NCHC Award Winners Include Three Bulldogs

After announcing the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) All-Rookie Team on Tuesday, the NCHC has announced its all-conference teams for the 2016-17 season, as voted on by coaches and student-athletes. Denver led the way with two representatives on both the First and Second All-NCHC teams, while Minnesota Duluth placed three on the all-conference teams and Omaha had one player land on each All-NCHC squad. Miami and North Dakota each had one player earn First-Team All-Conference as five teams are represented, while Western Michigan had a Bronco land on the Second Team.

Garnering First-Team All-NCHC is UMD senior forward Alex Iafallo, Miami senior forward Anthony Louis, Omaha senior forward Austin Ortega, Denver senior defenseman Will Butcher, North Dakota senior defenseman Tucker Poolman and DU junior netminder Tanner Jaillet. A pair of Pioneers took two forward spots on the All-Conference Second Team in freshman Henrik Borgström and sophomore Dylan Gambrell, while Western Michigan senior Sheldon Dries nabbed the third forward spot. On the Second Team blue line is UMD sophomore Neal Pionk and Omaha junior Luc Snuggerud, while another Bulldog takes the goaltender spot in freshman Hunter Miska.

Butcher, the only repeat selection on the All-NCHC First Team, led all voting with 35 points, including 11 (of a possible 14) first-place votes. Iafallo, who was on the inaugural NCHC All-Rookie Team, also received 11 first-place votes and 34 points as the top forward vote-getter. Louis totaled 30 points and nine first-place votes while Ortega had 23 points and six first-place votes. Poolman took the other blue line spot with 26 points and seven first-place votes, while Jaillet nabbed 10 first-place votes for 32 points.

Iafallo captured the NCHC scoring title with 30 points (his 1.25 ppg was also tops in the NCHC) while playing in all 24 conference games, scoring 11 goals and adding 19 assists, which ranked second in NCHC play. He also logged a plus-13 rating in those 24 games, while scoring two game-winners, leading the NCHC with two short-handed goals and tallying a hat trick. Ortega was second in NCHC scoring with 28 points on 10 goals and 18 assists in 23 games, with his 1.22 ppg also second. Louis, a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick, took third in NCHC scoring with 27 points in 24 conference games, tying Iafallo for second with 19 assists while chipping in eight goals.

On the back end, Butcher finished fifth in NCHC scoring and led all blue liners with 25 points in 24 games, including an NCHC-best 22 assists in conference play. The Colorado Avalanche draft pick also led the NCHC with a plus-18 rating while blocking 46 shots, which tied for fourth in conference play. Poolman tied for third among defenseman scoring in NCHC play with 18 points while appearing in all 24 conference games. The Winnipeg Jets prospect scored four goals and added 14 assists, while logging a plus-6 rating and blocking 28 shots. In goal, Jaillet led the NCHC with 16 wins and an .833 win percentage, posting a 16-2-3 mark in his 22 conference starts. He also led NCHC netminders with a 1.65 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage.

Among Second-Team selections, the blue liners were the top vote-getters with six first-place votes each as Pionk earned 25 points and Snuggerud 21, while Borgström, who was also named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team this year, also received six first-place votes and had 20 points. Gambrell, an NCHC All-Rookie Team pick last year, picked up 19 points and five first-place votes, while Dries and Miska each garnered three first-place votes with 14 and 16 points, respectively.

Gambrell, a San Jose Sharks prospect, tied for fifth in NCHC scoring with 25 points in 24 games, scoring 10 goals and adding 15 assists with a plus-15 rating. His teammate, Borgström, a pick of the Florida Panthers, totaled 19 points and a plus-9 rating in only 20 NCHC games with his 12 goals tying for third in conference play. Dries also tallied 12 goals in NCHC play, compiling 22 points in 24 games, scoring two game-winning goals and adding a hat trick, while also blocking 46 shots.

On the blue line, Snuggerud was second among defensemen with 22 points in 24 games, notching nine goals and 13 assists, including an NCHC-best six power play goals. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect also blocked 20 shots in NCHC play. Pionk tallied 18 points in 24 games, including 14 assists and four goals, while compiling a plus-12 rating and blocking 38 shots. In net, Miska led the NCHC with four shutouts in conference play as he was the lone goalie to start all 24 NCHC games, posting a 15-4-4 record (.739). His .919 save percentage was second in the NCHC, as was his 2.24 goals-against average in conference play.

