SUNYAC Releases 2026 Men's Ice Hockey Individual Awards
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The SUNYAC announces its 2026 men's ice hockey top awards which are nominated and voted on by the conference coaches. The honors include the Herb Hammond Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Goaltender of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Coaching Staff of the Year.
The SUNYAC men's ice hockey final is set for Saturday, March 7 at 7 p.m. with No. 2 Oswego traveling to No. 1 Hobart. Full Bracket
Herb Hammond Player of the Year and Goaltender of the Year - Damon Beaver, Hobart
Beaver has been voted the 2026 Herb Hammond Player of the Year and the Goaltender of the Year. He led the league with 10 conference wins in goal and a .953 save percentage. Beaver had a season high 28 saves against Canton on January 30. He currently has 298 saves overall and is No. 1 with a .952 save percentage and 0.95 goals against average allowing just 15 goals across 17 games. Beaver is undefeated in the net with 17 overall wins including six shutouts as he heads into the conference championship.
Herb Hammond coached at Oswego (1969-80) and Plattsburgh (1981-83), compiling a 176-122-5 mark for the Lakers and a 52-17-4 record for the Cardinals. He was named the 1982 Division III Coach of the Year. From 1983-88, Hammond coached at Division I Brown University before leaving coaching to become a National Hockey League scout for 11 seasons. Hammond passed away on July 22, 2009.
Defensive Player of the Year - Conor Lally, Hobart
Lally was top in the league with a +34 on-ice goal differential in 18 conference games. He totaled 25 points with seven goals and 18 assists in league competition. Overall Lally also leads the league with a +44 on-ice goal differential. He contributed 35 points (12 goals and 23 assists) and 12 blocks in 27 games so far this season. The Statesmen will faceoff with Oswego in the SUNYAC final on Saturday to earn an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.
Rookie of the Year - Lucas Signoretti, Buffalo State
Signoretti contributed 20 points with 10 goals and 10 assists in conference competition in his first year playing for the Bengals. He had a season high four goals on February 14 and a season high 2 assists on January 30. Overall he had 28 points on 13 goals and 15 assists in 25 games played. He was named the SUNYAC Rookie of the Week two times this season. Signoretti and his team earned a spot in the SUNYAC quarterfinals as the No. 7 seed, but did not advance. Buffalo State ended its season 9-16-1 overall.
Coaching Staff of the Year - Hobart
Head coach Mark Taylor is assisted by Alec Marsh, Joel Stoneham and Victor Cutting. The staff led their team to clinch the No. 1 seed after going undefeated in regular season conference play, 18-0, in their first season competing in the SUNYAC. The Statesman earned eight spots on the All-SUNYAC team including the Player of the Year, the Goaltender of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year. Hobart will host No. 2 Oswego in the SUNYAC final, Saturday, March 7 at 7 p.m. The team is currently undefeated with a 27-0 overall record.
