At the annual Quinnipiac Men's Ice Hockey Awards Banquet at the University Club at the TD Bank Sports Center, head coach Rand Pecknold announced Eric Hartzell as the team's Most Valuable Player for the 2012-13 season.
Pecknold also recognized Travis St. Denis as the team's Rookie of the Year. Dan Federico and Clay Harvey were honored with the 7th Player Award while Kevin Bui was given the Coaches' Award. Zach Davies earned this year's Academic Award.
The night, emceed by the Bobcats' play-by-play announcer Bill Schweizer, featured recogntionof the program's accomplishments by Quinnipiac President John L. Lahey, Director of Athletics Jack McDonald and Pecknold. This year, the Bobcats won the most games in program history — 30 — on their way to the NCAA Frozen Four and the National Championship game.
Hartzell's latest honor comes after a season that saw him earn a slew of awards en route to leading the Bobcats to their first NCAA Frozen Four and National Championship Game. Hartzell was named as an AHCA/CCM Hockey All-American after earning All-New England First team honors. Hartzell was named the ECAC Hockey Player of the Year and ECAC Hockey Ken Dryden Goaltender of the Year while also earning All-ECAC Hockey First Team Honors.
After clinching a spot as a Hobey Hat Trick Finalist, a first in program history, Hartzell penned a professional contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. Hartzell was also recently honored as the USCHO.com Player of the Year and First Team All-Star while also being named a CollegeHockeyNews.com All-Star.
St. Denis enjoyed a solid all-around first season at Quinnipiac. The first-year Bobcat played in 41 of Quinnipiac's 43 games, scoring eight goals and assisting on seven more for 15 points — all of which were highs among the freshman skaters on the Bobcats' roster.
A former stand-out with the BCHL's Penticton Vees, St. Denis scored his first collegiate goal in his first game played when he scored a game-tying goal against Maine in a 2-1 win in the Bobcats' season-opener. He also scored Quinnipiac's only goal in a 5-1 loss to Colgate before rolling out a four-point weekend with two assists at Clarkson in a 5-2 win and at St. Lawrence in a 6-2 win, earning ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week honors. Down the stretch, St. Denis had a career night in Quinnipiac's 10-0 win against Cornell in the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals, scoring twice and assisting on another goal.
The Bobcats' 7th Player Award is awarded to an individual who has shown the most growth as a member of the men's ice hockey team in his time at Quinnipiac. Federico had an outstanding season, leading all NCAA Division I defensemen in plus/minus at +22. Federico tallied 11 assists for the year with two each against St. Lawrence and Yale, both 6-2 wins, before a career-high four assists against Cornell in a 10-0 win. Harvey also had an incredible year, ranking fifth in the Bobcats' line-up with 15 assists, while also scoring three goals for 18 points. Harvey led the team in assists through the Bobcats' first 23 games of the season, and set-up the game-winning goal four times, while scoring once. Harvey had a trio of two-assist outings in three of Quinnipiac's first four wins of the year before totaling 10 points in 12 games from Nov. 9 through Dec. 30.
Bui is this season's recipient of the Coaches Award, which is given to the student-athlete who exemplifies everything that Quinnipiac men's hockey embodies. Bui entered the season with 36 career games under his belt to go along with four goals and one career assist over four years. The fifth-year senior, who was originally cut as a freshman before working his way back on the team, scored four goals and assisted on seven more for 11 points. Bui's second goal of the year was the game-winner in double overtime in the deciding game of Quinnipiac's ECAC Hockey Quarterfinal Series against Cornell. He then had one goal and an assist in the Bobcats' 3-0 win against Yale in the ECAC Hockey Third Place Game. Bui played the hero one final time when he netted the game-winner in the NCAA Tournament East Regional match-up against Canisius that propelled the Bobcats' to the regional semifinals.
Davies earned the team's Academic Award after carrying a team-best 3.80 grade-point average as a graduate student completing his MBA. Davies was also honored as ECAC Hockey's Best Defensive Defenseman. Davies also led all Quinnipiac defensemen in assists (15) and points (17).
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