OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Senior defenseman Spiro Goulakos has been named one of ten finalists for the 2014-15 Senior CLASS Award@ in collegiate hockey.
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 athletic platforms to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be classified as NCAA Division I seniors 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. The veteran blueliner has tallied 13 points (2 G/ 11 A) in 22 games during the 2014-15 campaign, helping Colgate maintain a national ranking through a majority of the regular season.
Goulakos 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. He was also recently part of the first-ever Courage Classic, a contest between Central New York rivals Cornell and Colgate dedicated to Camp Good Days.
The finalists were chosen by national media from the list of 20 candidates announced in January. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner, and fans are encouraged to submit votes online at the Senior CLASS Award website through March 30. Fan votes will be combined with those of the media and Division I head coaches to determine the winners. The Senior CLASS Award recipients will be announced during the 2015 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four®.
2014-15 Senior CLASS AWARD Men’s Hockey Finalists
Austin Czarnik, Miami (OH)
Nick Mattson, North Dakota
Chad Dermers, Air Force
C.J. Motte, Ferris State
Spiro Goulakos, Colgate
Mike Paliotta, Vermont
Tanner Kero, Michigan Tech
Kyle Rau, Minnesota
Mark MacMillan, North Dakota
Cody Wydo, Robert Morris