Six players also earned Honorable Mention All-NCHC, which is made up of the next three highest point totals at forward, next two at defensemen and the third overall point finisher at goaltender. Receiving Honorable Mention are Denver sophomore forward Troy Terry, UND sophomore forward Shane Gersich, SCSU sophomore forward Mikey Eyssimont, Miami junior defenseman Louie Belpedio, SCSU sophomore defenseman Jimmy Schuldt and WMU freshman netminder Ben Blacker, who also earned NCHC All-Rookie Team honors on Tuesday. Along with Blacker, Belpedio and Schuldt were named NCHC All-Rookie in previous seasons.

Voting was conducted by the head coaches and one student-athlete at each institution. Coaches and student-athletes voted for six forwards, four defensemen and two goaltenders, awarding first-place votes for six players (three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender) and second-place votes for the other six selections. Three points were awarded for a first-place vote while one point was awarded for a second-place vote. Coaches and players were not allowed to vote for themselves or their players/teammates.

The NCHC will announce its individual award finalists on Thursday. Individual award winners will be announced at the NCHC Awards Celebration in Minneapolis, Minn. on Thursday, March 16.

All-Conference First Team
F: *Alex Iafallo, Sr., UMD – 34 points (11 first-place votes)
F: Anthony Louis, Sr., Miami – 30 (9)
F: $Austin Ortega, Sr., Omaha – 23 (6)
D: #Will Butcher, Sr., Denver – 35 (11)
D: Tucker Poolman, Jr., UND – 26 (7)
G: Tanner Jaillet, Jr., Denver – 32 (10)

All-Conference Second Team
F: %Henrik Borgström, Fr., Denver – 20 (6)
F: @Dylan Gambrell, So., Denver – 19 (5)
F: Sheldon Dries, Sr., WMU – 14 (3)
D: Neal Pionk, So., UMD – 25 (6)
D: ^Luc Snuggerud, Jr., Omaha – 21 (6)
G: Hunter Miska, Fr., UMD – 16 (3)

Honorable Mention All-Conference
F: Troy Terry, So., Denver – 10 (3)
F: Shane Gersich, So., UND – 9 (1)
F: Mikey Eyssimont, So., SCSU – 8 (0)
D: ^+Louie Belpedio, Jr., Miami – 14 (2)
D: @Jimmy Schuldt, So., SCSU – 4 (0)
G: %Ben Blacker, Fr., WMU – 15 (3)

# 2015-16 NCHC First-Team All-Conference
+ 2015-16 NCHC Honorable Mention All-Conference
$ 2014-15 NCHC Honorable Mention All-Conference
% 2016-17 NCHC All-Rookie Team
@2015-16 NCHC All-Rookie Team
^ 2014-15 NCHC All-Rookie Team
* 2013-14 NCHC All-Rookie Team

NCHC Awards: How I Would Have Voted

The annual tradition that is NCHC postseason awards started Tuesday, when the league released its All-Rookie Team.

All-NCHC honors are due soon, but before that happens, here's a quick look at how your humble correspondent would have voted were he permitted to do so. These are always difficult choices, and surely some of you will be offended.

Leave your thoughts in the comments, or hit me up on Twitter @BruceCiskie. I'll be back with the official announcement once it's out.

ALL-NCHC TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
Forwards
Alex Iafallo, UMD
Anthony Louis, Miami
Austin Ortega, Omaha

Defensemen
Will Butcher, Denver
Carson Soucy, UMD

Goalie
Tanner Jaillet, Denver

SECOND TEAM
Forwards
Dylan Gambrell, Denver
Shane Gersich, North Dakota
Matheon Iacopelli, Western Michigan

Defensemen
Neal Pionk, UMD
Luc Snuggerud, Omaha

Goalie
Hunter Miska, UMD

APOLOGIES TO
Forwards: Sheldon Dries, Western Michigan; Mikey Eyssimont, St. Cloud State; Adam Johnson, UMD; Griffen Molino, Western Michigan; Kiefer Sherwood, Miami
Defensemen: Jack Ahcan, St. Cloud State; Tucker Poolman, North Dakota

NCHC ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Forwards
Joey Anderson, UMD
Henrik Borgstrom, Denver
Tyson Jost, North Dakota

Defensemen
Jack Ahcan, St. Cloud State
Colton Poolman, North Dakota

Goalie
Hunter Miska, UMD

NCHC Player of the Year: Alex Iafallo, UMD
NCHC Defenseman of the Year: Will Butcher, Denver
NCHC Goaltender of the Year: Tanner Jaillet, Denver
NCHC Rookie of the Year: Henrik Borgstrom, Denver

UMD Women's Hockey Cleans Up as WCHA Awards are Announced; Stalder a Patty Kaz Finalist

KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- I'll be back later with a UMD-Western Michigan preview, but first some big news from the UMD women's program as we traveled east.

