ECAC Men's West All-Conference Teams
Utica, NY (2/20/2013) – Seven members of the Utica College men's hockey team were honored as ECAC Men's
West All-Conference selections on Tuesday morning. After leading the league in scoring, sophomore forward
Louie Educate (Chicago, IL/Aberdeen (NAHL)) was named the Conference's Player of the Year, and for the third time in 12 years, Head Coach
Gary Heenan was named the ECAC West Coach of the Year.
Educate was also the lone Pioneer to earn All-Conference first team accolades. Four of the seven All-Conference Second Team selections were Pioneers, including junior forwards
Trever Hertz (Jaffray, British Columbia/Quesnel Millionaires (BCHL)) and
Jon Gaffney (Dover, NJ/Springfield Blues (NAHL)). Freshman defender
Donny Olivieri (Philadelphia, PA/Bismarck (NAHL)) was also a second team selection alongside UC goalie
Nick Therrien (Rochester, NH/NY Apple Core (EJHL)). Junior defender
Mike Slowikowski (Ewing, NJ/N.J. Hitmen (EJHL)) was named an honorable mention for the second straight season as well.
Educate, who transferred to UC this past season after spending one year at Nichols College where he earned USCHO.com Division-III All-Rookie team honors, currently ranks 13th nationally with an average of 1.40 points per contest. He currently leads the ECAC West with 17 goals and 18 assists through 25 games played. He needs two more goals to tie the College's single-season record of 19 set back in 2009-10 by former Utica All-American
Tim Coffman (Elverson, PA/Laconia (AJHL)).
Head Coach
Gary Heenan, who is the first and only coach in program history, guided the Pioneers to their second conference regular season title this past season. UC enters the conference tournament as the top seed after posting a program-best 20-4-1 overall record, including an 11-3-1 ledger in the ECAC West. The Pioneers are currently ranked No. 1 in the NCAA East Regional Rankings, No. 2 in the D3hockey.com National Poll and No. 7 in USCHO.com National Poll. Headed into the conference tournament, Heenan boasts an impressive 164-117-19 overall record over the course of the last 12 years. Heenan has led the team to ten consecutive ECAC Men's West Conference playoff appearances (2003-2013) as well as two appearances in the ECAC West Championship game.
Junior forward
Jon Gaffney (Dover, NJ/Springfield Blues (NAHL)) is making his first career appearance on an all-conference team after finishing the
regular season with 25 points on 13 goals and 12 assists. He tallied 14 points in conference play and two game-winning goals. Through 75 career games, the first-line winger has registered 71 points (37 goals, 34 assists).
Junior forward
Trever Hertz (Jaffray, British Columbia/Quesnel Millionaires (BCHL)), who was an all-rookie team selection two years ago, was an all-conference second team selection this season after posting 24 points. He netted a team-best ten goals in conference play and he now had 75 career points (35 goals, 40 assists).
Freshman defender
Donny Olivieri (Philadelphia, PA/Bismarck (NAHL)) was an all-conference second team selection, as well as an all-rookie team pick after leading the nation in freshman defenseman scoring with an average of 0.88 points per contest (five goals, 17 assists). His 17 assists led all UC defenders and he was named the ECAC Men's West Rookie of the Week twice this past season.
Utica goalie
Nick Therrien (Rochester, NH/NY Apple Core (EJHL)) is making his first all-conference appearance after posting a school-record 18 wins between the pipes for the Pioneers. His 18 wins also tied for the national lead. He tallied a 2.15 goals against average and a .924 save percentage to go along with two shut outs. In 51
career games played he has 1,056 saves, 32 victories and a 2.37 goals against average.
6-foot-6 junior defender
Mike Slowikowski (Ewing, NJ/N.J. Hitmen (EJHL)) is making his second consecutive appearance on the honorable mention list after earning all-rookie team status as a freshman. He finished the year with 15 points and registered just two penalties. In 74 career games he has 37 points.
The Pioneers will host Manhattanville in the ECAC Men's West Conference Tournament semifinals on Saturday night at the Utica Memorial Auditorium (7 p.m.). Tickets are currently on sale at the Auditorium Box Office, $8 Adults/$4 students. Season ticket holders can redeem their season ticket playoff vouchers until the end of the day Wednesday. The Auditorium Box office is open Monday – Friday 10 a.m. -4 p.m. Tickets will also be sold on the night of the game, if available.
If Utica wins on Saturday night, the Pioneers will host the ECAC Men's West Conference Championship game on March 2nd.
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