Dov Tapped for Walter Brown Award

Time to clear some more mantle-space in the Grumet-Morris household.

Yesterday, the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston declared Harvard’s senior goaltender, Dov Grumet-Morris, the recipient of the 53rd Walter Brown Award, which annually honors the best American-born collegiate hockey player in New England.

Ted Donato ’91, coach of the No. 8 Crimson, called winning the Walter Brown “a tremendous achievement.”

“It’s well-deserved,” Donato said. “The type of season he’s had, he’s been our MVP, and he’s been the best player on the ice for us throughout the season. It’s nice to see him get recognized.”

Grumet-Morris’ 1.53 goals against average places him second nationally, and his .949 save percentage is tops.

The Evanston, Ill., native has amassed 22 two-goals-or-fewer games, six of which were shutouts—a single-season Harvard record.

He has allowed more than three goals just once this season, and over the course of the last seven games, he has given up just eight goals.

“Obviously, it’s a prestigious award,” Grumet-Morris said after practice yesterday, “and I’m very humbled by receiving it, because there are a lot of overqualified candidates for it this year.”

Among those final 15 candidates were teammates Noah Welch and Tom Cavanagh.

But it was Jason Guerriero, captain of Northeastern, whom Grumet-Morris beat to secure the Walter Brown.

Tim Costello, chairman of the committee, indicated in a press release that though this year’s field was strong, “Dov Grumet-Morris emerged as a particularly outstanding candidate for his superb performance this year and throughout his college years, both on the ice and in his academic work.”

Grumet-Morris, a three-time ECAC All-Academic selection, was writing a dual-concentration thesis throughout the season, but he managed to secure the school records for career shutouts (11), career minutes (6,582:02), and shutouts in a single season (6), among other marks.

“[Grumet-Morris] represents so many things that are good about college hockey,” Donato said, “on and off the ice.”

The Crimson’s last honoree was Lane MacDonald ’89, who won the 37th Walter Brown. Grumet-Morris is Harvard’s ninth recipient.

The senior, recognized as a legitimate Hobey Baker candidate, will take sole possession of Harvard’s career-games mark with 112 this Friday, when the Crimson faces Colgate in the semifinals of the ECAC tournament. Grumet-Morris is already the tournament’s winningest goaltender, both in one playoff year (6-0 last season) and in a career (15-1-0 thus far). The netminder will receive his hardware on April 13, at the New England Hockey Writers’ dinner.

“It’s a great honor,” said classmate and assistant captain Ryan Lannon. “He’s been there for us since day one...so he deserves it.”

—Staff writer Rebecca A. Seesel can be reached at seesel@fas.harvard.edu.