ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Atlantic Hockey Association held its annual banquet Thursday night at the RIT Inn and when all was said and done four members of the Army hockey team earned all-conference recognition, head coach Brian Riley was named the “Coach of the Year”, and the Black Knights were given the Team Sportsmanship Award.

Luke Flicek, Josh Kassel, Tim Manthey and Owen Meyer were the individual players to be honored. Kassel and Manthey were named to the All-AHA Second Team. Flicek collected Third Team all league plaudits, while Meyer was chosen as a member of the All-Rookie Team.

Kassel, a native of Greensburg, Pa., registered one of the finest seasons in Academy history en route to his recognition as the Atlantic Hockey’s Second Team goaltender. After having played only 20 minutes entering the season, Kassel stepped into the void left by Brad Roberts and led an Army defense that currently ranks 15th in the nation limiting opponents to 2.50 goals per game. The sophomore ranks first in the AHA with a 2.31 goals against average, second with 16 wins, second in saves with 726, and third in save percentage at .914. He is also tied with Air Force’s Ben Worker with three shutouts and was named the AHA “Goalie of the Week” a league best five times.

Manthey garnered his second-consecutive Second Team selection, after also being named to the All-Rookie Team last winter. He ranks seventh in the nation and third in the league among defensemen in scoring, averaging 0.81 points per game. The Anoka, Minn., native set new personal bests this season with nine goals and 18 assists for 27 points and logged more ice time than any other Army defensemen. Manthey was a staple to the Black Knights power play unit manning the point on the offensive attack and also was a lockdown defender on the penalty killing group.

Flicek was named to the Atlantic Hockey Third Team as a forward following a breakout season on the offensive end of the ice. He ranks 13th in the conference in points and 15th in both goals and assists. A native of Burnsville, Minn., Flicek established new personal bests this winter in goals (16), assists (20) and total points (36). The junior forward also ranked second in the AHA and 14th in the NCAA with four game winning goals.

Meyer adapted quickly to life at West Point and registered one of the more solid rookie seasons in recent history with 26 points. His ability to produce offensively and impact a game on any given shift earned the Littleton, Colo., native, a nod on the AHA All-Rookie Team. Meyer scored 12 goals to go with 14 assists in his first season with the Army hockey program. He was named the AHA “Rookie of the Week” twice this season including the final week of the regular season when he register four points to jump to 21st in the nation in scoring among rookies.

Coach Riley was named the Atlantic Hockey “Coach of the Year” for the second straight season after leading the Black Knights to their best-ever conference finish. After being picked to finish ninth in the pre-season poll, Army raced out to a 6-0-1 mark in league play and went on to win a school record 15 conference games and record 35 points. The Black Knights third place finish in the league standings is its best since joining the MAAC/AHA, and earned them the tournament’s second seed. Army took advantage of the home ice advantage and won it’s first-ever quarterfinal game last Saturday defeating Bentley, 6-2, and appear in its first conference semifinal on Friday.

The team was recognized for its success and discipline on the ice this winter capturing the leagues Team Sportsmanship Award. The Black Knights are the least penalized team in the conference spending only 14.2 minutes per game in the penalty box. In addition to their ability to stay out of the box, the Black Knights always carried themselves in a professional manor and held true to the values of a West Point cadet.