Following a season in which he scored more points than anyone else in the area, Swampscott forward Conor Donovan has been named the 2019-2020 Item Player of the Year for boys hockey.
Donovan led all area MIAA players in goals (23), assists (46) and points (69) during his senior campaign, all while helping lead the Big Blue to a compelling run through the Division 3 North tournament. The Northeastern Conference co-MVP, Donovan finished his career with 50 goals and 65 assists for 115 points. His play helped the Big Blue win the NEC South title and make a run to the Division 3 North semifinal, upsetting three higher ranked teams along the way.
There were also five players named to the All-Item team, with Davis Kinne (St. Mary’s), Noah Dorsey-Sorofman (St. John’s Prep), Will Shull (Marblehead), Collin Hart (Marblehead) and Drew Olivieri (Swampscott) all earning All-Item honors.
Kinne, a sophomore, just completed his third year on the Spartans’ varsity squad. He’s established himself as one of the top defensemen in the area in that time, most recently notching four goals and 15 assists and earning co-MVP honors in the Catholic Central League. He already has 62 career points.
Dorsey-Sorofman returned to the ice after a year away from the team and didn’t miss a beat, helping lead St. John’s Prep to a Super 8 berth as a senior. A Catholic Conference All-Star, Dorsey-Sorofman had 1.80 goals against average, a .917 save percentage and a pair of shutouts this winter. He had long stretches of great play during the year, notching 50 saves over two games at the annual Pete Frates Winter Classic and notching 120 total saves in five Super 8 games.
Shull had an impressive season despite missing eight games with an injury, leading Marblehead in goals with 19 and finishing second on the team in total points with 28. But possibly the most impressive stat of his junior campaign is the eight game-winning goals that he netted this past winter for the Magicians. His 2.2 points per game and 1.4 goals per game led all area players. An NEC All-Conference selection, Shull currently has 77 points for his career (48 goals, 29 assists) as he heads into his senior season.
Hart was named an NEC All-Star as a senior with the Magicians, finishing the season strong with seven goals in his final five games. Hart led Marblehead in assists (22) and total points (33), and his strong play helped get him named to the Jeff Hayes Memorial Tournament All-Tourney team. Hart leaves Marblehead with career totals of 19 goals, 42 assists and 61 points.
Olivieri was an NEC All-Conference pick in his senior year with Swampscott, finishing the season with 22 goals and 23 assists for 24 points. He cracked the 100-point barrier for his career with an assist in a win over Peabody, and his solid, consistent play helped lead the Big Blue to the Division 3 North semifinal. He was also known for his propensity to come through in the clutch, finishing with four game-winning goals.
Also earning Item All-Star honors for the 2019-2020 season were Sal Caruso, Owen Maguire and Brady Bullock (St. Mary’s); Liam Locke and Chris Barnes (Swampscott); Matt Devin (Lynn); Loch Sheridan, Peter Santeusanio and Zach Piersol (Marblehead); John Simonetti and Sam Pifko (Lynnfield); Andrew Souza, Andrew Phillips and James Guiry (Peabody); Aedan Grenham, Nick Muzi, Ian Worthley and Jack Viera (Bishop Fenwick); Ned Malolepszy, Jack Gilligan, Pat Moran and Jake Dinapoli (St. John’s Prep); Lorenzo Keegan and Jack Devereaux (Saugus).
