End of the year awards

Press Release:

Goaltender Alex Kangas was rewarded for his record-setting season as just the third freshman in University of Minnesota men’s hockey history to earn the team’s Most Valuable Player award at Saturday’s team awards banquet at Mariucci Arena.

Kangas joins forward Thomas Vanek in 2002-03 and goaltender Murray McLachlan in 1967-68 as the only first-year team MVP’s in Gopher history. The team has awarded an MVP, named after former player and coach John Mariucci, since 1955-56.

Kangas was also named the team’s Frank Pond Rookie of the Year and Tom Mohr Playoff MVP after setting single-season school records with a 1.98 goals against average and .930 save percentage. Vanek also captured all three of the awards during his freshman year, while McLachlan went on to be the team’s only three-time MVP.

Kangas, a Rochester native, was the MVP of the WCHA Final Five and started the last 21 games of the season. Kangas ranked sixth nationally in goals against and seventh in save percentage, including second among all freshman goalies in the country.

The other team awards were dominated by the team’s senior class with five seniors receiving individual honors. Senior goaltender Brent Solei received the team’s Mike Crupi Most Determined Player award for the second consecutive year, while senior forward Tom Pohl was a repeat selection for the Donald Clark Community Service Award.

Senior forward Mike Howe was named the Dr. V. George Nagobads Unsung Hero and senior captain and defenseman Derek Peltier earned the Elwin Romnes Leadership and Sportsmanship Award. Senior forward Evan Kaufmann received the John Mayasich Outstanding Student-Athlete Award.

Solei, a Coon Rapids native, has been traditionally the team's hardest working player over his four seasons and made the most of his only career start against Wayne State on Jan. 4 with 28 saves. Including exhibitions, he was 4-0 for his career for a 1.20 goals against average.

Pohl, a Red Wing native, had the best season of his four-year career with the Gophers, playing in 34 games. He scored the game-tying goal this year against Air Force and totaled 15 points in 73 career games. He was a WCHA scholar athlete and all-academic team selection.

Howe ranked third on the team in scoring with 21 points and scored one of the team's most dramatic goals of the year with 12.7 seconds left to beat his hometown St. Cloud State squad in the WCHA Final Five. He also had a goal and an assist in the NCAA tournament game against Boston College and finished his career with 67 points in 157 career games.

Kaufmann, a Plymouth native, totaled 19 points while playing in every game this season to finish his career with 62 points in 147 games played. An accounting major, he was a WCHA all-academic team selection for the third straight year and a WCHA scholar athlete.

Peltier, a Plymouth native, played in 172 consecutive games to end his career, missing only the second game of his freshman year. He was the team's highest-scoring defenseman this year with four goals and 17 assists for 21 points. In his career, he totaled 72 points.

Former Gopher standouts Justin Johnson, Mike Vannelli, Judd Stevens and Grant Potulny presented the individual awards.