Seniors Honored at WMU Hockey Banquet

KALAMAZOO -- Freshman goalie Frank Slubowski was named team most valuable player and the Western Michigan hockey team celebrated their CCHA Championship and the careers of it five seniors at their annual end of the year banquet.

Slubowski, who was voted MVP by his teammates, set the single-season goals against average record with a 2.01 mark, winning 17 games with three shutouts and a .911 save percentage. This is the sixth time in program history that the team MVP has been voted to a goaltender, joining Riley Gill (09-10), Jeff Reynaert (2001-02), Marc Magliarditi (1995-96), and Glenn Healy (1983-84, 84-85). The Prince Rupert, B.c., native was also named MVP of the CCHA Tournament as he back-stopped the Broncos on their way to their second ever CCHA Tournament Championship. Slubowski was also named the Suzanne Klop Rookie of the Year.

Sophomore defenseman and Second Team All-American honoree Dan DeKeyser was voted the Neil Smith Most Valuable Defenseman. DeKeyser, who was also named the CCHA's Best Defensive Defenseman, racked up 17 points on five goals and 12 assists and finished tied for the team lead in plus/minus at +15. Junior forward Dane Walters also finished with a +15 shared the Bill Saunders Best Plus/Minus Award with DeKeyser. Walters, for the second straight season, also was awarded the Catherine Lawson Sportsmanship Award.

Freshman Will Kessel was voted the Ed Edwards Most Improved Player. The forward finished the season with six goals and four assists, with four of the goals coming in the final five weeks of the season. Kessel stood out in the CCHA Semifinals when he netted two goals and tallied an assist in WMU's 6-2 win over Miami.

Seniors Ian Slater and J.J. Crew were both awarded the Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association Grinder Award, while Slater was also named the Blue Line Club's Best Conditioned Bronco.

Sophomore Chase Balisy took home the Vic Vanderberg Scoring award for leading the Broncos with 37 points on the season. Freshman David Killip was awarded the Dr. Peter Ellis Academic Award after finishing his first year with a 4.0 GPA.

All five senior, Slater, Crew, Greg Squires, Kyle O'Kane and Derek Roehl graduated on time at the end of the spring semester.