First, UMD senior Lara Stalder was named a top three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given annually to the top player in women's college hockey.

From UMD:

The No. 2 Bulldogs leading scorer with 53 points (22g, 31a) in 32 games, the Luzern, Switzerland native also ranks second in the WCHA in scoring and goals and third in assists.  In the NCAA, Stalder is second in points per game (1.66), third in goals per game, and fourth in assists. as well as tied for first with seven game-winning goals.  Stalder, currently in the midst of a 27 point, 13-game scoring streak, has had 16 multiple point games for the Bulldogs, including seven outings with three or more points.  In 12 games against top-10 opponents, Stalder had seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points.

The fact Stalder hasn't let up against top opponents is a huge point. Also, keep in mind her season numbers were hampered by missing time playing for Switzerland in the Olympic qualifying tournament overseas. Despite that absence (she posted 12 points over three games to help the Swiss secure a spot in the Games next winter), Stalder still is among the most productive players in the nation.

(The other finalists are Wisconsin puck-stopping machine Ann-Renee Desbiens and Clarkson senior forward Cayley Mercer. The objective part of me thinks Desbiens -- who has more wins (25) than goals allowed (21) this season -- has to win this thing, but I also have to think Stalder is right there.)

In addition to that, UMD cleaned up in WCHA postseason awards. Stalder was named the Player of the Year and Student Athlete of the Year.

You know about her credentials, but the WCHA mentions what she does away from hockey, which is just as impressive.

Away from AMSOIL Arena, Stalder has maintained a 3.80 grade-point average in the University of Minnesota Duluth’s prestigious Labovitz School of Business and Economics. A two-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award recipient, she is one of a select number in the school’s ReMAP project that is engaged in analyses of various business in the Duluth area.

We're not done. Senior assistant captain Sidney Morin was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Year:

One of the Bulldogs’ co-captains, Morin is the defensive backbone and veteran leader for a Minnesota Duluth team that has won 24 games entering the 2017 WCHA Final Face-Off. The senior from Minnetonka, Minn. has excelled on both ends of the ice, tying for the NCAA lead among defensemen with a plus-37 rating and tying for sixth with 23 points (WCHA-best seven goals and 16 assists). She compiled a league defenseman-high 96 shots on goal in 28 WCHA games, while tying for third with a plus-26 rating and ranking fifth with 14 points (6g-8a). Morin has also helped the Bulldogs hold opponents to just 1.65 goals-per-game, good for second in the WCHA and sixth nationally.

Oh, and second-year bench boss Maura Crowell takes home WCHA Coach of the Year.

In her second season behind the Bulldog bench, Crowell has engineered Minnesota Duluth’s best campaign since the early part of the decade. After guiding UMD to a surprise trip to the WCHA Final Face-Off in 2016, she brings the Bulldogs back to the league playoff championships in 2017 as the nation’s second-ranked team – the program’s highest perch since the 2010-11 season. Minnesota Duluth posted a third-place finish in the WCHA regular season standings with a 19-5-4-1 record, marking the Bulldogs’ highest finish since 2010-11 and most league wins since 2009-10. While playing the nation’s third-toughest schedule to date, UMD enters the Final Face-Off at 24-5-5 overall – the Bulldogs’ most victories since the 2009-10 national champions finished 31-8-2.

Somehow, Morin was only on the All-WCHA second team, while Stalder made the first team. Also, senior captain Ashleigh Brykaliuk made the second team. Senior forward Katie McGovern and sophomore goalie Maddie Rooney are on the third team, while forward Sydney Brodt -- the WCHA Rookie of the Month for February -- is on the All-Rookie team.

