FAIRBANKS, Alaska - The Alaska Nanooks men's hockey team awards banquet was highlighted by speeches from its seven-member senior class and sophomore center
Cody Kunyk was named the 2011-12 season's Steve Moria Most Valuable Player on Saturday night at the Princess Riverside Hotel.
Kunyk led the Nanooks in scoring for the second straight season, amassing 15 goals and 17 assists in 36 games to garner the Keith Street Top Scorer award also.
Senior forward and team captain
Ron Meyers collected three awards. Although, he wasn't at the banquet he garnered the Fans' Choice, Rick Pitta Most Dedicated Player honor and Pump House Team Player Award. Meyers was on the ice in California playing for the Idaho Steelheads, a 5-3 victory over the host Ontario Reign in the third game of their ECHL Western Conference playoff series.
Junior center
Adam Henderson garnered two awards - the Dirk Anderson Scholar Athlete and Don Jamieson Unsung Hero - and shared the Dean Fedorchuk Most Improved Player recognition with sophomore left wing
Colton Beck.
The 6-2 center has maintained a 3.91 grade-point average in his business management studies and he was the Nanooks' nominee for the CCHA Scholar Athlete of the Year award this season.
In 35 games, Henderson scored three goals and six assists good for nine points, after scoring a goal and an assist in 24 games as a sophomore last year. He came on really strong as the season came to a close, notching three goals and an assist in the final four games of the year.
Beck posted 13-12-25 totals in 36 games this season after providing a 4-12-16 scoring line as a freshman.
Junior defenseman
Kaare Odegard was the recipient of the
Ryan Reinheller Humanitarian Award for his efforts in co-founding the With All Your Heart hospital campaign.
Rookie defenseman
Trevor Campbell was named the Top Freshman, while senior rearguard and assistant captain
Aaron Gens was awarded the Shawn Chambers Top Defenseman honor, and junior right wing
Andy Taranto garnered the Top Playoff Performer award.
Also, Tom Robinson, a goal judge at Nanooks home games, was honored with the Pat and Gerry Shields Award and Scott McIlroy, a Nanooks right wing from 1998-2001, received the Tavis MacMillan Alumni Award.
