[1] This year, Carleton Simmons received that honor and inherited a roster that would need to completely remake its defensive contingent.
Middlebury was forced to play without their captain, who was unavailable due to injury, but they did see the return of both Hal Whittemore and Red Hill who had improved their grades enough to become eligible once more.
By the time the third period rolled around, Middlebury was looked like a well-oiled machine and the team was able to effectively break up any additional scoring chances by the home squad.
The Friars were a new program but were buoyed by the presence of the Rhode Island Auditorium, giving them consistent ice to mold their team into an effective unit.
Unable to get close to the Panther cage, Providence threw the puck from long range in desperation and got a lucky shot from center ice that somehow eluded Finnegan and tied the match with three minutes to play.
The Friars nearly tied the match with a minute left when a loose puck was laying in front of a yawning cage but Gruggle got his stick on it first to clear it out of danger.
The offense was the star of the show as the Panthers routinely charged down the ice and put pressure on the home team all evening.
Vermont was hemmed in their own zone for virtually the entire 30 minutes and induced captain Simmons to let the reserves finally get into a game.
The Panthers had to slog through the poor conditions and a stronger-than-expected offense from the Cadets but Kelley managed the tying goal at the end of the first.
The club was so well-regarded by the school that the student body voted to promote the ice hockey team to major-status on March 1, providing a fitting end for their campaign.