UMD faces Minnesota Saturday at 5pm in the WCHA Final Faceoff semifinals. Looking ahead, I have yet to find a scenario where UMD does not make the NCAA Tournament. The possibilities vary wildly, largely based off what happens in the ECAC (St. Lawrence and Clarkson appear in, but Princeton and Cornell remain in the tournament and can crash the party by stealing the autobid) and Hockey East (only Boston College is in the field as of now, not a mortal lock to get in but should, and anyone else winning that league steals an at-large bid). UMD could enter the tournament as a No. 2 seed, even with a loss Saturday, while Minnesota could miss altogether, even with a win Saturday. It's all up in the air. But the Bulldogs are in solid position to host an NCAA game for the first time since 2009. Stalder, Morin, Crowell, and company are a huge part of how this turnaround happened so fast.

Andy Welinski, Kasimir Kaskisuo, Scott Sandelin Up For NCHC Awards

DENVER -- Greetings from Denver, where UMD is completing preparation for this weekend's NCHC playoff series against the host Pioneers.

The NCHC announced its all-league teams Wednesday, then finalists for its individual awards on Thursday. Here is the info on those awards, which feature three Bulldogs up for honors.

After revealing its all-conference teams on Wednesday, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced the finalists for its eight individual specialty awards on Thursday. The winners of the awards will be announced Thursday, March 19 at the NCHC Awards Celebration in Minneapolis on the eve of the second annual NCHC Frozen Faceoff.

The three finalists for NCHC Player of the Year are St. Cloud State junior forward Jonny Brodzinski, Denver senior defenseman Joey LaLeggia and North Dakota junior goaltender Zane McIntyre. Brodzinski compiled 23 points in 24 NCHC games, tying for the NCHC lead with 13 goals, including an NCHC-best seven power play markers and two game-winners. He was the co-NCHC Player of the Month in January. LaLeggia, a two-time NCHC Player of the Month, finished second in the NCHC scoring race with 29 points in 23 conference games on 12 goals and 17 assists, while posting a plus-9 rating in NCHC action. McIntyre, a four-time NCHC Goaltender of the Week, was one of just two goalies to play all 24 conference games, posting a NCHC-best 16-6-2 record (.708 win percentage), while ranking in the top three in conference play with both a .931 save percentage and a 2.15 goals-against average.

Up for the Herb Brooks Coach of the Year Award are Omaha’s Dean Blais, North Dakota’s Dave Hakstol and Minnesota Duluth’s Scott Sandelin. Blais led the Mavericks to a 12-8-4-3 mark in conference play and a second straight third-place finish, despite being picked sixth in the NCHC Preseason Poll and having one of the youngest teams in the country. Hakstol guided UND to the Penrose Cup and the NCHC regular-season title with a 16-6-2 record in the NCHC, winning the conference by six points. Under Sandelin, the Bulldogs went 12-9-3-0 in conference play to finish fifth, while reaching 20 wins overall and ranking in the top six nationally.

Finalists for NCHC Rookie of the Year include Miami defenseman Louie Belpedio, Denver forward Danton Heinen and St. Cloud State forward Patrick Russell, all three of which were named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team. Heinen, a four-time NCHC Rookie of the Week and February Rookie of the Month, led all NCHC rookies and tied for third overall with 26 points in 24 conference games, including nine goals and 17 assists. Belpedio, a two-time NCHC Rookie of the Week, led all rookie blue liners with 10 points and had a plus-7 rating in 24 NCHC games, while blocking 21 shots. Russell was second in rookie scoring behind Heinen with 20 points on 10 goals and assists each in 24 conference games. He earned NCHC Rookie of the Week three times on the year.

In addition to being up for Player of the Year, McIntyre is one of three finalists for the NCHC Goaltender of the Year, along with Omaha senior Ryan Massa and Minnesota Duluth freshman Kasimir Kaskisuo. McIntyre, a nominee for the Mike Richter Award and a First-Team All-NCHC selection, led the NCHC in win percentage (.708), wins (16) and saves (704) in conference play, while his .931 save percentage was second. Massa, also up for the Mike Richter Award, was a Second-Team All-Conference selection and started 20 conference games in net, going 9-7-4 with one shutout, while leading the NCHC with a .933 save percentage and ranking second with a 2.12 GAA. Kaskisuo was the only other NCHC goalie to start all 24 conference games (with McIntyre) as he went 12-9-3 with a 2.27 GAA and a .918 save percentage.

