PHILADELPHIA -- The top college hockey coach in the country works in Schenectady.

Union College's Rick Bennett was named the 2014 Spencer Penrose Award winner as the STX/American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Division I Coach of the Year Wednesday. Voting was conducted by the 59 Division I coaches. 

The announcement came as the Dutchmen took to the ice to prepare for Boston College Thursday night in the NCAA Frozen Four.

"I really do believe it's a staff award, and should be a player award," Bennett told media after practice.  "The players are the ones playing this game, and they make you look good.  I'm gratetful to them, grateful to the staff.  Jason Tapp, Joe Dumais and John Ronan have done a phenomenal job."

Under Bennett's direction, Union owns the most victories (30) and top winning percentage (.800) in the land.  The 30 wins are the most in school history (covering 71 varsity seasons) and marks just the ninth time in ECAC Hockey history that a team has reached that plateau.  Union earned the No. 1 spot in the USCHO.com poll for the first time in program history this season and has spent 16 weeks ranked in the Top 10.

The Dutchmen were the only team in Division I to win its league regular-season and tournament championships.  Union captured the Cleary Cup as ECAC Hockey regular season champions by an eight-point margin, setting school records for conference wins (18) and points (37).  A month later, the Dutchmen secured the Whitelaw Cup, becoming the first team in 37 years to win three consecutive ECAC Hockey tournament titles.

In 2013-14, Bennett has led Union to a school-record 10-game winning streak (Feb. 21-present) and a nine-game winning streak (Nov. 9-Dec. 13).  The team is unbeaten in its last 15 contests (14-0-1) -- the longest active streak in the nation.  Union ended its home campaign with 12 straight victories at Messa Rink in Achillies Center.

Other season highlights include a 15-1-2 record against nationally-ranked opponents, a 15-0 mark versus Ivy League competition and victories against every opponent in ECAC Hockey.  Union also won the Capital Skates Trophy by taking the season series against Rensselaer.

Bennett will receive the Penrose Award on May 3 at the AHCA Convention in Naples, Fla.  He is the second Union coach to earn the national honor -- Nate Leaman was chosen in 2011.