Hockey team announces 2024-25 Award Winners
4/6/2025 4:53:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force hockey team announced its award winners at the 2024-25 end of season banquet, Sunday, April 6.
Senior Austin Schwartz earned three of the team's top seven awards, winning the Vic Heyliger Award, the Chad Demers Most Inspirational Award and the team's Best Defensive Player Award. The Heyliger, voted on by the team, is the cornerstone of Air Force hockey. It is awarded to the player whose dedication, character, leadership and work ethic exemplifies Falcon hockey. The Most Inspirational Award, voted on by the team, was renamed this season in honor of Chad Demers, a 2015 grad and former hockey team captain and assistant coach who battled brain cancer before his passing on Oct. 3, 2024.
Schwartz earned Atlantic Hockey Co-Best Defensive Forward honors and was a finalist for the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award. Schwartz is the only player in league history to win the Best Defensive Forward in back-to-back seasons. A team co-captain from Parker, Colo., Schwartz blocked 62 shots this season, the most of any forward in the nation. This season, he played a key role in the Falcons ranking fourth in the league in scoring defense and ranking in the top 20 in the nation in shots allowed per game. Additionally, this season, he led the team with a career-high 12 goals, including a team-leading four game-winners. While playing in nearly every situation in all 40 games, he was called for just three minor penalties all season. His five career short-handed goals are tied as the most in Air Force's conference era and tied as the second most in school history.
Schwartz won the Most Inspirational Award for the third straight season (co-winner in 2023-24) and the Best Defensive Player Award for the second straight year. He is the fourth forward to win the Best Defensive Player Award and the first forward to win it back-to-back seasons. Schwartz is the second Falcon to win or share the Most Inspirational Award three straight seasons (Justin Hamilton, 2001-03).
Senior Clayton Cosentino earned the Chuck Delich MVP Award. Cosentino led the team with 20 assists and 29 points. His 547 faceoffs won led the nation and his .559 winning percentage ranked among the nation's best among players to win more than 450 draws. A co-captain from San Carlos, Calif., he also had two power-play goals, three game-winners and blocked 25 shots.
Senior Guy Blessing earned the Jim Bowman Scholar-Athlete Award. Blessing carries a 3.83 cumulative GPA as an astronautical engineering major. A three-time Atlantic Hockey all-academic selection, he has earned AHCA Scholar-Athlete honors twice. On the ice, he earned AHA Goalie of the Week honors three times as a senior. The Chandler, Ariz., native became the sixth goalie in Air Force's conference era to record more than 2,000 career saves and is the fifth goalie in school history to play 100 or more career games.
Freshman Sam Stitz earned the John Matchefts Award as the team's top freshman. This season, he led all freshmen, and was fifth on the team, with eight goals. His 16 points (8-8-16) led all freshmen and were sixth on the team. His two power-play goals tied for third on the team and he scored the game-winner to beat Canisius, Feb. 7. A winger from Perry Hall, Md., he was named the AHA Rookie of the Week, Feb. 16, as he scored three points (1-2-3) in the series against Army.
Freshman Nick Sajevic was named the Larry Cronk Most Improved Player. A freshman from Shoreview, Minn., Sajevic only played in 10 of the first 30 games. However, he played in the final 10 games of the season, centering a line with a pair of fellow freshmen that became extremely productive. In a seven-game stretch late in the season, he had five points (1-4-5) and his line combined for nine goals and 20 points in those seven games.
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Senior Austin Schwartz earned three of the team's top seven awards, winning the Vic Heyliger Award, the Chad Demers Most Inspirational Award and the team's Best Defensive Player Award. The Heyliger, voted on by the team, is the cornerstone of Air Force hockey. It is awarded to the player whose dedication, character, leadership and work ethic exemplifies Falcon hockey. The Most Inspirational Award, voted on by the team, was renamed this season in honor of Chad Demers, a 2015 grad and former hockey team captain and assistant coach who battled brain cancer before his passing on Oct. 3, 2024.
Schwartz earned Atlantic Hockey Co-Best Defensive Forward honors and was a finalist for the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award. Schwartz is the only player in league history to win the Best Defensive Forward in back-to-back seasons. A team co-captain from Parker, Colo., Schwartz blocked 62 shots this season, the most of any forward in the nation. This season, he played a key role in the Falcons ranking fourth in the league in scoring defense and ranking in the top 20 in the nation in shots allowed per game. Additionally, this season, he led the team with a career-high 12 goals, including a team-leading four game-winners. While playing in nearly every situation in all 40 games, he was called for just three minor penalties all season. His five career short-handed goals are tied as the most in Air Force's conference era and tied as the second most in school history.
Schwartz won the Most Inspirational Award for the third straight season (co-winner in 2023-24) and the Best Defensive Player Award for the second straight year. He is the fourth forward to win the Best Defensive Player Award and the first forward to win it back-to-back seasons. Schwartz is the second Falcon to win or share the Most Inspirational Award three straight seasons (Justin Hamilton, 2001-03).
Senior Clayton Cosentino earned the Chuck Delich MVP Award. Cosentino led the team with 20 assists and 29 points. His 547 faceoffs won led the nation and his .559 winning percentage ranked among the nation's best among players to win more than 450 draws. A co-captain from San Carlos, Calif., he also had two power-play goals, three game-winners and blocked 25 shots.
Senior Guy Blessing earned the Jim Bowman Scholar-Athlete Award. Blessing carries a 3.83 cumulative GPA as an astronautical engineering major. A three-time Atlantic Hockey all-academic selection, he has earned AHCA Scholar-Athlete honors twice. On the ice, he earned AHA Goalie of the Week honors three times as a senior. The Chandler, Ariz., native became the sixth goalie in Air Force's conference era to record more than 2,000 career saves and is the fifth goalie in school history to play 100 or more career games.
Freshman Sam Stitz earned the John Matchefts Award as the team's top freshman. This season, he led all freshmen, and was fifth on the team, with eight goals. His 16 points (8-8-16) led all freshmen and were sixth on the team. His two power-play goals tied for third on the team and he scored the game-winner to beat Canisius, Feb. 7. A winger from Perry Hall, Md., he was named the AHA Rookie of the Week, Feb. 16, as he scored three points (1-2-3) in the series against Army.
Freshman Nick Sajevic was named the Larry Cronk Most Improved Player. A freshman from Shoreview, Minn., Sajevic only played in 10 of the first 30 games. However, he played in the final 10 games of the season, centering a line with a pair of fellow freshmen that became extremely productive. In a seven-game stretch late in the season, he had five points (1-4-5) and his line combined for nine goals and 20 points in those seven games.
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Players Mentioned
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