Like McIntyre, Brodzinski is also up for two awards as he is one of three finalists for the Forward of the Year, joining Miami senior Austin Czarnik and Denver sophomore Trevor Moore. Brodzinski was a First-Team All-NCHC selection with 13 goals and 10 assists in conference play as his 13 goals tied for the NCHC lead. He was also a two-time NCAA Star of the Week. Czarnik finished with an NCHC-best 22 assists in 24 NCHC games, while tallying four goals, including a hat trick, as he totaled 26 points en route to Second-Team All-Conference honors this year. Moore, a First-Team All-NCHC selection, captured the NCHC scoring title with 30 points in 23 conference games, while his 13 goals in conference play tied for the NCHC lead with Brodzinski and others. His plus-15 rating in NCHC play also led the conference.

LaLeggia is a finalist for three awards, including NCHC Defenseman of the Year, along with Miami junior Matthew Caito and Minnesota Duluth junior Andy Welinski. LaLeggia, a unanimous First-Team All-NCHC recipient, won NCHC Defenseman of the Week five times this season, including three straight weeks in February, while he blocked 24 shots and posted a plus-9 rating. Caito tallied three goals and had 13 assist for 16 points in 24 NCHC games, while his plus-10 rating was second among blue liners and his 45 blocked shots were sixth. Welinski, a Second-Team All-NCHC pick, racked up 12 points, including seven goals, while playing all 24 NCHC games and blocking 25 shots. LaLeggia won the inaugural award last season.

LaLeggia is also up for NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year, along with Omaha sophomore Ian Brady, North Dakota junior Jordan Schmaltz and Colorado College sophomore Jaccob Slavin. LaLeggia’s 29 points in conference play were 13 more than any other defenseman, while his 12 goals, all in conference play, rank second nationally among defensemen. Brady tied for second in NCHC defensemen scoring with 16 points on four goals and 12 assists in 23 NCHC games, while he was one of just two defensemen with a short-handed goal in NCHC play this year. Schmaltz was named Second-Team All-NCHC after compiling 13 points, including 11 assists, in 24 conference games and fired 52 shots on goal. Slavin posted 10 points in conference play, including four goals, three of which came on the power play as he earned First-Team All-NCHC honors. LaLeggia also won the inaugural award for Offensive Defenseman last season.

The final award is NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year with Czarnik up for a second NCHC specialty honor, while he is joined by Denver senior Daniel Doremus and North Dakota senior Mark MacMillan as finalists. Czarnik was a staple of Miami’s penalty kill, scoring two short-handed goals in conference play while blocking 17 shots. Doremus finished fifth in blocked shots among forwards with 22 while his plus-13 rating was second among forwards in NCHC action. MacMillan collected First-Team All-NCHC honors while he tied for third among forwards with a plus-11 rating and like Czarnik, tallied two short-handed goals and 17 blocked shots.

Finalists were determined based on voting by the conference’s head coaches and one student-athlete from each team with the top three vote-getters (plus ties) being finalists.

AWARD FINALISTS

Herb Brooks Coach of the Year
Dean Blais, Omaha
Dave Hakstol, North Dakota
Scott Sandelin, Minnesota Duluth

Player of the Year
Jonny Brodzinski, St. Cloud State, Jr., F
Joey LaLeggia, Denver, Sr., D
Zane McIntyre, North Dakota, Jr., G

Rookie of the Year
Louie Belpedio, Miami, D
Danton Heinen, Denver, F
Patrick Russell, St. Cloud State, F

Goaltender of the Year
Kasimir Kaskisuo, Minnesota Duluth, Fr.
Ryan Massa, Omaha, Sr.
Zane McIntyre, North Dakota, Jr.

Forward of the Year
Jonny Brodzinski, St. Cloud State, Jr
Austin Czarnik, Miami, Sr.
Trevor Moore, Denver, So.

Defenseman of the Year
Matthew Caito, Miami, Jr.
Joey LaLeggia, Denver, Sr. (last year’s winner)
Andy Welinski, Minnesota Duluth, Jr.

Offensive Defenseman of the Year
Ian Brady, Omaha, So.
Joey LaLeggia, Denver, Sr. (last year’s winner)
Jordan Schmaltz, North Dakota, Jr.
Jaccob Slavin, Colorado College, So.

Defensive Forward of the Year
Austin Czarnik, Miami, Sr.
Daniel Doremus, Denver, Sr.
Mark MacMillan, North Dakota, Sr.

UMD's Adam Krause, Zoe Hickel Nominated for Hockey Humanitarian Award

This is a big deal.

15 nominees for the prestigious Hockey Humanitarian Award were announced Thursday.

