Engineers Hand Out Year-End Hardware

Chase Polacek (l) and RPI head coach Seth Appert. Photo by Perry Laskaris

TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s hockey team recently held its’ season-ending banquet, where the team’s 2009-10 award winners were announced. Seven awards, all of which were voted on by the team’s players, were handed out by fourth-year head coach Seth Appert and his staff.

For the second straight season, forward Chase Polacek earned the highest honor by being named the Most Valuable Player. The junior from Edina, Minn., played in all 39 games this season, tallying 26 goals and 26 assists for 52 points. He had 13 power play goals, two shorthanded goals and 40 penalty minutes. He currently ranks third in the nation in power play goals, and is fifth and sixth, respectively, in points and goals. Polacek is also eighth in goals per game (0.67), seventh in points per game (1.33) and 10th in shorthanded goals (2).

In addition to the team MVP, he was also named the ECAC Hockey Player of the Year, a National Reebok All-America First Team and a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, among other awards.

Senior forward Paul Kerins earned both the Most Inspirational Player Award and the Most Improved Player Award. The Weston, Ont., native played in 38 games, earning 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points. He was second on the team in goals and fourth in points.  Among his tallies were seven power play goals and two game-winning markers.  He entered his final campaign with 14 goals and 22 assists for 36 points in 88 games.

Capturing the team’s Best Defensive Player Award was senior defenseman Erik Burgdoerfer.  A native of East Setauket, N.Y., he had a goal and six assists with 51 penalty minutes in 39 games.  He was third on the team with a plus-3, despite often playing against the opposition's top performers.

Jerry D'Amigo won the team’s Most Outstanding Freshman Award.  The forward from Binghamton, N.Y., played in 35 games, tallying 10 goals and 24 assists for 34 points. He was third on the team in points, second in assists and fourth in goals. Three of his goals came on the power play, while one was shorthanded and a team-high three were game-winners.

D'Amigo, who helped the U.S. World Junior Championship to a gold medal, was named the ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year and to the Inside College Hockey.com Freshman All-America Team.

Junior defenseman Mark Zarbo was named the Top Scholar Athlete. The Grand Island, N.Y., native has been on the school’s Dean’s List as well as the league’s All-Academic squad as a business and management major on numerous occasions.  He is foregoing his final year of eligibility to pursue graduate studies in physical therapy.

Garett Vassel, a senior forward, earned the Community Service Award.  A frequent volunteer with local youth hockey organizations, the Westhampton, N.Y., native has taken part in numerous on-campus events as well, including the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life.  He also helped establish RPI United, an on-campus club where all members of the RPI community—students, staff, professors—could be united as one entity to raise school spirit and awareness of events on campus.