They’re getting hard to count.

It seems that each day since the season ended, a new award or bit of recognition is coming Jason Guerriero’s way.

First, his own team. Then the Hockey East moved in. Next up was New England.

Finally, the nation.

Not to mention the appreciation of his teammates.

“There was never a time I did not want to go to the rink and show up because there were guys like Jason in the room,” said teammate of four years and goalie, Keni Gibson. “He’s willing to do anything. He’s the kind of kid from day one, on and off the ice, that would do anything for his teammates.”

It was an infectious spirit and passion that drove Guerriero, 2005’s Northeastern News Male Athlete of the Year, for four years in a Husky uniform, his final as a captain. The Manorville, N.Y. native was instrumental from the minute he arrived on Huntington Avenue for the first time.

Suiting up for his varsity game in October 2001, Guerriero may not have been aware of what the upcoming four seasons would bring him. They would include not a single game missed and his presence at all but one practice.

“He was definitely not healthy for all those games over the four years, because he played through a lot of pain,” Gibson said. “He just knew it was very important for him to be out there and work as hard as he could for us every night. Without him, we knew we couldn’t do anything.”

Guerriero, while proud of the accomplishment, said he probably wasn’t the only one.

“I missed just one practice this year, because right before we went out to [Dayton, Ohio] to play Michigan, I hurt my leg and I wasn’t sure if I was going to play at all,” he said. “I said I have to take one day off if I want to play. It definitely helped, because I didn’t miss any games.

“It’s something [not missing games] that isn’t even seen. I’m not the only one out there, every guy gets his bumps and bruises. I’m not this strong guy that doesn’t get hurt. People play hurt all the time and it’s tough, but that’s how the sport goes. It’s such a physical game, it’s so skilled and there’s a lot of tough guys out there.”

What Guerriero has received since the final Husky game against the University of New Hampshire two weeks ago in the HE quarterfinals speaks volumes of his importance to Husky sports and the hockey program.

It began against the University of Massachusetts on Senior Night at Matthews Arena March 5. That night, Guerriero recorded five points (two goals, three assists) to become the first HE scoring champion in NU’s history.

His name was put ahead of talent such as Preston Callander and Sean Collins of UNH, along with the duo of Ryan Shannon and Patrick Eaves at Boston College. Guerriero, quite simply, ensured his name would not be overlooked like it had in the past. Case in point: only a Hockey East All-Star Honorable Mention Award in his first three years.

“For three years, he didn’t really get the respect he deserved,” Gibson said. “It’s about time he did. It’s great for us to sit back and watch him get all this recognition, because he really deserves it.”

On March 17, the recognition parade began Guerriero became the second Husky ever to receive the Len Ceglarski Sportsmanship Award, while receiving a Hockey East All-Star first team honor.

April 2 brought the Northeastern awards banquet, where Guerriero and Gibson were named co-MVPs for the second year in a row. The center was praised for finishing as the 11th highest scorer in NU history.

Two days later, the New England Hockey Writers Association voted in Guerriero as a New England All-Star, over a month after he was named the runner-up to Harvard goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris in the Walter Brown Award finals, given to the best American-born hockey player in the region.

Thursday, the biggest award of them all came Guerriero’s way. The American Hockey Coaches Association selected him as a Division 1 first team All-American, the 13th in Husky hockey history and the first since defenseman Jim Fahey in 2001-02.

Gibson, like many of his teammates, was so certain of Guerriero’s talent and importance that seeing him being named among the country’s best brought a sigh of relief.

“I was really happy,” the goalie said. “I was worried he wouldn’t get an All-American award. Being an All-American, it’s about being an all-around good athlete, a good person and someone who’s good in the community and school. He exemplified all those things.”

Guerriero’s consistency set him apart. Always a threat from the middle of the ice, the senior seemed to have an eye for his linemates each time the Huskies were on the offense.

“I’ve never been a cocky kid or bragged and don’t plan on ever being one, but I just feel that the whole year I kept a consistent effort of hard work and skill,” he said. “It just slowly, slowly brought me to the top of the scoring title. You don’t really want to be a factor in one game and not in another. You don’t want someone to say well ‘Guerriero hasn’t been doing anything.’ You try to be consistent in your play everyday and you want to be a threat.”

From the minute his senior season began, Guerriero was accelerating his goals and assists totals. In the team’s season opener against then No.1 Michigan Oct. 8, Guerriero scored the game-winner and had two assists.

The season continued, and Guerriero continued to lead the offense, eventually reaching his final total of 17 goals and 31 assists for 48 points. As is commonly stated by most involved in college hockey, playing every Friday and Saturday night in the Hockey East isn’t an easy task.

“That’s exactly it, when I talk to people, some people will say, ‘Oh yeah, you guys play BC,’ and I’ll say, ‘it’s not like we just play BC, or we just play BU,’ these are unbelievable teams that are up for the national championship every year,” Guerriero said. “It’s a battle every night to get points against those teams and to score goals is not easy.”

Former Husky coach Bruce Crowder observed Guerriero from his early days to the end.

“He’s one of those guys that can bring a little bit of everything to the table,” Crowder said earlier this season. “He sees the ice, he makes great passes and he has a heck of a shot. He can win against the big, key defenses and he’s always out there during the last minute of the game, whether he’s trying to save or get a goal.”

Now playing at the professional level for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL), recently coached by new Husky coach Greg Cronin, Guerriero can reminisce with his teammates about the special time of playing collegiate hockey in Boston.

“People here in Bridgeport talk about ‘how if I ever went to college, I’d love to play in the Beanpot,'” Guerriero said. “At NU, BC, BU and Harvard, it’s such a rich atmosphere. They say they’d want to be a part of it. I’m happy to say I was a part of it and I was at Northeastern.”