Whitney Wins Hasek’s Heroes Award

St. Joe’s Senior Michael Whitney Wins Hasek’s Heroes Award!
Whitney Presented “Dominator Award”; Two Teammates Honored as Finalists!

With this being the first year that former National Hockey League superstar goaltender Dominik Hasek has chosen to present awards to exemplary high school hockey players, St. Joe’s netminders certainly selected the correct year to complete a season for the ages.

St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute is pleased to announce that senior Michael Whitney (of Buffalo) has been honored by Hasek’s Heroes, an organization founded by the legendary Sabres’ backstop, with their first-ever “Dominator Award,” presented to the area’s most outstanding goalie.  In addition, senior Ted Clauss (of Buffalo), Whitney’s partner between the pipes, was selected as a finalist for the “Dominator Award” and junior defenseman Richard Hilliker (of Williamsville) was runner-up for the organization’s “Sportsmanship Award.”

St. Joe’s is the only school in Western New York with multiple honorees.

Whitney, the son of Drs. Jeff Whitney and Michele Youakim, overcame being cut three times previously from the school’s Federation team to flourish in net his senior season, posting an overall record of 9-2-2 and playing a starring role on a Marauders’ team that led the league in goals against. The heart and soul of the club’s 20-win season, Whitney was selected as the team’s most valuable player thanks in large part to his role in key victories over top programs like Canisius, McQuaid, Cathedral (R.I.), Shenandoah, Pittsford, Orchard Park, Lancaster and Niagara-Wheatfield.  Ranked in the top fifth of his graduating class, Whitney accumulated a 93 percent grade point average at St. Joe’s, and volunteered at Northgate Nursing Home for the past four years.  He is headed to the University of Pittsburgh in the fall.

Clauss, the son of Warren and Molly Clauss, did not lose a single game in 2008-2009, compiling an unblemished mark of 11-0-2 with seven shutouts and a league-leading goals against average of 0.90.  Always a willing participant in the Marauders’ incredible goalie rotation, Clauss also achieved quite admirably in the classroom with a G.P.A. of 91 percent.  He will attend Canisius College.

Hilliker, the son of Richard and Joan Hilliker, was the ultimate gentleman on and off the ice, displaying all of the elements of senior leadership as an eleventh grader.  An exemplary team player, Hilliker regularly expressed concern for teammates and was the first to offer to his ice time in games that had already been decided to those who played less often.  A volunteer at Vinecroft and Tennyson nursing homes and St. Gregory the Great Vacation Bible School, Hilliker is currently ranked in the top 15 percent of his class.

Formed in June 2001 by Hasek, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and Olympic Gold Medalist, Hasek’s Heroes works in partnership with the Buffalo Public School System to promote academic achievement as an integral component of athletics.  The organization was established to provide a foundation of athletic development and educational support, enabling children from low- to moderate-income families to achieve their future life goals.
 
Congratulations to Michael, Ted and Richard for these outstanding achievements!