March 11, 2008

BABSON PARK, Mass. - Babson College ice hockey senior John Geverd (Hookset, N.H.) recently received one of the region's top honors, as he was named one of 16 semifinalists for the eighth annual Joe Concannon Award, presented each year to the best American-born Division II/III player in New England. This marks the fourth consecutive year that Babson has had a player earn this dinstiction, as current junior Brad Baldelli (Northborough, Mass.) was named a semifinalist in 2007 and Tom Sullivan '06 (Pembroke, Mass.) was selected in both 2005 and 2006.

A co-captain along with Baldelli, Geverd helped lead the Beavers to a spectacular 17-6-3 record this winter, including a 13-4-2 mark in the ECAC East. Babson also earned a national-ranking in all but one week during the regular season - marking the sixth straight year the program cracked U.S. College Hockey Online's top 15.

Geverd played in all 26 games for Babson, ranking fourth on the team with 11 goals while also dishing out five assists for 16 points. Three of his goals were game-winners, and his five powerplay scores led the squad. He finished his career with 51 goals and 37 assists for 88 points in 109 career games, helping the Beavers amass a stellar record of 72-31-7 during that four-year span.

"John was invaluable to us because of the many roles he played exceptionally well on our team," says head coach Jamie Rice. "He was one of our top penalty killers, led our team in power play goals, was second in game-winning goals, and played consistently well over 26 games. John was a great captain this year and will be missed next season off the ice as much as on the ice. His nomination for this prestigious award shows that other coaches and the media appreciate John's true value which goes well beyond his numbers."