Submitted to the Castlegar News
The Selkirk College Saints brought an official close to an amazing 2014-2015 British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League season with its annual awards night.
Players joined family, friends, college staff and community supporters at the Castlegar Recreation Complex last Thursday night for a special evening that included recognizing outstanding individual performance both on and off the ice.
As a team, the Saints claimed an unprecedented third BCIHL title last month after defeating Simon Fraser University in two straight games in the league final.
Twelve student athletes were presented with certificates to recognize achievements in the classroom.
Thomas Hardy, Stefan Gonzales, James Prigione, Tanner Lenting, Ryan Procyshyn, Darnell Dyck, Steven Glass, Logan Proulx, Mitch Rosko, Mason Spear, Tylor Branzsen and Steven Pantazopoulos all maintained at least 3.0 grade point averages while continuing to train for competition.
Plaques were given to the three Saints who ended up on the year-end BCIHL all-star teams for their impact on the ice during the regular season. Stefan Gonzales made the BCIHL first all-star team, while Ryan Edwards and James Prigione were named to the second all-star team.
The coaching staff handed out team awards in a number of categories with the winners chosen for their contributions to the overall success.
The winners included: Darnell Dyck (top scorer), Stefan Gonzales (top defenceman), Ryan Edwards (co-MVP and top rookie), James Prigione (co-MVP), Marc Antoine Guimond (unsung hero), Lucas Hildebrand (coaches award) and Matt Martin (coaches award).
First year Saints forward Steven Pantazopoulos was presented with the Saints Spirit Award to recognize his passion for leading the team in a positive manner. The new award includes a $500 scholarship and was created by Selkirk College staff members Joleen Kinakin and Amy Byers.
