ARMY
Senior Mike Hull was named the Henry “Hal” Beukema Award winner as the team’s most valuable player as the Army hockey team distributed its annual honors during the team banquet inside the Regiment Room at the U.S. Military Academy where the team handed out its five awards, presented letters to each player and honored the 11-member senior class.
Hull, a forward from Grosse Point Woods, Mich., led the team with 17 assists and 25 points while posting eight goals. He scored three times on the power play as well. The award honors Henry “Hal” Beukema who died in a plane crash in 1954 after attaining the rank of major. The team MVP award has been given out every year since 1955 and is voted on by team members.
Kyle Maggard, a forward from Columbus, Ohio, earned the prestigious Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar Award and will pursue a Masters in Philosophy in Engineering for Sustained Development at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. He was presented with the Gunning Award for academic excellent. The award is named for Michael J. Gunning, a cadet letterman who died following a hit-and-run accident and is presented in recognition of the cadet who displays the qualities of academic excellence, selfless dedication to his teammates, a trusted friend and a player who demonstrates true love for the game.
Maggard was one of six players to compete in all 34 games and scored five goals and distributed three assists.
Marcel Alvarez, a two-time team captain from Cleveland, Ohio, earned the Haggerty Award, named in honor of Paul Haggerty, a 1991 West Point graduate. Haggerty worked his way up from jayvee player to the first line and then served as an Army assistant coach. He died suddenly during a workout early in his coaching career.
Alvarez played in all 34 games during his senior season and posted 11 assists and three goals.
Jon Greaney, a four-year manager, collected the Derek Hines Award. The award honors Hines, a scrappy and hard-nosed player who was a fan favorite and one of the most respected players in the locker room. It recognizes a person who has displayed an extraordinary amount of support to the Army hockey program and shares values that Derek did, cared more about giving than receiving and displayed great passion and love for the Army hockey family. Derek was killed in action in 2005.
Mac Lalor, a defenseman from Needham, Mass., was honored with the Heinmiller Award. Presented to the team’s outstanding freshman, it is named for John Heinmiller who was killed in a train accident following his freshman season. Lalor played in 31 games during his initial season, scored four goals and handed out six assists.
The team also announced the captains for the 2012-13 season. Defenseman Cheyne Rocha will serve as captain while forwards Andy Starczewski and Brian Schultz and goaltender Ryan Leets will serve as alternate captains. Rocha, Starczewski and Leets will all be seniors while Schultz will be a junior.
MANHATTANVILLE
Former Valiant All-American Mickey Lang ‘11 recently completed his first professional season on the ice in style, as the Quad City Mallards forward was named the Oakley CHL First Star for the month of March, as announced by the Mallards and the Central Hockey League on Tuesday.
Lang led the CHL in scoring during the final month of the regular season, scoring nine goals and adding 13 assists for a league-best 22 points. He had at least one point in 11 of the team’s 12 games during March and also posted eight multi-point contests during that span, while finishing the season with a flourish: he scored once in the final four games of the year and had eight points (four goals, four assists) during a five-game points streak to conclude the season.
R.P.I.
The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s ice hockey team held its’ season-ending banquet, where the team’s 2011-12 award winners were announced. Seven awards were presented by head coach Seth Appert and his staff. They were:
• Most Valuable Player: Mike Bergin
• Best Defensive Player: Mike Bergin
• Top Rookie: Curtis Leonard
• Most Inspirational: Justin Smith
• Community Service: Jeremy Coupal
• Scholar-Athlete: Nick Bailen
• Most Improved: Matt Tinordi
A senior defenseman and captain, Bergin concludes his career with 40 points in the cherry and white on eight goals and 32 assists. He contributed to the program’s success from the moment he entered the Houston field house, finishing with 107 games played, including the school’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 16 years.
In his four-year career with RPI, Smith netted a goal and three assists for four points, while appearing in 42 games. He was a multiple ECAC All-Academic and Dean’s List selection.
Coupal has aided the coaching and hockey operations staff on road trips for the last two season. He and his teammates work with the Troy Amateur Youth Hockey Association (TAYHA) on a regular basis, and have also volunteered for a number of other organizations including the Children’s Hospital at the Albany Medical Center for a radioathon last spring. Making his collegiate debut on Senior Night, he stopped the only shot he faced in the third period.
