Poturalski Tabbed MVP; Cleland Named Captain at Men’s Hockey Awards Banquet

DURHAM, N.H. – Sophomore Andrew Poturalski (Williamsville, N.Y.) of the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team was presented with the Roger A. LeClerc Award as the team's Most Valuable Player at the 2015-16 annual awards banquet. The gala was held at the Huddleston Hall Ballroom on the campus of UNH on Saturday, April 23.

Junior blueliner Matias Cleland (Longmont, Colo.) was named the program's 113^th captain for the 2016-17 season.

Poturalski earned a host of awards this season after recording 52 points on 22 goals and 30 assists. After signing a two-year entry-level contact with the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL), Poturalski was named a Hockey East First Team All-Star as well as the league scoring champion, an All-New England selection and a Hobey Baker Memorial Award Finalist and was named to the AHCA/CCM Hockey All-America First Team. Poturalski also earned the Guy Smith Award as the team's best offensive player.

Along with being named the captain for the 2016-17 season as voted upon by his teammates, Cleland also earned the Rod Langway Best Defenseman Award. Cleland played every game this season and logged 28 points on five goals and 23 assists. He led the nation in blocked shots with 112 and fired 103 shots on goal.

Alternate captain Dan Correale (Prince George, British Columbia) was bestowed the Robert A. Kullen Award, selected by the coaching staff. The honor was previously known as the Unsung Hero Award, however was renamed in 1991 in memory of the late UNH coach. Correale had a career year as a senior with 16 goals and nine assists for 25 points as he played in all 37 games. He notched his first-career hat trick against the University of Massachusetts on Oct. 23 and tied for the team lead in power play goals with eight.

Senior Kyle Smith (Lumberton, N.J.) was named the recipient of the Warren R. Brown Memorial Trophy as the team's best defensive forward. The award is named after Brown was killed in an automobile accident on Dec. 22, 1973. Smith played all 37 games and recorded six goals and nine assists for 15 points. Smith recorded a career-high three assists against the University of Maine against Maine on Dec. 5 and a career-high two goals in a 3-1 win over No. 4 Providence College on Jan. 30.

The Most Improved Player Award was earned by sophomore Michael McNicholas (Manhattan Beach, Calif.). As a freshman, McNicholas played in 14 games and tallied three assists while as a sophomore, he played in 30 games and notched four goals and six assists for 10 points. Three of his goals came on power plays.

The Charles E. Holt Coaches Award, as voted on by the coaching staff to the player who makes large contributions to the team both on and off the ice, was earned by senior captain Collin MacDonald (West Milford, N.J.). MacDonald, who sat out a portion of the year due to injuries, played in 19 games and registered one goal, which came against the University of Massachusetts on Oct. 20. MacDonald was involved both on and off the ice in player education as well as community service initiatives.

The Sid Knight Award for the highest grade point average on the team was earned by Cameron Marks (North Vancouver, British Columbia). Marks, who is a business management major in the Paul College School of Business, was named a member of the 2015 Hockey East All-Academic Team. In 2016, he finished the year with one goal and 12 assists for 13 points in 33 games played.

Senior defenseman Harry Quast (Mullica Hills, N.J.) garnered the last two awards of the evening as he earned the Snively Citizenship and Service Award as well as the SCO Nate Hardy Ironman Award. Quast, who played in 33 games and tallied four points on a goal and three assists, serves as co-president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), a position he has held for two years. He is also very active in community service initiatives that SAAC hosts as well as team events.

The SCO Nate Hardy Ironman Award is given to the student-athlete who excels in the weight room through a 15-event competition during dry-land training in the fall. The Award was named in honor of Nate Hardy, a Navy SEAL who was killed in action in Iraq in early February, 2008.

For more information on men's hockey, visit www.UNHWildcats.com.

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