During the first 86 years of the renowned tradition of Clarkson hockey close to 600 Golden Knights have worn the Green and Gold sweater, but none have scored more goals than Kevin Zappia. The 5’9”, 177-pound left wing completed Clarkson’s explosive offenses in the late 1970s, scoring a school-record 103 goals over four seasons from 1975-1979. Zappia is second all-time on the Knights’ points list with 213, trailing only Dave Taylor as Clarkson’s most prolific offensive force.
Zappia was blessed with uncanny scoring ability, and a flair for converting passes into goals, first for Massena High School, then for Northwood School, and then for Clarkson. He helped to lead head coach Jerry York’s teams to an 82-43-1 record during his four-year tenure.
The Massena, NY native’s collegiate career got off to a strong start as he was Clarkson’s third-leading scorer with 22 goals and 49 points during his rookie campaign in 1975-76. One of his biggest goals was the overtime winner in Clarkson’s 6-5 triumph against Boston College at Walker Arena in mid-February. He recorded his first career hat trick in a game against Penn on February 28, 1976.
Zappia became the first freshman to be named Most Valuable Player in the ECAC Holiday Hockey Festival at New York’s Madison Square Garden. He scored one goal and added four assists to lead Clarkson to a 10-5 victory over Vermont in the 14th annual championship game.
As a sophomore in 1976-77, Zappia played a leading role on the most productive offense in Clarkson’s history. He tallied 28 of Clarkson’s record 223 goals, and finished with 53 points through 33 games as the Knights skated to a 26-8 overall record, including a first-place 19-4 mark in the ECAC standings. He tallied his second career hat trick in a 9-3 victory over Western Michigan in the opening game of the season.
With the graduation of Taylor, who went on the star in the NHL, Zappia took over the reigns of the Knights’ offense in 1977-78. He led the Green and Gold with 59 points on 31 goals and 28 assists through 28 games of his junior campaign and capped off the year by being named a second-team ECAC All-Star.
Zappia once again led Clarkson in scoring as a senior during the 1978-79 season, putting up 52 points, including 22 goals through 31 games. He had two hat tricks in a four-day span in early February in wins over Colgate and Rensselaer to earn ECAC Forward of the Week honors. He was Clarkson’s MVP as a senior.
Named Clarkson’s Outstanding Senior Athlete in 1979, Zappia also excelled on the baseball diamond, playing three years (1976-78) for Coach Jack Phillips’ teams. As a junior, he hit for a .419 average and knocked in nine runs.
After graduation, Zappia signed with the Quebec Nordiques, who were about to move from the World Hockey Association to the NHL. He was a great rarity of the 1970s: an American-born college player selected by a major-league team. He spent the 1979-80 season in Milwaukee, Cincinnati and finally Syracuse.
He was quick to point out that he owed his success in college to his various linemates. At Clarkson, the men who slid the puck to him in the slot included Dave Taylor and Craig Laughlin. “All my wingers made the NHL,” Zappia once jokingly said.
