NCDC 2024-25 Awards: Pueblo’s Bondariev Named Mountain Division Defenseman Of The Year

USPHL • #NCDCAwards • NCDC 2024-25 Awards: Pueblo’s Bondariev Named Mountain Division Defenseman Of The Year

BondarievAwards

By Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com

The National Collegiate Development Conference congratulates Mykyta Bondariev of the Pueblo Bulls on being named the 2024-25 Mountain Division Defenseman Of The Year.

“It’s truly an honor to be named Defenseman of the Year in the Mountain Division,” said Bondariev, a 2006-born native of Kyiv, Ukraine. “This season was incredibly competitive, and I’m proud to have been recognized in what I believe is the strongest division in the NCDC.”

During the 2024-25 season, the Bulls finished in the top 10 in the NCDC in both team goals against average (2.94) and fewest shots against per game (34.17). While Bondariev played a big part obviously on the defensive side for his team, he also was a key offensive contributor with eight goals and 34 assists for 42 points in 53 games. This ranked him sixth among NCDC defensemen in points for this past season, and tops in the Mountain Division. He improved sixfold from scoring seven points in his first season with the Bulls in 2023-24.

“Throughout the season, I gave my all every day, striving to contribute as much as possible to the team’s success,” said Bondariev. “I received incredible support from the Bulls organization, my billet family, and our amazing fans. The coaches always trusted me, which boosted my confidence and allowed me to play my best.”
Bondariev has just kept working since the end of the Bulls’ season, continuing to improve his game towards having an even better 2025-26 season.
“After taking some time to recover in the post-season, I’m back to training,” he added. “Right now, I’m focusing on improving all aspects of my game rather than concentrating on one specific area.”
With two NCDC seasons under his belt, Bondariev has been nothing but happy with making the USPHL’s top tier his junior hockey home away from home.
“The NCDC continues to excel in developing players and growing as a league,” said Bondariev. “It’s undoubtedly providing more opportunities for players to advance to college hockey.”