The University of Alabama Huntsville hockey team wrapped up their inaugural season in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) with their annual awards banquet. All players, coaches and multiple staff were present at the gathering which was attended by many supporters of the team. Although the first season in the WCHA was rough for the Chargers (2-35-1 overall), much promise was shown in the young team led by head coach Mike Corbett.
“You guys came out with fire in your eyes,” said Corbett as he addressed the team. “You came out and competed. That’s all I could have asked from you.”
Coach Corbett also reflected on the future of the team in regards to recruiting.
“Our recruiting class is finished,” said Corbett. “We have got nine players to come here. We’re also working on a few international players to come here for school, too.”
Corbett’s speech to his team and its supporters gave promise to next season and what he hopes to achieve. We caught up with Mike Corbett and video is below.
Following coach Corbett addressing the attendees of the banquet, multiple awards were given to members of the team. All but one award (WCHA Scholar-Athlete) was voted upon by the team itself. Below are the award winners:
WCHA Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Chad Brears
Defensive Player of the Year – Ben Reinhardt
Freshmen of the Year – Matt Salhany
Charger Award (for the spirit of the program) – Ben Reinhardt
Most Valuable Player(s) – Goaltenders Matt Larose and Carmine Guerriero
Also at the banquet was a silent auction featuring autographed items such as: Cam Talbot autographed New York Rangers Stick, Seth Jones autographed helmet, UAH team autographed sticks, Nashville Predators tickets and more. In total, the silent auction brought the program over $2,200 in donations.
Thursday night also marked the end of an era at UAH. The graduation of Brice Geoffrion ends the Geoffrion era that also included his brother Sebastian Geoffrion. Brice Geoffrion helped bring leadership during a time of another coaching change at the school. The Brentwood, Tennessee native noted in the interview below that UAH helped him achieve one of his goals to play Division 1 hockey.
*Photo courtesy of UAH Sports Information
