A Year in Review
This year is a relatively "down" year in terms of the field. The committee didn't really have any solid choices to fill a top 10. In fact, when considering writing the final run down to the winner of this prestigious award, we couldn't even put up a field of 3. So, what the heck, we're just going to go with the two contestants we have: Jacob Cepis (Sr. Forward - U Minnesota) and Defending 2010 winner Garrett Roe (Sr. Forward - SCSU).
The Challenger
Jacob Cepis, a native of Parma, Ohio came to the Twin Cities from 1.5 impressive years with Bowling Green State University of the CCHA. Well, maybe impressive is relative in this case because BGSU had only one decent player: Cepis. After 18 games and an "impressive" 5 points and 14 PIM, he decided to take his talents to the Twin Cities. Some say his talents were as a sniping, scoring forward citing his stellar rookie year with BGSU on a less than stellar team. Some say it is his showmanship. Well, he certainly opened eyes with the University of Minnesota. He was almost scoring at will, thanks to his ability to score when there wasn't enough players on the opposition to rub him out of the play. It is wondered whether or not he learned at BGSU or at Minnesota when you feel the need to score, wait for a opposing player to skate by you and then fall like you've been shot. In his first half season with Minnesota, he really burst onto this scene flopping all over the place. He nearly overtook Garrett Roe for the inaugural award. Some say it was because it was only because he played 21 of Minnesota's 39 games that season.
Some say his antics mimic the namesake of this award and therefore makes him most deserving. He brings more than merely diving and feigning injury. He has a feisty side to him as well, such as slashing opposing players when they are otherwise caught up and unable to defend themselves. He's always willing to jump into the fray provided that there is minimal chance of retaliation.
Many, including Goon consider Cepis to unseat Garrett Roe for this year's award.
The Defending Champion
Garrett Roe has had an impressive resume of being able to fool WCHA refs, sometimes at will, by flopping to the ice and feigning illegal contact having been received. He tenacity in this regard, opening up his teammate Ryan Lasch for his career season in St. Cloud made him the lock in 2010 for the inaugural award. He even had the reputation to feign serious injury and then be right back out on the ice during the powerplay.
This season, however, Lasch had graduated and Roe found himself in a different role. He was no longer the Robin to Lasch's Batman. His number of dives went down and some even argue that his ability to fool the refs diminished as well. When asked, sources cite the playoffs even last season, where Roe got called for Diving, something WCHA refs are among the most reluctant officials to call (probably because they don't know the difference between diving and a legit call). Such a setback probably left him a bit down in the race to start off his senior season.
Still, you don't win the award and then change completely overnight. He has certainly earned his place on this list once again.
The Winner is....
After much debate and asking around, we have to give the nod to...
Jacob Cepis, Senior Forward from the Golden Gophers of the University of Minnesota.
It was hard to give the award to someone other than Garrett Roe. He did such a great job and Cepis seems to be playing the role of "Johnny Come Lately," but you can't argue that Cepis just had more to prove in this category than Roe. Roe used to be the fall guy to Lasch. Cepis came in with the name on the back being just as important as the name on the front of his jersey. Roe's ability comes from the confidence that, by acting in this unethical fashion, you can get the advantage for your teammates. It was a flaw that Cepis doesn't have.
Congrats to Jacob Cepis. You'll be missed by Gopher fans everywhere but will inevitably fade into obscurity just like everyone else who wins this award.
