Spiro Goulakos

Classroom

Goulakos is a senior in good academic standing. He is on track to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in economics in the spring of 2015. Entering the Fall 2014 semester, he had a cumulative GPA of 2.94, despite missing part of his sophomore year to deal with health issues resulting from Hodgkin’s lymphoma. His goal in the classroom this year is to be named to the ECAC Academic Honor Roll, obtain recognition from the Economics Department at Colgate this semester and to raise his cumulative GPA above a 3.0.

Character

Goulakos missed part of his sophomore season (2012-13) after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer originating from white blood cells in the lymph nodes. He missed 10 games during the 2012-13 season while receiving treatment, but he returned to the lineup on a part-time basis before the end of the season. He continued his treatment over the summer and was cleared for full-time status last season. Goulakos flourished during the 2013-14 season, playing all 39 games and recording a career-high 20 points, all while helping lead Colgate to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005. For his leadership, Goulakos was selected by his teammates to serve as team captain for the 2013-14 season. He was a unanimous decision to serve as captain again this season and will once again don the “C” on this jersey for the 2014-15 campaign.

Community

Goulakos is an active member of both the Colgate community and the Hamilton community as a whole. He and his teammates have worked closely with Team IMPACT, a non-profit organization that pairs collegiate teams with children facing life-threatening or chronic illness. Through this program, the Raiders have befriended Danny, a local boy in Hamilton, N.Y., with cerebral palsy who is considered part of the team and invited to spend time at practices, games and other events with the players. Goulakos and the team have formed a special bond with Danny away from the rink, visiting him both at school and at his home, and they even attended a rally for Danny as he prepared to take part in the Central New York Special Olympic Time Trials in September. In addition to his work with Team IMPACT, Goulakos has also taken part in fundraisers to raise awareness for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, including one that resulted in more than $2,000 being raised for Community Memorial Hospital in 2012.

Spiro and his teammates have also made visits to local elementary schools, interacting with the children and helping them with their school work.

Competition

Goulakos has appeared in 108 games for the Raiders during his four-year career and has tallied 59 points on 19 goals and 40 assists. He was named Third-Team All-ECAC following his junior season and was a preseason All-ECAC pick by the media prior to the start of the 2014-15 campaign. Goulakos enjoyed his finest offensive season in 2013-14, posting season highs of 20 points on nine goals and 11 assists while helping lead Colgate back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005. Goulakos has recorded multiple points on 15 occasions during his career, including a career-best four points last spring against Cornell when he became just the seventh player in the history of Starr Rink to score three goals in a period. During his sophomore season, Goulakos registered 18 points in just 26 games as he missed part of the season to deal with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He also participated in the New York Rangers developmental camp during the summer of 2014.