University of Alaska Fairbanks junior hockey standout Aaron Voros was the recipient of the Terry Flanagan Memorial Award at the Central Collegiate Hockey Association award ceremony Wednesday at the Fox Theatre in Detroit.
The Flanagan Award is named in honor of former Bowling Green State University assistant coach Terry Flanagan who died in 1991 after a long bout with cancer. The award is given annually to a player who has overcome personal adversity and is active on the university campus and surrounding community.
Voros missed most of the 2002-03 hockey season for diagnosis and surgery on a bone tumor. He had 18 goals as a freshman in the Nanook lineup, but just two last year. He came back to lead the team this season with 16 goals. Voros also earned a 3.75 grade point average last fall and is a member of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization in Fairbanks.
"It was a significant injury to come back from. Aaron lost a lot of weight, a lot of time, in addition to the mental strain of the whole ordeal," said UAF hockey coach Guy Gadowsky. "We see how tough and aggressive he is on the ice and I think sometimes we forget what he did go through."
Voros wasn't the only Nanook being honored at the hockey ceremony. Tom Herman was selected to the CCHA All-Academic Team and Preston McKay was chosen as the Perani Cup School Champion for the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Other awards given out Wednesday included: Derek Edwardson of Miami, RBC Financial Group CCHA Player of the Year; Michigan's T.J. Hensick, Rookie of the Year Award; Erico Blasi, head coach at Miami, CCHA Coach of the Year Award; Michigan State's A.J. Thelen, CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman; Doug Andress of Ohio State, Best Defensive Defenseman; Dwight Helminen of Michigan, Best Defensive Forward Award.
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