The Rhode Island Interscholastic Hockey Coaches Association in conjunction with the Hobey Baker Foundation will host the ninth annual Hobey Baker High School Character Award program in Rhode Island. The awards are given annually to one high school senior from each participating boys/girls hockey program in the state. The award recognizes and rewards student-athletes for displaying exemplary character and sportsmanship in their schools and communities.

Cranston’s recipients are Abbey Torres of the Cranston Thunderbirds girls’ hockey team and Anthony Simeone of the Division I champion Cranston West boys’ hockey team.

The Hobey Baker High School Character Award is an extension of the prestigious Hobey Baker Memorial Award given annually to the nation’s top collegiate ice hockey player.

Hockey coaches from schools across the state have selected one member of their team to receive this honor.  Selected students exemplify the spirit, sportsmanship and character represented by the collegiate award through their attitude, work ethic, unselfishness and “coachability.”

“The spirit of the 2013 Hobey Baker High School Character Award is to acknowledge that it takes more than hockey skill to develop great student – athletes and the development of exemplary Character and Sportsmanship in our high school hockey players is a vitally important aspect of the student-athlete experience,” said Joe Judge, R.I. State Director of the Hobey Baker Character Award Program. 

Assistant Director, Jack Judge added, “We are honored to participate in this important award and recognize these outstanding high school student hockey players in Rhode Island.”

“We are very grateful to the RI Interscholastic Hockey Coaches Association and the efforts of Jack Judge & Joe Judge to continue to make this award program a reality for Rhode Island,” said Gary Wahman of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation. “The development and recognition of exemplary character and sportsmanship in our high school players is an extremely important aspect of the student-athlete experience. We believe that character builds excellence”.

The RI Boys and Girls Team High School Character Award recipients were recognized during the Providence Bruins Hockey games on March 2 and 9, 2014, respectively.

Other Rhode Island boys league winners are: Brett Fay, Barrington; Liam Watkinson, Bishop Hendricken; Tyler Gautreau, Burrillville; Bobby Beaudoin, Coventry; Jamie Casilli, Cumberland; Pierre Genest, East Greenwich; Joshua Letendre, East Providence; Stephen Morrison, Johnston/North Providence co-op; Matthew Fox, La Salle Academy; Joshua Hayes, Lincoln; Michael Curtis, Middletown; Brian Larence, Mount St. Charles Academy; Ross Hogan, Mt. Hope; Thomas Adamo, Narragansett; Liam Rial, North Kingstown; Joseph Paliotte, Pilgrim; Dylan Narodowy, North Smithfield; Laurie Mazza, PCD/Wheeler/St. Rays co-op; Eric Maynard, Ponaganset; Ryan Goulart, Portsmouth; Liam Leys, Rogers/Tiverton/Rocky Hill co-op; Craig Page, Scituate/Tolman co-op; Patrick Simons, Smithfield; Chad Mitchell, South Kingstown; Jacob Rondeau, The Prout School; David Stachurski, Toll Gate; Domenic Kiers, West Warwick/Exeter West Greenwich; Michael Palumbo, Warwick Vets; Chance Boucher, Woonsocket.

Girls’ winners are: Devan Miller, Bay View Academy; Sophie Faxon, Barrington/Mt. Hope/Portsmouth co-op; Emily Cardon, Burrillville/Ponaganset co-op; Emily Coughlin, LaSalle Academy; Lauren Hervieux, Lincoln/Cumberland co-op; Brianna Castro, Mount St. Charles Academy; Vanessa Paiva, Narragansett/N Kingstown/S Kingstown co-op; Alexandra Gould, Smithfield/North Smithfield/Coventry co-op; Jaime Given, Warwick co-op.