DENVER – Two University of Denver hockey players have been named to the 2025-26 CSC Men's Division I Academic All-America At-Large Team, College Sports Communicators announced on Wednesday.
 
Senior captain Kent Anderson and alternate captain Boston Buckberger were both named to the Academic All-America First Team, marking the first time in DU hockey history that the program has had multiple players chosen to the top squad in the same year. Overall, Anderson and Buckberger become just the Pioneers' second and third first-team members as the pair join Tyler Ruegsegger, who had previously been DU's lone top honoree from 2010.
 
This is Anderson's second career Academic All-America honor from the CSC after being recognized on the second team in 2024, while this is Buckberger's first time being named to the list. Anderson was one of 11 repeat winners from Division I and joins Ruegsegger (2008, 2009, 2010) as the only Denver hockey players to be named to the academic list in multiple years.
 
The two defensemen helped the Pioneers win the 2026 NCAA Championship, their second such national title after also winning together in 2024. In addition to the national title this past season, the DU defenders also helped the squad capture the National Cup by winning the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Tournament as well as the Gold Pan trophy over in-state rival Colorado College.
 
Anderson, 22, graduated with his bachelor's degree in business finance in June and finished his undergraduate studies with a 3.94 cumulative grade-point average. He served as the 96th captain in Denver hockey history during the 2025-26 season and recorded four points (2g/2a) while playing in all 43 games. He also compiled a +13 plus-minus rating, 12 penalty minutes and blocked 40 shots.
 
The Calgary, Alberta, native scored his first career overtime goal in double-OT on April 9 against No. 1 Michigan in the NCAA Frozen Four Semifinals to send the Pioneers to the championship contest. Anderson appeared in his 150th career game in that NCAA title game, a 2-1 comeback win against Wisconsin on April 11. He signed his first professional contract with the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League on May 15.
 
A 2024 NCAA Elite 90 winner, Anderson is a four-time NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete and Academic Honor Roll member and has been named a national Academic All-American Scholar by the coaches association in each of his four seasons. He has also twice been named DU hockey's Dr. Art Mason Top Scholar-Athlete (2023-24, 2025-26).
 
Buckberger, 22, owns a 3.95 cumulative grade-point average through his junior season and is working toward his bachelor's degree in accounting. Despite signing a two-year, entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets after the season on April 13, Buckberger continues to take classes and is on track to earn his degree in the next year.

The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native recorded career highs with 10 goals and also added 19 assists for 29 points during the Pioneers' 2025-26 championship campaign. He finished second among both fellow blueliners and all NCAA players with a +32 plus-minus rating while ranking third at his position with five power-play goals (tied) and fourth with 130 shots on net.
 
In the 2026 Frozen Four Championship Game, Buckberger had the primary assist on the game-winning goal by Kyle Chyzowski. He played in 128 of a possible 131 games during his three-year career with the Pioneers, including suiting up in each of his first 85 contests before suffering a season-ending, upper-body injury in the 2025 NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship Game.
 
Buckberger was also an NCAA Elite 90 Award winner in 2025 and was selected to the 2025-26 NCHC Academic All-Conference Team. He has been named to the conference's Academic Honor Roll and recognized as a Distinguished Scholar-Athlete in each of his three seasons and has been selected as a national AHCA All-American Scholar three times. Additionally, Buckberger was chosen as the Pioneers' Dr. Art Mason Top Scholar-Athlete Award winner in 2024-25.
 
The CSC Academic All-America Teams honor the top student-athletes in the nation based on their combined athletic and academic performances. The Academic At-Large Teams are open to student-athletes from fencing, golf, gymnastics, hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, volleyball, water polo and wrestling. Nominees must hold at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA and have met participation requirements as determined by each sport.
 
Denver hockey now has nine players in program history that have earned Academic All-America status and this marks the second time ever—and the second consecutive season—that the Pioneers have had multiple hockey players land on the CSC's national academic teams in the same year. Matt Davis (Second Team) and Jack Devine (Third Team) were both recognized in 2024-25.
 
As an athletic department, Denver was one of nine Division-I institutions with multiple players honored on the men's at-large list and the school has had at least one student-athlete recognized in each of the last six years and in 12 of the last 13. DU had skiers Mia Hunt and Sara Rask named to the Women's At-Large Team on Tuesday, and Denver now boasts 19 combined honorees in the last three academic years.
 
Anderson and Buckberger were two of seven D-I men's ice hockey players and 14 overall to earn Academic All-America recognition from CSC, and the Pioneers joined Michigan State, Hobart (D-III) and Hamilton (D-III) as the only universities with multiple honorees. The NCHC had one other award winner from the conference as Minnesota Duluth's Max Plante was selected to the third team.
 
 
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