CORTLAND, N.Y. – Five members of the Oswego State men’s ice hockey team have been named to the 2014-15 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) All-Conference Team. Shawn Hulshof and Bobby Gertsakis earned First Team honors with Hulshof being named the conference’s Herb Hammond Most Valuable Player as well. Alex Botten and Matt Zawadzki have been selected to the Second Team and Mike Montagna rounded out the list, making the Third Team.
In just his sophomore year, Hulshof put up plenty of stats that not only led the team, but are among the best in the nation. The Stouffville, Ont. native recorded 40 points on the year, leading all Lakers and tying him for fourth in the nation in that category. Of those 40 points, 20 are goals, which once again leads the team and ranks him fifth in the country. The forward heads an offense that averages 4.67 goals er game, a stat which places them third in the country. Hulshof has been recognized by the SUNYAC earlier this year, earning Player of the Week for the week ending on Jan. 26.
As captain of the squad, Gerstsakis has manned the blue line in all but two games for the Lakers so far. The senior helps power a defense that ranks ninth in the country in goals per game, only allowing an average 2.12 per each contest. That same defense also played a key role in the team’s two shutouts posted during the regular season. Gertsakis also shows his offensive ability, scoring three goals and leading all Laker defensemen in assists with 18.
Botten, a true play-maker on the team, accepted the role of facilitator for the offense. The sophomore leads the team and the conference in assists, recording 26 during the regular season. His ability to create goal opportunities also had him ranking third nationally in that statistic. The forward added nine goals as well, giving him a point total of 35 and tying him for ninth in the country. The Newmarket, Ont. native aids a power-play unit that is top in the nation, converting on .333 (28-of-85) of its chances.
Zawadzki is the backbone of the Lakers’ defense, appearing in 15 contests for the Lakers. The Fort Mill, S.C. native has amassed a record of 11-3-2 through the regular season, posting a save percentage of .924. A sophomore, Zawadzki has also only allowed an average of 2.08 goals per game, helping solidify the aforementioned, ninth ranked defense. The goaltender earned a season-high 33 saves in a game against Brockport on Feb. 13. Zawadzki also notched two of Oswego’s three shutouts.
Montagna is the center on the Lakers’ top line this year, winning 62.3% (259-of-416) of his faceoffs. The Fulton native was second only to Hulshof in goals, scoring 12 so far. He also added 15 assists to give him a total of 25 points. In a 6-2 victory over Morrisville, the senior scored two and assisted on two others to give the forward a season-high four points.
Men’s ice hockey returns to action at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday as it takes on Hobart in Geneva for the first round of the NCAA DIII Tournament.
