Galassi and Dill Named Joe Concannon Award Semifinalists
BOSTON – February 5, 2026 – In what has truly been a very exciting season across DII/III college hockey, Gridiron Club of New England president Tim Whelan, Jr announced today that 36 players are semifinalists for the Silver Anniversary and 25th Joe Concannon Award, presented annually to the best American-born NCAA Division II/III hockey player in New England.
The Joe Concannon Award was established in 2001 shortly after the passing of the longtime writer for The Boston Globe, who had a great passion for the game of college hockey while always advocating strongly for amateur athletics.
Curry's Gage Dill and Jesse Galassi were each named semifinalists. Dill, a senior from Estero, FL, leads the Colonels in goals and points with 11 goals, 12 assists, and 23 points. Galassi, a senior from Lockport, NY, has seen an offensive surge as a defensemen, posting career highs in goals with seven, and points with 17. He is also one assist off his career high with 10.
This is the third straight year that the Colonels have had two semifinalists for the award. Dill and Tao Ishizuka were recognized for the 2023-2024 season. Then last year Killian Rowlee and Shane Soderwall were named semifinalists, with Soderwall eventually winning the award.
"This year has seen the greatest level of parity ever at the DII/III level," said Gridiron Club Hockey Awards Committee chairman Tim Costello. "A watch-list greater than ninety players showcased a considerable number of outstanding players throughout the season to date which has made this year's group of nominees the diverse group across the region it represents. The 36 semifinalists represent a deserving pool for consideration in this the Silver Anniversary of the Joe Concannon Award. We expect to see the strongest contenders for the award emerge over the final weeks of the regular season, conference championship tournaments on the way to the NCAA title chase in March. The committee will be watching closely to see which players rise to the top for this year's 25th edition of the Concannon Award."
The Gridiron Club will announce the finalists and winner of the 25th Joe Concannon Award in March, following league playoffs and before the start of NCAA Division III Frozen Four on March 27-29 in Utica, NY.
The Joe Concannon Award
The Gridiron Club established the Joe Concannon Award in 2001 to honor Joe, a lifelong devotee of college hockey, former member of the Walter Brown Award Selection Committee and, as a journalist, a staunch advocate for the amateur athletes he knew and covered. A native of Litchfield, Connecticut, Joe graduated from Boston University in 1961. He served as sports information director (SID) at Holy Cross before joining the Boston Globe in the late 1960's to cover college sports. Joe declined frequent invitations by his editors to write about Boston's major professional sports teams, preferring to concentrate on the colleges, distance running and golf. He authored the book Marathoning with Bill Rodgers and established the highly successful Litchfield Road Race in his hometown. Joe was a world traveler and was especially proud of his Irish heritage, frequently sojourning to the Emerald Isle. He passed away in 2000.