The 2024 Amo Bessone Western Massachusetts High School Hockey Awards were announced earlier this week, recognizing two Greenfield players for outstanding seasons on the ice.
Green Wave junior forward Jake Jurek was one of two players to receive the Gene Grazia Award, which recognizes outstanding offensive play. Fellow Greenfield player Sean Bauman was one of four players named Alto Altobelli's Rookie of the Year.
Jurek was selected for the Grazia Award along with Jake Petrin of Pope Francis, a Greenfield native. East Longmeadow's Brayden Busquet, Ludlow's Evan Diaz and Longmeadow's Milana Shuman were also named Aldo Altobelli Rookie of the Year.
“We are very proud of all of these accomplishments in the Green Wave program,” Greenfield coach Adam Bouchard said. “Our student-athletes are extremely engaged. Everyone on the team tells us about 'No Puck Monday.' Although these are individual awards, they demonstrate how hard all of our student-athletes work. I would never have been able to win these awards without my teammates pushing me in practice. It's a great honor for all of us here and we're extremely proud of Jake and Sean. ”
Jurek is a player who has grown year by year with the Green Wave. In his freshman year, he scored a total of 13 points, and in his sophomore year he increased that number to 29 points.
After putting in some hard work in the offseason, Jurek took another leap forward as a junior. He finished last season with 39 points, 23 goals and 16 assists.
Jurek scored a point in each of Greenfield's first 11 games to open the season.
“I never expected to win,” Jurek said. “Honestly, it's crazy. I didn't know much about it before, but it's pretty amazing. I've been a lot more comfortable outside this year, and I've definitely been able to hit the puck more.”
Jurek's FCHA youth coach, Tim Petrin, told Bouchard that he would enjoy coaching Jurek once he reaches the high school level. Jurek lived up to his expectations and said Bouchard was deserving of the Jean Grazia Award.
“I watched him grow and become more productive from his freshman year to his sophomore year,” Bouchard said. “And this year, he's grown even more and become a dynamic player. He has great vision and has such sneaky speed that defenders think they're skating with him, but the next At the moment, Jake is half a step above him. With his skills, that's all he needs.
“It's a great honor for him to receive this award as a junior,” Bouchard added. “I'm happy to be able to coach Jake for one more year. His offensive ability is limited.”
No one will be surprised that Bauman won the Bessone Prize.
After all, older brother Brian won the Kevin J. Major Award while playing for Greenfield, and younger brother Kevin also won the Aldo Altobelli Rookie of the Year award while playing for the Green Wave.
“Each of the Bauman brothers has carved a legacy into our program,” Bouchard said. “Sean's work is just beginning. He's proven he can play and teams have to keep an eye on him for the next two years. What we like about him is: “He's the epitome of a two-way hockey player. He values defense more than offense. I'm very proud that his efforts have been recognized by the hockey community.”
Bauman, a sophomore, started the year fighting for minutes, but by season's end he became an essential cog on a Greenfield team that won the Wright District title.
Bauman's Rookie of the Year award means a Green Wave player has won Rookie of the Year seven times in the last nine years.
“Sean is another great example of what it takes to be a Green Wave student-athlete,” Bouchard said. “He came into this year with expectations as a third-line guy, competing for position and getting playing time. As the season went on, he grew and grew and grew and played strong, tough hockey. By the end of the year, he was a mainstay on our top line, earning power-play minutes and making a lot of plays as a sophomore.”
Each of the 12 major Bessone awards includes a $500 scholarship, which will be presented at a reception April 11 at the Dante Club in West Springfield. Pope Francis senior forward Jake Jarrell and West Springfield's Owen Hall will receive the Amo Besson Award, given to the most valuable player overall this season.