UMD has two of them.

Men's hockey captain Adam Krause of Hermantown and women's co-captain Zoe Hickel are on the list of nominees for the award, which recognizes "college hockey’s finest citizen – a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team, but also to the community-at-large through leadership in volunteerism."

Krause also earned a nomination this week for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Unlike that award, this particular honor is not exclusive to seniors. The 15 finalists include 11 seniors, three juniors, and a sophomore.

Both Hickel -- who hails from Anchorage and has developed into one of UMD's top players over her time at the school -- and Krause are active in the community. Frankly, you couldn't draw up two better representatives for the UMD Bulldogs. They're good with kids, good with the media, and obviously recognized by their teammates as great leaders in the room and on the ice.

The Hockey Humanitarian Award will pare down to five finalists in February, with the winner announced April 10 in conjunction with the Frozen Four in Boston.

UMD and Wisconsin (Brittany Ammerman and Joel Rumpel) lead the way with two nominees each.

NCHC Fictional Midseason Awards

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- I had planned on doing this last week, but illness overcame me in Thunder Bay and I decided to put it off. It took until Wednesday before I felt remotely myself, and by then I had to prepare for this weekend series. So here we are.

The following assumes some things. It assumes 1) I have a vote in the league honors, and 2) there are any kind of midseason awards.

I don't have a vote, but I'm going to post my thoughts for discussion and entertainment purposes only.

These observations are based on my observations from the first half of the season. There is a flaw. I haven't seen Western Michigan play, not live because UMD hasn't played them, and not on video, either. I've seen every other team in the NCHC both live and on video.

Anyway, here goes. I'll give you two all-league teams and some other individual honors through half the season.

FIRST TEAM
Forwards
Riley Barber, Miami
Austin Ortega, Omaha
Dominic Toninato, UMD

Defensemen
Joey LaLeggia, Denver
Andy Welinski, UMD

Goalie
Ryan Massa, Omaha

SECOND TEAM
Forwards
Austin Czarnik, Miami
Austin Farley, UMD
Mark MacMillan, North Dakota

Defensemen
Matthew Caito, Miami
Jordan Schmaltz, North Dakota

Goalie
Zane McIntyre, North Dakota

APOLOGIES TO ...
Forwards
Jonny Brodzinski, St. Cloud State
Drake Caggiula, North Dakota
Blake Coleman, Miami
Jake Guentzel, Omaha
Danton Heinen, Denver
Nick Schmaltz, North Dakota

Defensemen
Kenney Morrison, Western Michigan
Nolan Zajac, Denver

Goalie
Evan Cowley, Denver
Jay Williams, Miami

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Forwards
Danton Heinen, Denver
Karson Kuhlman, UMD
Jake Randolph, Omaha

Defensemen
Louie Belpedio, Miami
Luc Snuggerud, Omaha

Goalie
Kasimir Kaskisuo, UMD

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Goalie of the Year
Ryan Massa, Omaha

Defenseman of the Year
Andy Welinski, UMD

Forward of the Year
Austin Ortega, Omaha

Rookie of the Year
Danton Heinen, Denver

Offensive Defenseman of the Year
Joey LaLeggia, Denver

Defensive Forward of the Year
Karson Kuhlman, UMD

Player of the Year
Austin Ortega, Omaha

UMD Completes 2014-15 Recruiting Class, Announces Awards and 2014-15 Captains

In case you missed it earlier this week, UMD (presumably) finished up its 2014-15 recruiting class this week. The Bulldogs secured a commitment from defenseman Nick McCormack. The Elk River product played last season for the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. He scored 12 goals and totaled 39 points in 59 games. Before that, he played for the SIJHL's Minnesota Wildnerness (based in Cloquet), where he scored 14 goals and picked up 40 points in 47 games.

McCormack is the final player who will jump into the UMD program this fall. He gives UMD eight defensemen to go along with 15 forwards and three goalies. He is the only defenseman who will be a freshman next season.

That 2014-15 team will be captained by Hermantown's Adam Krause, who will enter his senior season and serve as a back-to-back captain for the Bulldog program. Krause's assistant captains will be senior forward Justin Crandall and junior defenseman Andy Welinski of Duluth.

UMD also announced its 2013-14 postseason awards this week. Led by team MVP Aaron Crandall, here is the lowdown.

