Hockey Celebrates 2017-18 Team at Year End Banquet

In front of the 2017-18 team, coaches, staff, family and friends, the Army West Point hockey team handed out awards at the annual banquet in Washington Hall. In addition to the team awards given out, the Black Knights announced Dalton MacAfee and Taylor Maruya as duo captains for the 2018-19 season. Yearling defender Alex Wilkinson was honored with the Henry "Hal" Beukema Award. The Beukema Award, which was initiated in 1955, is given each year in the memory of Maj. Beukema to the team's most valuable player. Wilkinson is the first defenseman to earn the award since Associate Head Coach Zach McKelvie received the honors in 2010. He is also just the 12th defenseman to garner the "Hal" Beukema Award in its 63 years. This season, Wilkinson was named the Atlantic Hockey Association's Best Defenseman. He led an Army defense that finished with the league's best penalty kill (.878) and the second-best scoring defense. The Raleigh, N.C., native ranked second in the league with 14 power play points including four goals on the man-advantage. The yearling was second on the team in game-winning goals with four and finished the regular season with 30 blocks and a +4 rating. He tallied four multi-point games on the year, while setting a career-high in points (3) at Bentley on Feb. 16. The award honors Henry "Hal" Beukema who died in a plane crash in 1954 after attaining the rank of major. The team MVP award has been given out every year since 1955 and is voted on by team members. Read More