at Providence College. Colleran also spent two years as an Assistant Executive Director of Communications & Championships at the Ivy League and is a graduate of Providence College (’06 & ’08G).