The fifth-year senior from Lakeville, Minn., eclipsed previous bests for victories (he was 14-12-3 overall), goals against average (2.76), saves percentage (.900), starts (29), appearances (31) and minutes (1,738:55). One of only three individuals to be selected the National Collegiate Hockey Association's Rookie of the Week three or more times in 2013-14 (he earned that honor on three occasions), Crandall closed out his career ranking third among all-time Bulldogs in  UMD's all-time in winning percentage (.559 off a 30-23-6 record), fourth in goals against average (2.83), and fifth in both career saves percentage (.895) and shutouts (five).

The Jerry Chumola Rookie of the Year Award went to left winger Alex Iafallo, a member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference All-Rookie Team who racked up 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points while skating in all 36 games. Freshman defenseman Dan Molenaar landed the Mike Sertich Award (Most Improved Player) while junior right winger Adam Krause was the recipient of both the Goldie Wolf Award (Most Inspirational Player) and the Bulldog Community Service Award.

UMD opens Oct. 10 at the IceBreaker in South Bend, where it matches up against Minnesota while host Notre Dame takes on RPI.

NCHC Honors Four UMD Players

It's been a good week for UMD.

Not only did the Bulldogs sweep Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, and somehow fly a commercial airline and still get back in Duluth ahead of schedule, but four UMD players have been honored by the NCHC this week.

On Monday, three guys received weekly recognition from the league. Here is that info.

DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Willie Corrin, Minnesota Duluth
Sophomore Defenseman
International Falls, Minn.

Corrin had arguably the best weekend of his career, helping the Bulldogs to a sweep at No. 20 Western Michigan. The sophomore dished out three assists in the series while posting a +3 rating and blocking two shots. In Friday’s 5-2 victory, he handed out a pair of helpers for his first career multi-point game with both coming in the third period, the first of which set up the game-winning goal. The next night, he had an assist on UMD’s final goal to help seal the 3-1 win, while logging a +2 rating. Corrin helped limit the Broncos to three goals all weekend while playing on a penalty kill that was 12-for-13 in the series, including 6-for-6 on Saturday. He blocked a shot in each game as well.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Kyle Osterberg, Minnesota Duluth
Freshman Forward
Lakeville, Minn.

Osterberg led UMD to a sweep at No. 20 Western Michigan behind a four-point weekend. All four of his points came in a 5-2 win Friday, marking a career high for points, as he had a hand in four of the Bulldogs’ five goals. Osterberg scored two goals for his first career multi-goal game, while adding a pair of assists. He scored his first goal on the power play to open the scoring and added his second in the third period to add to UMD’s lead. Both of his assists were primary helpers in the second and third periods, while he posted a +3 rating for the contest and was named the first star of the game. Saturday, he put two shots on goal in a 3-1 victory to complete the sweep. Osterberg totaled seven shots on goal and finished with a +3 rating in the series. He has now earned NCHC Rookie of the Week twice this season.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Aaron Crandall, Minnesota Duluth
Senior Goaltender
Lakeville, Minn.

Crandall continued his strong play of late, backstopping the Bulldogs to a sweep at No. 20 Western Michigan. In the series he recorded a 1.50 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage, allowing just three goals all weekend while totaling 49 saves to pick up both wins in net. In the series opener, Crandall made 17 saves while giving up two goals (only one even strength) in a 5-2 victory that snapped WMU’s six-game unbeaten streak. On Saturday, the senior collected his 10th win of the year by allowing just one goal while making 32 saves to earn first star of the game honors. In that contest, he stopped 13 shots in each of the first two periods and helped kill all six WMU power plays. Crandall anchored a UMD penalty kill that finished 12-for-13 on the weekend as he has now started a career-best nine straight games in goal. He has now earned NCHC Goaltender of the Week twice this year.

Not honored by the league for his strip-score against Western on Saturday, freshman forward Alex Iafallo had to wait a few days. He was recognized by the league for his exploits throughout January.

NCHC January Rookie of the Month
Alex Iafallo
Minnesota Duluth
Freshman Forward
Eden, N.Y.

Iafallo led all NCHC rookies with seven points in January, two more than any other freshman. He tied for the conference lead among rookies with both three goals and four assists during the month while his 1.00 points per game average in January was tops among NCHC freshmen. His three goals also tied for fourth nationally among rookies this past month. Iafallo, who is the second Bulldog to claim NCHC Rookie of the Month this season, notched all seven of his points in just three games with multiple points in each, including his second career multi-goal game. He played in all seven games during the month though, leading UMD to a 4-1-2 record in January.

