By Bobby Wagner, Sports Editor

For the NYU hockey team, a season of highs on the ice was capped with perhaps the most valuable victory yet. With their National Championship victory just over a month old, the Violets were awarded a President’s Service Award, given annually to an NYU group or individual that shows commitment to philanthropy and service.

In the midst of a tumultuous season that saw starting goalkeeper Sam Daley sidelined with a benign brain tumor, the Violets never once wavered in their commitment to service. Between practices, games, travelling and academics, the team found enough time to volunteer at several events, including the St. Francis Xavier Soup Kitchen, the Team Impact initiative and Finding a Cure for Epilepsy and Seizures, among others. They were given the award, as read at the ceremony, “for consistent support of various charities and organizations throughout the city, their contribution to NYU’s sense of community and their competitive and professional nature.”

The team made a conscious effort from the onset of the season to focus on philanthropy. Head coach Chris Cosentino has made it a mission of his for the team to not only grow on the ice, but grow as people.

“It was an honor for the team to receive one of NYU’s most prestigious awards, but if you ask anyone involved with the hockey program we certainly do not do it for the recognition,” Cosentino said. “We take a lot of pride in being New York City’s college hockey team and we are so grateful for the incredible support we receive from the community and NYU. Our student athletes truly enjoy helping others, and it speaks to the character of people in our program. We are happy to help and we wish we could do more.”

Freshman goaltender Jack Nebe — who manned the net during the National Championship run, filling in for Daley’s absence during the second half of the season — reflected on the moment the team heard they had won the award.

“Our managers broke the news to us as we were heading to our third game of Nationals, and I remember feeling that we all felt like we’d achieved something as a team,” Nebe said. “Something that not only spoke to our success on the ice but also our involvement in the community, which is just as important.”

Both Nebe and Cosentino said manager Angie Gokhman was the organizing force behind many of their charity events. Gokhman helped both to set up events and communicate between the team and organizations about the logistics of the Violets volunteering.

“This season the guys were not new to coming in first place after their hard work and determination on the ice, but the impact they made off the ice made this award different,” Gokhman said. “We don’t need recognition to want to reach out to the various charities and organizations we work with throughout the year. However, being recognized showed that we had truly made a difference for causes.”

Seniors like captain Dan Fortunato now have this honor to go along with the accolades the team has earned on the court. After a career of work both on and off the ice, Fortunato’s years at NYU have now come full circle.

“I think that winning this award is just as special as winning a National Championship,” Fortunato said. “We are very fortunate to be healthy and to be attending such a prestigious school. Waking up early on a Sunday to volunteer at The Church of St. Francis Xavier’s food pantry program or making a young man battling epilepsy a member of our team is something not just one person, but our entire team takes pride in.”

Email Bobby Wagner at [email protected].