The SUNYAC has announced the 2023 men’s hockey top awards, which are nominated and voted on by the conference coaches.
The honors include the Herb Hammond player of the year, defensive player of the year, goaltender of the year and rookie of the year.
Herb Hammond Player of the Year – Nikita Kozyrev, Buffalo State
Kozyrev scored 14 goals and had 19 assists to lead the conference in points this season with 33. He scored a season-high two goals against Potsdam and Hobart. The junior forward had one goal and one assist in the SUNYAC first-round matchup against Cortland where he helped give the Bengals a three-goal lead in the first two periods. The Bengals beat Cortland 3-2 and advanced to the semifinal game where they faced top-seeded Oswego but lost 4-1. Kozyrev has been named to the All-SUNYAC first team and was also named athlete of the week Dec. 5.
Herb Hammond coached at Oswego (1969-80) and Plattsburgh (1981-83), compiling a 176-122-5 mark for the Lakers and a 52-17-4 record for the Cardinals. He was named the 1982 Division III coach of the year. From 1983 to 1988, Hammond coached at Brown before leaving coaching to become an NHL scout for 11 seasons. Hammond passed away on July 22, 2009.
Defensive Player of the Year – Alex Monteleone, Brockport
Monteleone had three goals and seven assists for 10 points this season for the Golden Eagles, in addition to nine blocked shots. He had a season-high three assists vs. Fredonia on Feb. 10.
Goaltender of the Year – Matt Petizian, Geneseo
Petizian, a senior, had a season-high 53 saves in a 4-3 win against Oswego on Feb. 3. Petizian only allowed 39 goals in 22 games this season, averaging 1.89 goals-against per game and he had a career-high .933 save percentage. The team earned a No. 3 seed going into post season and advanced to the semifinals but lost to No. 2 Plattsburgh. Petizian finished the season with a 14-6-1 overall record. He was named to the all-conference first team and was also the SUNYAC goaltender of the week twice this season.
Rookie of the Year – Colby Seitz, Cortland
Seitz scored eight goals and had 15 assists for a total of 23 points this season for the Red Dragons. The forward played in all but one game and had a season-high two goals in a win over Fredonia. The freshman scored one goal in the SUNYAC first-round game against Buffalo State where they fell short 3-2.
In addition, Buffalo State senior goaltender Emil Norman was named the SUNYAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. This award is nominated and voted on by the conference sports information directors.
Norrman had an excellent final season for the Bengals, culminating in a second team All-SUNYAC selection. The senior finished the year with a 14-9 record and one shutout in goal. Norrman led the SUNYAC with 824 saves, while also finishing third in the conference with a .929 save percentage. Norrman’s 14 victories this year tied him for third-most wins in a single season by a Bengals goaltender. In the classroom, the business major has a 3.90 cumulative GPA and has earned Dean’s List honors in every semester at Buffalo State.