After dressing for 23 games and picking up just two points in 2010-11, Tinordi stepped up this season as a sophomore, scoring a number of big goals down the stretch for the Engineers. Finishing the campaign with six goals and seven assists for 13 points, he played in 32 of the clubs 39 contests, including 18 of 22 league games. Third on the team with three power-play tallies, nine of his 13 points came during ECAC Hockey play.
Leonard stepped in as a freshman and matching up against the best forwards ECAC Hockey has to offer is never an easy task, but this first-year defenseman held his own throughout a grueling 2011-12 season, playing in all 39 games for the Engineers. Picking up a goal and five assists for six points, he took just 14 minor penalties for 28 minutes.
Bailen (Fredonia, NY) was second on the team in scoring with 7 goals and 15 assists for 22 points, he led the club with six power-play tallies and four game-winners, while suiting up for all 39 contests. In the classroom, he carried a 3.91 GPA. A multiple ECAC Hockey All-Academic and Multiple Dean’s List selection, this junior is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor society. He also volunteers with the Troy Amateur Youth Hockey Association or TAYHA, the United Way and RPI Episcopal Church.
UNION
Junior forward Jeremy Welsh was named most valuable player of the Union College men’s ice hockey team at the annual year-end banquet hosted by the Garnet Blades at the Mohawk Golf Club. The 2011-12 team, which earned the school’s second consecutive ECAC Hockey regular season title, first ever ECAC Hockey Tournament title, and first Frozen Four berth in the Division I era, was honored for having the most successful season in program history.
Welsh, who signed an NHL contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, recorded 27 goals, 17 assists (44 points) in 40 games for the Dutchmen this season, shattering the school single-season goals record previously held by Mario Valery-Trabucco ‘10. He ranked first on the team and fourth in the NCAA in goals scored. He had nine points (five goals, four assists) in eight postseason games for the Dutchmen, including a five-game goal-scoring streak. For his efforts, Welsh was named ECAC Hockey Player of the Month for March, Most Outstanding Player of the ECAC Championship and Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA East Regional in Bridgeport, CT. Welsh will graduate Union this summer before heading to training camp with the Hurricanes.
Sophomore forward Matt Hatch (Massena) was voted by the fans as the das Design 7th PLAYER Award winner. The honor is co-sponsored by das Design and Lee’s Trophies and is presented to the Union hockey student-athlete recognized by the fans as an individual who, with extra effort and skill, consistently created excitement through aggressive play, resulting in a team advantage.
The Coaches’ Award went to senior defenseman Nolan Julseth-White. The team captain, Julseth-White, a four-time ECAC Hockey All-Academic team member led a senior class that recorded the most wins of any Union hockey class in program history (92 wins).
Fellow senior Taylor Reid was also honored with the Charles N. Morrison Award. The honor is an endowed scholarship that was created from the gifts of friends in the memory of friends in the memory of Charles N. Morrison, Union’s head hockey coach from 1978 to 1988. It is given annually to a student who participates in extracurricular activities while demonstrating academic interest and achievement.
Sophomore goaltender Troy Grosenick earned the Thomas VanArden Dukehart Award, which originated during the 1977-78 season to preserve the memory of Thomas VanArden Dukehart and is presented annually to the Union hockey student-athlete with the highest grade-point average. Grosenick, Union’s finalist for ECAC Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year, is also a volunteer tutor and notetaker for disabled students at Union.
Grosenick also earned the team’s Most Improved Player Award. Grosenick, who entered the season with just one career start, finished a stellar campaign in net for the Dutchmen. At 22-6-3 overall, Grosenick, who has started 33 of 41 games, finished the season second in the nation in goals-against average (1.65), save percentage (.936), and winning percentage (.758). His five shutouts on the season matched Kris Mayotte ‘06 for the single-season school record. Grosenick shattered school single-season goals-against average and save percentage records established by Keith Kinkaid (2010-11) and Trevor Koenig (1996-1997). He earned the Ken Dryden Award as ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Year.
The Rookie of the Year Award went to freshman defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, an ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team selection. Gostisbehere finished the season with five goals and 17 assists in 41 games and matched a school record in ECAC Hockey play with four assists in a 4-4 tie against Cornell on Feb. 4.
Junior defenseman Shawn Stuart earned the Scott Richardson Unsung Hero Award. One of Union’s top defenseman, Stuart, who played in all 41 contests, was a major part of a defensive unit that led the nation by allowing just 1.83 goals per game.
