Aroostook County’s junior hockey team cleaned up in its division’s annual awards Thursday.
The Presque Isle-based Northern Maine Pioneers were named the Organization of the Year in the New England North Division of the National Collegiate Development Conference, the Tier II junior league they play in.
Goaltender Murat Shiyanov and head coach Jack Lowry also took home awards.
The Pioneers finished their inaugural season fifth in the seven-team division with an 18-37-1-2 record, six points out of the final playoff spot. But their record does not tell the full story.
The team was put together in a matter of weeks after a different junior team originally slated to play in Presque Isle collapsed within the first week of the regular season.
Lowry earned the division’s Coach of the Year honors for his efforts leading the Pioneers through the ensuing chaos.
“The guys we had last year, hats off to them. They worked extremely hard each and every day,” Lowry said earlier this month. “If you look at our scores real closely, you’ll see that we were in just about every single game.”
Shiyanov, a Swiss-Russian netminder in his first season in North America, was named the division’s Most Valuable Player. He posted a .922 save percentage and a 3.17 goals against average in 37 games for Northern Maine.
“For a first-year organization, this kind of recognition speaks volumes about the commitment from everyone involved — from our leadership group to every player in that locker room,” team owner Brandon Johnson said in a statement.
“What makes this even more meaningful is that it reflects not just individual success, but the strength of the entire organization. Being named Organization of the Year reinforces our belief that we’re building something sustainable and impactful — not just for our players, but for the community across Aroostook County.”
“This is only the beginning. We’re excited to continue raising the standard, developing players for the next level, and representing Northern Maine with pride moving forward.”
The team signed a four-year contract last week with The Forum, the Presque Isle arena it plays in, to remain in the Star City through at least the 2029-30 season.
