Release and photo courtesy of Hobart College Athletics Communications.

HARTFORD, Conn. - Mason Family Hobart Head Hockey Coach Mark Taylor was named the recipient of the 2024 Edward Jeremiah Award as the CCM/American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Division III Men's Coach of the Year. This is the second straight year Taylor has won the award. He is only the third Division II-III coach to win the award in back-to-back years and the first since Norwich's Mike McShane (1999, 2000) to do it.
 
Taylor, the 2024 New England Hockey Conference Coach of the Year, guided the Statesmen to a 26-2-1 record entering the national semifinals. The 26 wins are the second most in a single season in program history. The Statesmen went 17-0-0 on home ice this season, posting its second consecutive unblemished season at The Cooler. The Statesmen have won an NCAA Division III record 37 consecutive games at The Cooler.  Hobart captured its third straight NEHC regular season title with a 16-1-1 mark in conference play. Hobart defeated Skidmore 5-0 to claim its second straight NEHC tournament title. Hobart has been ranked No. 1 in the USCHO.com poll since Dec. 4, 13 straight weeks. The Statesmen have been ranked No. 1 in 14 of the 17 polls this season, dropping no lower than No. 3.
 
Taylor's charges are first in the nation in penalty-killing percentage (.966), scoring defense (1.00), scoring margin (+4.38), scoring offense (5.38) and winning percentage (.914). Hobart has allowed just three power-play goals this season, killing off 85 of  its opponents' 88 power-play attempts. The Statesmen are sixth in the nation in power-play percentage (.288).
 
Now in his 24th year in charge of Hobart, Taylor has guided the Statesmen to five straight 20-win seasons and 20 consecutive winning seasons. His career record stands at 404-176-55. The Statesmen have been selected to nine straight NCAA tournaments and 13 overall. This is Hobart's fifth trip to the national semifinals. The Statesmen won the national championship in 2023. Taylor is seventh among active DIII coaches in wins.
 
When Taylor was hired to lead the Statesmen in July of 2000, he inherited a program that had suffered seven consecutive losing seasons. In 22 of his 23 seasons, Taylor has registered at least 10 wins. He has produced nine 20-win seasons. He was named the ECAC West Coach of the Year five times (2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2015, 2016) and the NEHC Coach of the Year three times (2022, 2023, 2024).
 
A tremendous motivator and recruiter, Taylor has mentored all 21 of Hobart's All-Americans. Six Statesmen have won conference player of the year awards, including Artem Buzoverya, who was named this year's NEHC Player of the Year. In the classroom, Taylor has mentored countless conference all-academic selections and AHCA All-American Scholars and five College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans
 
Taylor will be back behind the bench tomorrow, March 21, when the Statesmen take on second-ranked Utica in the first NCAA Semifinal. Faceoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.