University of Minnesota Athletics
Golden Gophers Celebrate Banner-Raising Season at Annual Awards Banquet
4/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
The 2006-07 WCHA Regular Season and Playoff Champion University of Minnesota men’s hockey team celebrated its season this afternoon at the team’s annual awards banquet at JAX Café in Minneapolis. Junior All-American defenseman Alex Goligoski (Grand Rapids, Minn.) was named the John Mariucci Most Valuable Player by a vote of his teammates.
Last month, Goligoski became Minnesota’s first WCHA Defensive Player of the Year since Jordan Leopold won the award in 2000-01 and 2001-02. Goligoski also earned All-WCHA First Team honors a season after being named to the All-WCHA Second Team and two years removed from his appearance on the WCHA All-Rookie Team. An assistant captain, Goligoski compiled totals of 9-30--39 to rank tied for first in the WCHA in defenseman points and points per game (0.89). His 39 points currently rank second in the nation among blueliners. Goligoski owned a team fourth-best nine multi-point games and ranked tied for first on the team with a plus/minus rating of +24. He had a point in 26 of 44 games this past season and had four three-point games on the year. A two-time WCHA Defensive Player of the Week in 2006-07, Goligoski became the 48th Golden Gopher to earn All-WCHA First Team honors and the first defenseman since Keith Ballard in 2003-04.
Goligoski earned his first career All-America honor and became the 36th player in Golden Gopher hockey history to be named a First Team All-American. He follows Ryan Potulny in 2005-06 and becomes the first Minnesota defenseman to earn first team honors since Keith Ballard in 2003-04.
Freshman center Kyle Okposo (St. Paul, Minn.) earned the Frank Pond Rookie of the Year Award after finishing second on the team in scoring with totals of 19-21--40. Okposo was named to the All-WCHA Second Team and the WCHA All-Rookie Team. With team-leading totals of 20-23--43, freshman Jay Barriball (Prior Lake, Minn.) shared the Dr. V. George Nagobads Unsung Hero Award with Evan Kaufmann (Plymouth, Minn.), a junior forward who tallied a career-high 17 points (11-6--17) despite missing 12 games with knee injuries.
Despite not playing in a regular season game in 2006-07, junior goaltender Brent Solei (Coon Rapids, Minn.) earned the Mike Crupi Most Determined Player Award as a testament to Solei’s dedication to Golden Gopher Hockey. Junior center Blake Wheeler (Plymouth, Minn.) picked up the Tom Mohr Playoff MVP after scoring five goals and one assists in seven postseason games.
Rounding out the awards were senior Mike Vannelli (St. Paul, Minn.) with the Elwin “Doc” Romnes Leadership and Sportsmanship Award and Tom Pohl (Red Wing, Minn.) with the Donald M. Clark Community Service Award and John Mayasich Outstanding Student-Athlete Award.
2006-07 Golden Gopher Hockey Awards
John Mariucci Most Valuable Player – Alex Goligoski
Tom Mohr Playoff Most Valuable Player Award – Blake Wheeler
Frank Pond Rookie of the Year Award – Kyle Okposo
Mike Crupi Most Determined Player Award – Brent Solei
Dr. V. George Nagobads Unsung Hero Award – Jay Barriball/Evan Kaufmann
Elwin “Doc” Romnes Leadership and Sportsmanship Award – Mike Vannelli
Donald M. Clark Community Service Award – Tom Pohl
John Mayasich Outstanding Student Athlete Award – Tom Pohl
Last month, Goligoski became Minnesota’s first WCHA Defensive Player of the Year since Jordan Leopold won the award in 2000-01 and 2001-02. Goligoski also earned All-WCHA First Team honors a season after being named to the All-WCHA Second Team and two years removed from his appearance on the WCHA All-Rookie Team. An assistant captain, Goligoski compiled totals of 9-30--39 to rank tied for first in the WCHA in defenseman points and points per game (0.89). His 39 points currently rank second in the nation among blueliners. Goligoski owned a team fourth-best nine multi-point games and ranked tied for first on the team with a plus/minus rating of +24. He had a point in 26 of 44 games this past season and had four three-point games on the year. A two-time WCHA Defensive Player of the Week in 2006-07, Goligoski became the 48th Golden Gopher to earn All-WCHA First Team honors and the first defenseman since Keith Ballard in 2003-04.
Goligoski earned his first career All-America honor and became the 36th player in Golden Gopher hockey history to be named a First Team All-American. He follows Ryan Potulny in 2005-06 and becomes the first Minnesota defenseman to earn first team honors since Keith Ballard in 2003-04.
Freshman center Kyle Okposo (St. Paul, Minn.) earned the Frank Pond Rookie of the Year Award after finishing second on the team in scoring with totals of 19-21--40. Okposo was named to the All-WCHA Second Team and the WCHA All-Rookie Team. With team-leading totals of 20-23--43, freshman Jay Barriball (Prior Lake, Minn.) shared the Dr. V. George Nagobads Unsung Hero Award with Evan Kaufmann (Plymouth, Minn.), a junior forward who tallied a career-high 17 points (11-6--17) despite missing 12 games with knee injuries.
Despite not playing in a regular season game in 2006-07, junior goaltender Brent Solei (Coon Rapids, Minn.) earned the Mike Crupi Most Determined Player Award as a testament to Solei’s dedication to Golden Gopher Hockey. Junior center Blake Wheeler (Plymouth, Minn.) picked up the Tom Mohr Playoff MVP after scoring five goals and one assists in seven postseason games.
Rounding out the awards were senior Mike Vannelli (St. Paul, Minn.) with the Elwin “Doc” Romnes Leadership and Sportsmanship Award and Tom Pohl (Red Wing, Minn.) with the Donald M. Clark Community Service Award and John Mayasich Outstanding Student-Athlete Award.
2006-07 Golden Gopher Hockey Awards
John Mariucci Most Valuable Player – Alex Goligoski
Tom Mohr Playoff Most Valuable Player Award – Blake Wheeler
Frank Pond Rookie of the Year Award – Kyle Okposo
Mike Crupi Most Determined Player Award – Brent Solei
Dr. V. George Nagobads Unsung Hero Award – Jay Barriball/Evan Kaufmann
Elwin “Doc” Romnes Leadership and Sportsmanship Award – Mike Vannelli
Donald M. Clark Community Service Award – Tom Pohl
John Mayasich Outstanding Student Athlete Award – Tom Pohl
Players Mentioned
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