Hobart College senior goalie Damon Beaver was named the recipient of the 2026 Sid Watson Award, given annually to the best NCAA Division II-III men's ice hockey player in the country. Beaver is the first Statesman to win this prestigious award.
 
Beaver, the SUNYAC's 2026 Herb Hammond Player of the Year and Goaltender of the Year, enters championship weekend with a 19-0-0 record, a 0.96 GAA, a .942 save percentage and seven shutouts. With his win over St. Norbert last Saturday, Beaver broke Hobart's single-season wins record with 19. His seven shutouts so far this season match Hobart's single-season record he shares with fellow senior goalie Mavrick Goyer. Beaver is first in the nation in winning percentage, GAA, save percentage and shutouts.
   

Beaver made 20-plus saves in a game nine times this season, including a season-high 30 saves in a 4-0 shutout against then No. 13 Oswego in the SUNYAC Championship Game. It was his NCAA Division III Men's Hockey record 26th career shutout. Beaver followed that up with a 22-save performance in the win over the Green Knights. He has allowed just one goal over his last four starts, including back-to-back shutouts in the SUNYAC tournament on his way to earning Most Valuable Player honors.
 
One of the best goalies in program history, Beaver has played in 77 career games, posting a record of 72-4-1 with 26 shutouts.  He has allowed just 77 goals, compiling a 1.00 GAA and a .956 save percentage. He holds Hobart's career records for wins and shutouts and is tied for fifth on the NCAA Division III wins list. Including this year, Beaver holds four of the top-five single-season win marks in program history. In his first two years, he won 18 games, matching the mark set by Hobart Hall of Famer Keith Longo '09. As a junior, Beaver won 17 games. He also has three seven-shutout seasons to his name. Beaver's GAA and save percentage are also currently first in program history.
 
The Sid Watson Award adds to an already full resume for Beaver. A three-time national champion, he has been named to the NCAA All-Tournament team three times, including being named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player as a first-year. Beaver was also the USCHO Rookie of the Year and NEHC Rookie of the Year in 2023. He followed that up with All-USCHO second team honors and All-NEHC second team honors as a sophomore. In 2025, Beaver was named the NEHC Goaltender of the Year and picked up his first All-America honor, second team. He was also a second team All-USCHO pick for the second straight year. The Whitby, Ontario native, was a first team AHCA All-American this year.
 
 
The Watson Award honors the memory of former Bowdoin College Head Coach and Athletic Director Sid Watson. A three-time AHCA Coach of the Year, Watson served Bowdoin for more than 30 years. The award is voted on by the nation's Division III head coaches. Beaver is the third straight goalie to win the award. Senior forward Kahlil Fontana and junior defenseman Conor Lally were also finalists for the award this year.
 
Beaver and the Statesmen will be back in action tomorrow, March 27, when they take on UW-Stout in the national semifinals. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York.