Bear tops academic honor list Gray Shaneberger best in Hockey East

Gray Shaneberger of the University of Maine men’s hockey team has been recognized as the top performer on the Hockey East All-Academic Team released Wednesday.

Shaneberger, a sophomore forward from Sewell, N.J., posted a 3.82 grade point average during 2000-2001, the best academic average of the 50 student-athletes honored by the league. He is the first Black Bear to finish as Hockey East’s top student.

To be included on the team, a player must have a 3.0 GPA or higher in each of the two academic periods during which his team was actively competing.

Shaneberger, who was listed for the third consecutive year, was among nine Black Bears to make the Hockey East All-Academic roster. He is joined by Eric Turgeon of Augusta, who was named a Distinguished Scholar after achieving a 3.0 or better GPA in each semester during his four years.

Shaneberger is a natural resources major whose concentration is in waste management. He also received the 2001 Dale Lick Academic Achievement Award given annually to the hockey team’s top student-athlete.

Shaneberger scored three goals in 25 games for the Bears last season.

Other UMaine selections include two-time winners Martin Kariya and Peter Metcalf, along with Trapper Clark of Waterville, Todd Jackson, Doug Janik, Don Richardson, and Matt Yeats.

Boston College edged out UMaine for team honors with 10 All-Academic picks. Massachusetts had nine players selected, followed by Merrimack (6), Providence and Northeastern (4), New Hampshire and UMass-Lowell (3), and Boston University (2).

Sean MacDonald of Northeastern, Cole Gendreau and Matt Libby of Providence, and Merrimack’s Joey Gray were the other Distinguished Scholars.

Keene State wins LEC award

Keene State College of New Hampshire has claimed the inaugural Little East Conference Commissioner’s Cup.

The Owls scored 83 points to edge out runner-up University of Southern Maine by two points. UMass-Dartmouth was third with 73 points, followed by Eastern Connecticut (68), Plymouth State (56.5), Western Connecticut (52.5), Rhode Island College (50) and UMass-Boston (30).

The Commissioner’s Cup goes to the conference school that accumulates the most points in the 18 sports sponsored by the LEC. Points are awarded based on each school’s regular-season finish, with bonus points awarded for postseason tournament winners.