AUBURN — Noah Austin learned at a young age how to deal with being knocked around playing hockey, getting beaten up by his older brother and cousin during street hockey games.
Those lessons served Austin well this season when he was a marked man for the Mt. Ararat/Lisbon/Morse/Hyde boys’ hockey team.
But that didn’t stop the senior forward from producing a Class A regular season-leading 54 points.
Austin was also the man Saturday at Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Riverwatch, when he was named the winner of the Travis Roy Award, given annually to the top Class A senior player in the state.
“It’s a tough competition with (the other finalists) that are up there,” Austin said. “I wasn’t sure that I was going to be above anybody else, because everybody up there is an amazing hockey player.”
The Lisbon High student is the first player in Eagles program history to win the award. He was only the second finalist, and first since Mark Rogers in 2004.
“The first Eagles player period to ever win it is just quite an honor,” Eagles Coach A.J. Kavanaugh said. “There’s such amazing names over the years that have won that, and for him just to be a finalist was amazing. You know, the last finalist was Mark Rogers, who I had the pleasure of playing with growing up. And he was a gifted hockey player, and Noah’s right in that category.
“He’s so deserving of this award. Not just what he does on the ice, but off it as well.”
Austin said it was “really tough to score” this season with all the attention he received, but he still managed 30 goals. One of those even came after his knee brace broke against Massabesic/Old Orchard Beach/Bonny Eagle. Austin partially tore two ligaments in his right knee during soccer preseason, but said he was “basically” back to full health for hockey season.
He learned to play through pain during those street hockey games against older brother Ryley and older cousin Nick.
“I was always playing with kids who were (Ryley’s) age, who were three years older than me, so I had to compete,” Austin said. “You don’t score and it’s not really that fun. So I had to compete. They were really tough on me. They used to beat me up and they turned me into the player who I am.”
Kavanaugh said Austin “made everybody around him better.”
“He made me a better coach, and the assistants better coaches. But more importantly, made his teammates strive to be better hockey players. And the proof is there that they have become that with the success we had this year.”
The Eagles made the playoffs this season for the first time in 14 years, and Austin’s standout season was a big reason why.
The other Travis Roy Award finalists were Jacob Henry (Bangor), Garrett Tracy (Falmouth), Donato Tocci (Portland/Deering) and Luke Chessie (Thornton Academy).
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