Jimmy Vesey Named Ivy League Player of the Year

Jimmy Vesey will enter the ECAC tournament this weekend with another accolade to his name.

Four days after the junior forward clinched the ECAC Hockey scoring crown, the Ivy League named Vesey its 2014-2015 Player of the Year Thursday. The league also recognized linemate and junior co-captain Kyle Criscuolo, fourth-year defenseman Patrick McNally, junior defenseman Desmond Bergin, co-captain defenseman Max Everson, and fourth-year goaltender Steve Michalek.

Vesey is the ninth Harvard player to win the award since the 1979-1980 season and the first since 2000, when senior goaltender J.R. Prestifilippo received top honors. Vesey’s win, coming on the heels of an All-Ivy Rookie of the Year award in his freshman season, snaps the Crimson’s longest drought since 1980.

The Boston native finished the regular season on Saturday with 22 goals and 22 assists to lead all Division I players in goals per game (0.76). His 1.52 points per game are good for third-best in the country.

A Nashville Predators draft pick, Vesey was one of four unanimous selections to the Ivy League’s first team. Harvard’s last first team selections were defenseman Danny Biega ’13 and forward Alex Killorn ’12 during the 2011-2012 season.

After Vesey, the Ivy League’s next-highest scorer this season was Criscuolo, who received Second Team All-Ivy honors. The New Jersey product tied with Vesey for the most assists among Ivy players and added a career-high 15 goals.

Despite a season shortened by injury, fourth-year defenseman Patrick McNally was also recognized on the Second Team. Among Ancient Eight blue liners, McNally led all in points per game and finished just two total points off the pace set by first team selection Rob O’Gara, who played in 29 games to McNally’s 15.

Outside the first and second teams, the Ivy League recognized three players as Honorable Mention All-Ivy. All three wear Crimson: Everson, Bergin, and Michalek. Everson and Bergin have anchored the Crimson’s top two defensive pairs all season while Michalek has been the team’s answer in net, setting a Beanpot single-game saves record in the process.

Yale coach Keith Allain won the inaugural All-Ivy Coach of the Year award as the Bulldogs placed three players on the first team. Yale freshman Ryan Hitchcock was the league’s unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year.

HARVARD ALL-IVY PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

1982-1983 Mark Fusco, D

1983-1984 Grant Blair, G

1984-1985 Scott Fusco, F

1985-1986 Scott Fusco, F

1989-1990 C.J. Young, F

1990-1991 Peter Ciavaglia, F

1992-1993 Ted Drury, F

1993-1994 Steve Martins, F

1999-2000 J.R. Prestifilippo, G

2014-2015 Jimmy Vesey, F