The 2002-03 UW hockey team finished the season with a 13-23-4 record and a 7-17-4 mark in league play (eighth-place finish).
The Spike Carlson Most Valuable Player award went to junior winger Rene Bourque (Lac La Biche, Alberta). Bourque led the team in scoring with 19-8=27. He topped the team in goals (19), points (27), shots on goal (162), power-play (7) and game-winning (4) goals and also games played (40).
Redshirt freshman John Funk (Mendota Heights, Minn.) was voted the team’s Otto Breitenbach Most Improved Player. After walking onto the team a year ago and redshirting, Funk played in 25 of the last 27 games this season, scoring 6-7=13 and adding two power-play goals.
The Ivan B. Williamson Scholastic Award was given to senior captain Brad Winchester (Madison, Wis.). The Academic All-Big Ten and all-WCHA team member was fourth in team scoring this past season with 10-6=16. He tied for second among his teammates in goals scored. Winchester has a 3.3 GPA majoring in business.
Junior Jake Heisler (Bloomington, Minn.) earned the Fenton Kelsey Jr. Most Competitive Player Award. Heisler tallied 4-6=10 and was one of the Badgers’ top penalty killers. He will not return to the UW hockey team for his senior season, as he graduates this May.
The Dr. Joseph Coyne Most Consistent Player Award went to freshman Tom Gilbert (Bloomington, Minn.). The award is given to the player who finishes the season with the highest plus-minus. Gilbert was one of the nation’s top-scoring blueliners and was third on the team in total scoring with 7-13=20.
Senior assistant captain Brian Fahey was honored by the National W-Club with its Community Service Award. Throughout his UW career, Fahey has given many hours back to the community. He has visited terminally ill children at UW Children’s Hospital on a regular basis, participated in reading programs at local elementary schools, encouraging students to read, and given talks to grade-school and middle-school kids on the importance of remaining in school and getting an education.
— compiled from staff reports