New England D-I Coach Of Year, All-Stars Named

New Hampshire head coach Dick Umile was named Tuesday as the 1999 All-New England Division I Coach of the Year, in balloting conducted by the New England Hockey Writers Association.

Umile coached the Wildcats to their first-ever appearance in the NCAA championship game as well as the Hockey East regular-season title and a school-record 31 victories. He was previously named Hockey East Coach of the Year and is a candidate for the Spencer Penrose Award as national coach of the year.

The writers also named their 1999 All-New England Division I team, headlined by five players who competed in the NCAA title game.

NCAA champion Maine placed two players on the team: forward Steve Kariya and defenseman David Cullen. NCAA runner-up New Hampshire had three players named: 1999 Hobey Baker recipient Jason Krog, defenseman Jayme Filipowicz, and goaltender Ty Conklin. Two players were chosen from NCAA semifinalist and Hockey East tournament champion Boston College: forward Brian Gionta and defenseman Mike Mottau.

Five Hobey Baker finalists were among those chosen: Gionta, Kariya, Krog, Yale forward Jeff Hamilton, and Boston University goaltender Michel Larocque.

Nine of the players named were also members of the East All-America team: Cullen, Filipowicz, Gionta, Hamilton, Kariya, Krog, Larocque, Mottau, and Merrimack forward Rejean Stringer.

Also named to the team were UMass-Lowell defenseman Anthony Cappelletti and Providence forward Mike Omicioli.

The honorees will be recognized along with the writers’ other regional selections at the annual New England Hockey Writers banquet, to be held Wednesday, April 14, in Saugus, Mass.

1998-99 NEW ENGLAND DIVISION I ALL-STAR TEAM

First Team

Goaltender
Michel Larocque, Boston University

Defensemen
David Cullen, Maine
Mike Mottau, Boston College

Forwards
Jason Krog, New Hampshire
Steve Kariya, Maine
Brian Gionta, Boston College

Second Team

Goaltender
Ty Conklin, New Hampshire

Defensemen
Jayme Filipowicz, New Hampshire
Anthony Cappelletti, UMass-Lowell

Forwards
Jeff Hamilton, Yale
Rejean Stringer, Merrimack
Mike Omicioli, Providence