HAMILTON – Colgate Men’s Hockey gathered to hand out team awards and thank the senior class during its annual banquet Tuesday at the Colgate Inn.
The prestigious Terry Slater Trophy was awarded to senior captain Mike Borkowski. The trophy is presented by the Silver Puck Club and goes to the senior whose performance, leadership, and dedication on and off the ice during his career had the greatest impact on Colgate hockey.
A native of Kanata, Ont., Borkowski took part in all 37 games for the Raiders this season, less than a full calendar year after suffering a major knee injury that forced him to miss nearly three months of the 2014-15 campaign. Borkowski ranked second on the team with 13 goals and third with 22 points. He paced Colgate with four power-play goals and posted his first career hat trick in Colgate’s contest at Mercyhurst on Oct. 4.
Junior Jake Kulevich was recognized with two awards as he shared the Dan Coley “Barrel” Award, given to the team’s best defensemen, with senior Kevin Lough, while also receiving the team’s Best Defensive Player Award. Kulevich, native of Marblehead, Mass., dressed in all 37 games for the Raiders this season and ranked second on the team with 50 blocked shots. He also pitched in four goals, highlighted by three game-winning tallies, and 10 assists for 14 points.
Lough, meanwhile, also skated in all 37 games for the Raiders, finishing the campaign third on the team with 41 blocked shots. Lough, who appeared in 149 games for Colgate during his career, also chipped in a goal and seven assists for the Raiders.
Sophomore Mike Panowyk was honored with the Steve Riggs Memorial Award, given to the player who is most known for gentlemanly play and possesses a high standard of ability. Panowyk appeared in all 37 games for the Raiders and tallied four goals and 14 assists for a career-high 18 points. The Whitby, Ont., product was whistled for a total of just two minor penalties during the season.
Senior Darcy Murphy took home the Rob Ries Award for his inspiration and leadership on the team. Murphy was a part of the lineup in all 37 games in 2015-16, finishing the campaign with eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points. The Marysville, Ont., product was tied for the team lead with three game-winning goals and was second on the squad with three power-play tallies.
Junior Tim Harrison was recipient of the Whit Williams Award. Named in honor of the former Silver Puck Club president, the award is given to the most improved player throughout the season.
Harrison took part in 36 games for the Raiders this season, posting career highs of eight goals, 10 assists and 18 points. The Duxbury, Mass., product tallied a pair of power play goals and added a shorthanded marker during the season. He finished the year with points in five of the Raiders’ last six contests.
Best Offensive Player honors went to senior forward Tyson Spink as the top point-getter for the Raiders. Spink became just the third player in program history to earn the award in three consecutive seasons after amassing a career-high 37 points while pacing Colgate in both goals (14) and assists (23) in 2015-16.
The Williamstown, Ont., native was an ECAC Third-Team All-League selection for the second consecutive season. He matched his career high with a trio of four-point efforts during the season, including a pair of four-assist performances in road contests at Mercyhust and Maine.
The Coaches Award was given to seniors Tyson and Tylor Spink. In recognizing the duo, Head Coach Don Vaughan praised them for their efforts, both on the ice and in the classroom, during their time with the Raiders. He highlighted their commitment to improving themselves every day as one main of the reasons for their all-around success during their four years at Colgate.
Team captains for the 2016-17 season were announced by Vaughan and his staff during the event. Kulevich was selected to serve as team captain while fellow Class of ’17 members Harrison and Brett Corkey were both tabbed as assistant captains.
The team voted on six of the eight awards, with the exceptions being the Best Offensive Player and Coaches Award. The Best Offensive Player is given to the player with the most points on the team.
