BOSTON - Freshman Lane Hutson and head coach Jay Pandolfo of the Boston University men's ice hockey team each won major awards from the the New England Hockey Writers Association, as announced on Friday.

Hutson was selected as the region's Division I Most Valuable Player while Pandolfo was chosen as New England Coach of the Year honors. Hutson also received the George Carens Award as the top rookie and the Bob Monahan Award as the top defenseman.

In addition to those major awards, seniors Matt Brown and Domenick Fensore joined Hutson as New England Division I All-Stars. The trio of Hockey East First Team All-Stars were all instrumental in helping BU reach the Frozen Four.

A native of North Barrington, Illinois, Hutson was the best defenseman in the nation regardless of class this season. The Walter Brown Award winner as the top American-born player in New England, Hutson surpassed Leetch as the highest-scoring freshman defenseman in Hockey East history, totaling 48 points on 15 goals and 33 assists, one better than Leetch's 47 (9g, 38a). Hutson's 48 points is the most by a freshman blue liner since 1986-87 and he enters the Frozen Four ranked fifth all-time among freshman defensemen in points. Nationally, Hutson leads all defensemen in both goals (15) and points (48). He ranks seventh among all skaters in total points and sixth in the nation in points per game. Hutson is also tied for sixth overall with 33 assists and is first among freshman defensemen in plus-minus as a plus-28.

Brown enjoyed the best season of his collegiate career in 2022-23. He is tied for 10th in the NCAA with 46 points thanks to 16 goals and 30 assists, all of which are career highs. Brown has had a big impact during the Terriers' run to the Frozen Four, as he provided the primary assist on the game-winning goal in last weekend's NCAA regional final and also lit the lamp in the regional semifinal. In addition, Brown had the primary assist on Hutson's goal in overtime of the Hockey East title game. Three of Brown's 11 multi-point efforts this season were four-point performances, with all three coming against league foes. For his career, Brown has notched 37 goals and 63 assists for 100 points.

Fensore has not only been a fantastic captain this season but he has been one of the best defensemen in the country. He has scored a career-high nine goals, including three game-winners, and added 20 assists for 29 points this season. His nine goals is second among league blue liners while his 29 points ranks third among Hockey East defenders. He put together three multi-point performances in the final seven games of the regular season, including two in a weekend sweep of Vermont that helped the Terriers move back into first place in Hockey East, a spot they did not relinquish. Fensore is a career-best plus-14 this season and has blocked 40 shots.

Pandolfo, a finalist for the Spencer Penrose Award as the national coach of the year, is just the fifth person in the last 30 years to take his team to the Division I Men's Frozen Four in his first year as a head coach. The Hockey East Coach of the Year guided the Terriers to the program's 11th Hockey East regular-season title and their first since 2016-17, with BU posting an 18-6-0 league record. Pandolfo then followed that with the program's 10th Hockey East Tournament crown. The Terriers enter the Frozen Four at 29-10-0 under Pandolfo's guidance, including a 13-6-0 against ranked teams and a 6-1-0 mark against top-10 foes. He became the first head coach in program history to win 20 games in his first season in charge of the Terriers and matched Jack Parker's 19-6-0 record in 1973-74 as the best start by a BU head coach in program history.