Everyone at Cheers supposedly knows your name. Air Force defenseman Dylan Abood does the famous Boston watering hole one better – I think he might know everyone’s name.

During a handful of interviews with the Falcons junior co-captain I came away impressed with many things, not the least of which was his recall of previous conversations, past teammates and events. It was pretty clear to me why he wears a letter for the Falcons – he is a caring, committed teammate.

Those attributes, among others, were recognized Sunday night at Air Force’s annual hockey banquet, presented by the Falcon Blue Line Club.

Abood won three of the team’s top eight awards – the Vic Heyliger Award, the Iron Bolt Award and shared the Jim Bowman Award with co-captain Johnny Hrabovsky.

The Heyliger no doubt was the most meaningful. First, it’s voted on by teammates. Second, it’s the definition of Falcons hockey – dedication, character, leadership and work ethic – and named after the Falcons’ first coach. Only three AFA juniors ever have won the Heyliger.

The Iron Belt is awarded to the Falcons’ weight-room warrior. How does a 5-foot-8, 165-pound defenseman survive in the weekly war zone known as Atlantic Hockey? There’s no question this award offers some insight. Our early season Q&A also shed some light on Abood.

Abood’s tag-team partner Hrabovsky shared the Bowman, which recognizes the team’s top scholar-athlete and is named after the former coach and athletic administrator. Abood has a 3.79 GPA overall, 3.52 in his major of electrical engineering, while Hrabovsky has a 3.46 in his major of systems engineering. Hrabovsky, another pleasant, thoughtful interview, also is a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes excellence in the classroom, in the community and on the ice. He’s also adept at playing the market.

Obviously, the measure of both players goes well beyond their modest offensive output this season. As the season progressed and both got healthy, they formed an elite shutdown pair for a Falcons team that reached the NCAA Tournament’s elite eight for just the second time in program history, falling to No. 2 Harvard, 3-2.

The Falcons wouldn’t have gone that far without sophomore goaltender Shane Starrett, whose peers voted him the winner of the Chuck Delich Award as team MVP for the second season in a row. Delich, an Academy grad, was the Falcons’ third coach and the all-time leading goal scorer in NCAA history. The irony, of course, is Starrett did such a good job stopping potential goals that he was the MVP of AHC’s final four and finished in the top five in the nation in goals-against average (1.98), shutouts (five) and winning percentage (.778). In addition, Starrett (26-6-4) was a semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award, which recognizes the top goalie in D-I.

He went on an unbelievable run from December forward, going 19-3-2 in his final 24 starts, allowing just three or more goals only five times in that stretch while giving up zero or one 13 times in that stretch.

AFA goalies typically only grant interviews at certain times, and I had to wait until a bye week to talk to Starrett. But it was worth the wait. Good natured doesn’t begin to describe the light-hearted masked man.

Two more defensemen also were honored, including one who nearly blew up the blog with his legion of online followers.

Sophomore Dan Bailey‘s peers voted him the Most Improved Player Award after putting up 16 points and going plus-9. I’d vote him Q&A MVP given his online popularity. I liked to joke with him and Matt Koch about turning on the scoring spigot in postgame interviews this season. One more reference there to hold you over for the summer.

If Bailey turned on the spigot, then junior Phil Boje turned on the garden hose. Given the Defensive Player of the Year Award by the coaching staff, Boje emerged as a first-team all-AHC pick after amassing 30 points and making the NCAA East Regional all-tournament team. Like the rest of his teammates, he also is a pleasant interview.

Brady Tomlak‘s peers voted him the winner of the John Matchefts Award as the team’s top freshman after he emerged as a multi-dimensional threat. Tomlak led the AHC in face-off winning percentage (57.3) among those who took 200 or more draws and scored 18 points. He also provided one of the most memorable replies of the season (and maybe of all time) during a midseason Q&A.

Speaking of Cheers, if there is one Falcon I could bring there and shoot the breeze with, it would unquestionably be senior Tyler Rostenkowski, whose teammates voted him the Larry Cronk award as the Falcons’ most inspirational player. The Cronk is named after the former assistant coach who has been involved in the program since its start in 1966. Rostenkowski (12 points) shows up every night and does everything he’s asked, including switching positions. He also cares deeply for his teammates. That was never more apparent than when I spoke with him about video coordinator Max Edson, whose playing career was ended by post-concussion symptoms a few years ago.

So take a bow, Falcons. Not only were you a fun team to watch on your way to one of the best season’s in program history, you were immensely enjoyable to talk to.