The York University Lions men's hockey team hosted its year-end banquet on Monday night to celebrate the past season and hand out a number of team awards to the players.
 
The evening had an emotional element to it as former player Mark Cross, who passed away in the tragic bus crash in Saskatchewan a little more than a week ago, was honoured before the ceremony began. In his honour, a new award called the Mark Cross Heart of a Lion Award was presented to the player who best embodies Mark's spirit by exhibiting elite levels of character, respect, optimism, sacrifice and selflessness, and the inaugural winner was team captain Shayne Rover.
 
Rover has spent five seasons with the Lions and graduates this year having played in every regular-season and playoff game throughout his career. He earned two OUA major awards this season, the Randy Gregg Award for outstanding contributions in athletics, academics and community service, and the most sportsmanlike award, and was honoured with a Lions Legacy Award at York's year-end banquet.
 
He has been the team captain for two seasons and, before that, was an assistant captain for two years, and during his time at York perfectly epitomized the spirit of Mark Cross.
 
Head coach Russ Herrington presented the inaugural Bill Maguire Yeoman's Service Award to assistant coach Jesse Messier for his extraordinary level of dedication, commitment, service and loyalty to the program. Messier has been with the Lions coaching staff for three seasons, returning to the program where he spent five years as a player and graduated 10^th all-time in career scoring. He has spent countless hours working with the players and serving as Herrington's lead assistant throughout the season.
 
The other seven awards handed out were voted on by the other members of the team. The Dave Chambers Most Outstanding Player Award was won by Colton Vannucci, who had a career year with 20 points in 28 games to tie for second in team scoring and first in goals, including a pair of game winners. He was also a point-per-game player in the playoffs to help the Lions finish in fourth place overall in the OUA.
 
Derek Sheppard, who is now playing for the Florida Everblades in the ECHL after signing a professional contract at the end of the season, took home the Graham Wise Lasting Legacy Award for his overall impact on the program. Throughout his career he was a three-time OUA West all-star, two-time OUA West defenceman of the year and the OUA West most valuable player in 2016-17.
 
Scott Feser was awarded the Guy Burry That's a Lion Award for best representing the ideals, values and behaviours of the men's hockey program, while Andrew Doyle was named the recipient of the David Kosoy Best Teammate Award.
 
The Bob Hedley Unsung Hero Award was presented to Nicolas Crescenzi for putting forth the greatest effort towards team success while sacrificing personal success, and Dexter Bricker, the team's leader with the York Sport Council, was named the recipient of the Bill Purcell Community Leadership Award.
 
Rounding out the awards presentations was Alex Mowbray, who took home the Ian Macdonald Academic Excellence Award.