OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Colgate senior defensemen Spiro Goulakos has been selected as one of 20 candidates for the 2014-15 Senior Class Award, organization officials announced Wednesday.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.
A native of Montreal, Goulakos has appeared in 126 games for the Raiders during his four-year career, amassing 70 points on 21 goals and 49 assists. As a senior, the veteran blueliner has tallied 13 points (2 G/ 11 A) in 22 games, helping Colgate maintain a national ranking through the first three months of the season.
He missed part of his sophomore season (2012-13) after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer originating from white blood cells in the lymph nodes. He missed 10 games during that season while receiving treatment, but returned to the lineup on a part-time basis before the end of the campaign. He continued his treatment during the off-season and was cleared for full-time status before the 2013-14 season.
Off the ice, Goulakos has been an active member of both the Colgate and Hamilton communities. He and his teammates have worked closely with Team IMPACT, a non-profit organization that pairs collegiate teams with children facing life-threatening or chronic illness.
Through Team IMPACT, Goulakos and the Raiders have befriended Danny, a local boy with cerebral palsy. Danny is considered part of the team and often spends time at practices, games and other events with the players.
In addition to his work with Team IMPACT, Goulakos has also taken part in fundraisers to raise awareness for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, including one that resulted in more than $2,000 being raised for Community Memorial Hospital in 2012.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The 20 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists later in the season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2015 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in April.
Hockey Candidates
Daniel Ciampini, Union College (NY) Nick Mattson, North Dakota
Austin Czarnik, Miami (OH) Ross Mauermann, Providence College
Chad Demers, Air Force Academy C.J. Motte, Ferris State
Tanner Fritz, Ohio State Mike Paliotta, Vermont
Spiro Goulakos, Colgate Andrew Prochno, St. Cloud State
Zach Hyman, Michigan Kyle Rau, Minnesota
Tanner Kero, Michigan Tech. Peter Schneider, Notre Dame
Adam Krause, Minnesota Duluth Clay Witt, Northeastern
Matt Lorito, Brown Cody Wydo, Robert Morris
Mark MacMillan, North Dakota Oleg Yevenko, Massachusetts
For more information on all the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
