Up next in our award season is the Male Fan Favorite, which this year goes to Ryan Leonard from the men’s hockey team.
Leonard was one of three big name freshman forwards to suit up for BC this past season and he absolutely delivered on the hype. Playing almost entirely with fellow freshmen Will Smith and Gabe Perreault, Leonard put up some eye popping numbers in his first season as an Eagle, scoring 31 goals (good for third most in the country) and 60 points to help lead BC to their best season in more than a decade.
Leonard stood out as a truly fun player to watch on a team that was loaded with talent. He’s a skilled player who plays a fast game, but he also doesn’t shy away from the physical side of the game, as evidenced by his team leading 38 penalty minutes. Leonard came through in the clutch a lot for the Eagles as well, finishing second on the team with six game-winning goals (Cutter Gauthier had 10).
He also gave us what might have been the most electric moment of the men’s hockey season when he opened the scoring in the team’s first game against BU and turned a packed Conte Forum into a madhouse:
Lenny puts it right under the glove
https://t.co/5s2DsDrJfa pic.twitter.com/VwDqvpKV21
— BC Men’s Hockey (@BC_MHockey) January 27, 2024
Leonard’s best moment might have been in the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament, when he scored two goals in each of BC’s first two games before being named the Most Outstanding Player in the regional. One of those goals against Michigan Tech showed off some of Leonard’s ridiculous skill:
Leonard goes
@ESPNU // TSN+
https://t.co/5s2DsDrbpC pic.twitter.com/LyDBPVqBFM— BC Men’s Hockey (@BC_MHockey) March 29, 2024
Also receiving votes for this award were football’s Thomas Castellanos and baseball’s Nick Wang.