Men's Hockey celebrates 2017-18 Season
MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia University Wisconsin Men's Hockey team celebrated a record-setting season recently at the 2017-18 season banquet. The Falcons handed out team awards, celebrated the graduating seniors and named the team captains for the 2018-19 season.
The Falcons had an outstanding season in 2017-18, posting a program-best 16-9-2 record. CUW hosted a Harris Cup Playoffs series for the first time in program history after finishing second in the South Division standings.
Below is a list of awards that were handed out at the banquet. Also listed are some team and individual records which were set during the past season.
Team MVP: Braydon Barker (Red Deer, Alberta) had one of the most impressive seasons in CUW Men's Hockey history and was honored as the team MVP. Barker, a Second Team All-American and the NCHA Freshman of the Year, produced 24 points for the Falcons as a defenseman. The freshman had six goals and 18 assists.
Rookie of the Year: To no one's surprise Barker collected Rookie of the Year honors as well. He was the NCHA Freshman of the Year and was named to the NCHA All-Freshmen Team.
Most Improved: Casey Esselman (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.) skated in 24 games for the Falcons this season. The freshman defenseman recorded five points and a +5 plus/minus rating. He skated in the final 13 games for the Falcons.
Defensive Player of the Year: Nick Malvin (Ham Lake, Minnesota) and Brody Decker (Dousman, Wis.) earned Defensive Player of the Year honors. Malvin posted a 2.51 GAA and a .917 save percentage in winning a program-best 13 games. Decker proved to be an outstanding defensive forward and was the Falcons top penalty killer this season. He finished the year with nine points.
Team Player Award: Jared Pilet (Seattle, Wash.) was honored as the Team Player of the Year for the Falcons. The captain received the award as the player who puts the team first with every decision he makes.
"Nails" Player of the Year: Decker. Decker was also awarded with the "NAILS" honor, which is presented to the player who sacrifices his body for the betterment of the team.
Academic Achievement Award: Pilet and Eric Therrien (Willow Bunch, Saskatchewan) were the Academic Achievement winners for the 2017-18 season as the players with the highest GPA.
Community Service Award: Pilet was honored for his community service off the ice.
2018-19 Team Captains: Stefen Seel will wear the "C" on his jersey after the Falcons players voted on next year's captains. The Falcons with the "A" on the jersey will be Connor Hogg and Jake Switzer.
