Men's Hockey | 4/3/2020 2:45:00 PM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT men's ice hockey coach Wayne Wilson recently announced the 2019-20 winners of the program's annual team awards.
"This year came to an abrupt ending, yet we still would like to celebrate and recognize our seniors who had a great season on and off the ice. In lieu of our annual banquet where we get to share our celebration with our team, staff, fans, Pep band and our Corner Crew, we can still recognize our award winners for all they mean to the program."
Tim Cordick Top Defenseman Award – Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings)
Brubacher won his second-straight Cordick Award. He tied for 19th nationally and sixth among defensemen with 24 assists while tying for 10th in Atlantic Hockey with 28 points. He finished his career one of only 35 players (and only six defenseman) in the nation with at least 100 career points while his 80 assists were the 12th-highest total over the last four seasons. Voted the Atlantic Hockey Defensive Player of the week on three occasions during the season, Brubacher became the 13th player in RIT's Division I era to hit the 100-point plateau, finishing 10th with 106 points. Voted one of two team captains, he didn't miss a game in four seasons, finishing two shy of a tie for third-place in program history with 148 appearances.
COACH WILSON SAYS "Adam has made an impact on the ice from the first day he arrived on campus. In his freshman year he was named to the Atlantic Hockey Association All Rookie Team and has been an All-League selection each year after that."
Green B. Williams Academic Award – Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings)
Brubacher also won his third-consecutive Williams Awards. The owner of a 3.93 grade point average set to complete a Master's of Business Administration, he also is a three-time American Hockey Coaches Association All-American Scholar as well as a three-time Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team honoree.
COACH WILSON SAYS "Adam represents the type of student athlete we try and recruit to RIT. He has been able to complete both his undergraduate and graduate courses in four years while maintaining an outstanding GPA. A great four year student"
Greg Moss Hard Hat Award – Darren Brady (Lake Orion, MI/New Jersey Titans)
Brady made 135 appearances over the last four years, totaling 37 points on 10 goals and 27 assists while playing the Tiger blue line. The co-captain played all 36 games this season while totaling 12 points on three goals and nine assists, including tallies in back-to-back games at Holy Cross (Jan. 31-Feb. 1).
COACH WILSON SAYS "Darren has led by example since he arrived on our campus. He worked hard and held everyone accountable on and off the ice. In games, he competed to his fullest every shift and every game. He always put the team first and sacrificed for the betterment of the team."
Art Thomas Leadership Award – Darren Brady (Lake Orion, MI/New Jersey Titans), Chris McKay (Edmonton, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders)
Brady also joined his fellow blue-liner as co-winners of the Art Thomas Award. McKay made 123 appearances in an RIT sweater, notching 28 points on five goals and 23 assists over the last four seasons. Appearing in 35 games this season, the alternate captain totaled 11 points on three goals and 8 assists this winter, including a goal opposite nationally-ranked UMass-Lowell (Jan. 10) as well as the game-winning tally in the 5-3 win over visiting Air Force (Feb. 29) to close the regular season. The duo finished second and third on the team, respectively, with 66 and 54 blocked shots apiece.
COACH WILSON SAYS "Both Darren and Chris are great examples of the type of leaders you need for team success. They provided great leadership for our younger players and set a great example on the ice, in the weight room, in the classroom and in the community. They were team-first guys and put their own personnel agendas to the side."
Dan & Laurie Barrows Fans Choice Award – Jordan Peacock (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Cougars)
Peacock played 103 games during his RIT career, compiling 31 points on 15 goals and 16 assists. He appeared in 21 games, he finished 2019-20 with five points on a goal and four assists, including a tally during the Tigers' 3-3 tie at Robert Morris (Feb. 8).
COACH WILSON SAYS "This is great award for Jordan to win as he worked hard for everything he got. He was a true professional in his preparation and competed hard every night. I am very pleased he was recognized for his tireless work ethic."
Craig Lauzon Newcomer of the Year Award – Caleb Moretz (Fairbanks, AK/Flin Flon Bombers)
Moretz tied for fourth on the squad during his rookie season in all three offensive categories, totaling 24 points, nine goals and 15 assists while playing all 36 contests. He tied for 15th in scoring and 21st in assists among the nation's freshmen while tying for second in both categories among Atlantic Hockey first-years.
COACH WILSON SAYS "This is a great accomplishment for Caleb as we had a very impactful freshman class. For Caleb to win this award says a lot about how his teammates who voted for this award thought of him. Caleb has a promising career ahead of him."
Lou Spiotti Coaches Award - Class of 2020
The Class of 2020 was collectively recognized with the Spiotti Award. The seven seniors led RIT (19-13-4, 15-9-4 AHA) to its winningest season in five years as well as its highest Atlantic Hockey finish since 2015. Seeded third for the conference postseason, the Tigers were set to host sixth-seeded Air Force in a best-of-three quarterfinal series before all postseason competition was cancelled across the nation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The class is comprised of co-captains Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings) and Darren Brady (Lake Orion, MI/New Jersey Titans), alternate captains Chris McKay (Edmonton, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders) and Shawn Cameron (Sherbrooke, Quebec/Cumberland Grads), and Ryan Kruper (Sherwood Park, Alberta/Sherwood Park Crusaders), Jordan Peacock (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Cougars) and Brody Valette (Calgary, Alberta/Whitecourt Wolverines).
COACH WILSON SAYS "This is the first time an entire class has won this award. They won it because of what they brought to this team both individually and collectively. The example they set and the culture they created was something we were all looking forward to seeing in the playoffs. I wish coaches could set the culture, but it is and always will be set by your seniors and leaders. This group did just that."
Dr. Albert J. Simone Distinguished Service Award – RIT SPORTSZONE - Mark Fragale/Kevin Roche
RIT SportsZone is responsible for producing game day broadcasts for the RIT athletics department, including full television and in-house productions for all home men's ice hockey games. Under the direction of Mark Fragale and Kevin Roche, the student-run organization has expanded to a full multimedia production ensemble, including 30-minute pre-game shows and live intermission reports for each contest at the Polisenni Center.
COACH WILSON SAYS "This year's recipients are at the forefront of representing Sport Zone, which does an unbelievable job on our campus, including getting the RIT Hockey program out to the community. Their tireless work both in front and behind the cameras are very much appreciated."
