His contributions are not always noticeable to casual observers, as he left coaches like Dartmouth’s Bob Gaudet impressed after the ECAC Tournament. Gaudet hailed Welch as a good defenseman and then went on to say:

“Noah masks a lot of deficiencies others have on the ice.”

Though he noted that Gaudet’s comment is some of the highest praise he has ever received, Welch sees his accomplishments rather differently.

“I don’t think I would’ve gotten this award if we hadn’t had so much success as a team,” he said. “It’s a direct reflection of my teammates and my line partner.”

If nothing else, Welch’s selection as a Second Team All-American shows the progress he has made during just two years in Cambridge and how much more he can achieve next season.

—Staff writer Timothy M. McDonald can be reached at tmcdonal@fas.harvard.edu.