Iafallo opened the month by handing out a pair of assists, his first career multi-assist game, in a win at Nebraska Omaha Jan. 10 to earn first star of the game honors, while the Bulldogs completed the road sweep the next night. On Jan. 18, the rookie scored both of UMD’s goals in a 2-2 overtime tie with Denver and scored in the shootout to again garner first star of the game. In his next game Jan. 24, Iafallo led the Bulldogs to a 5-4 win over Minnesota State in the North Star College Cup semifinals with a three-point outing, matching his career high. In that game, the six-foot winger again dished out two assists while also scoring the game-winning goal in overtime on the power play to grab first star of the game for the third time in January. He was also named NCHC Rookie of the Week for his efforts after UMD tied Minnesota in the NSCC championship game.

Iafallo finished January with a +2 rating, while putting 20 shots on goal and blocking six shots. On the season, he is tied for the team lead with both 19 points and 10 goals, while adding nine assists. Iafallo is now a candidate for Hockey Commissioners’ Association National Rookie of the Month, which will be announced Thursday. The other nominees for January NCHC Rookie of the Month were Nebraska Omaha forward Jake Guentzel, Miami forward Anthony Louis and Denver forward Trevor Moore.

UMD's Kyle Osterberg won the rookie honor in October.

The Bulldogs host Colorado College Friday and Saturday.

NCHC All-League Midseason Peek

OMAHA, Neb. -- I'm pretty sure media isn't going to be invited to vote on the official All-NCHC team this season. I'm too lazy to look it up and confirm it, however.

(North Dakota fans are probably happy that I won't get to vote this year.)

Either way, it was an annual bit when UMD was in the WCHA that I would do a mid-season look at the postseason awards. Sometimes, you called me a rock-eating moron. Sometimes, you just read it. Usually, you ignored it.

Do with it what you must. Here's my early look at 2013-14, starting with all-league teams.

FIRST TEAM
Forwards
Josh Archibald, Nebraska Omaha
Riley Barber, Miami
Shane Berschbach, Western Michigan

Defensemen
Joey LaLeggia, Denver
Andrew Prochno, St. Cloud State

Goalie
Ryan Faragher, St. Cloud State

SECOND TEAM
Forwards
Jonny Brodzinski, St. Cloud State
Rocco Grimaldi, North Dakota
Ryan Walters, Nebraska Omaha

Defensemen
Dillon Simpson, North Dakota
Nolan Zajac, Denver

Goalie
Sam Brittain, Denver

APOLOGIES TO ...
Forwards
Justin Crandall, UMD
Austin Czarnik, Miami
Nic Dowd, St. Cloud State
Justin Kovacs, Western Michigan
David Morley, St. Cloud State

Defensemen
David Makowski, Denver
Jordan Schmaltz, North Dakota
Jaccob Slavin, Colorado College

Goalie
Ryan McKay, Miami

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Forwards
Alex Iafallo, UMD
Luke Johnson, North Dakota
Trevor Moore, Denver

Defensemen
Will Butcher, Denver
Jaccob Slavin, Colorado College

Goalie
Kirk Thompson, Nebraska Omaha

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Goalie of the Year
Ryan Faragher, St. Cloud State

Defenseman of the Year
Andrew Prochno, St. Cloud State

Forward of the Year
Josh Archibald, Nebraska Omaha

Rookie of the Year
Alex Iafallo, UMD

Offensive Defenseman of the Year
Joey LaLeggia, Denver

Defensive Forward of the Year
Riley Barber, Miami

Player of the Year
Josh Archibald, Nebraska Omaha

I'm happy to talk about these picks. Hit me up on Twitter or in the comments. Just be nice. I don't cuss at you. Don't cuss at me. Or insult my mother/wife/son/dog.

Wait. I don't have a dog.

UMD Hockey Awards; Other Offseason Notes

We have a few things to clean out of the proverbial notebook regarding UMD hockey.

For starters, UMD announced its annual player awards Tuesday night. Senior Mike Seidel is the team MVP. Seidel led the team with 17 goals, tied for the team lead with 34 points, and was named the Fan Favorite Award winner during the last weekend of the season.

Forward Tony Cameranesi was voted the team's top rookie. He tied Seidel and fellow freshman Austin Farley with 34 points, scoring 14 goals and making an impact on the UMD power play.

Freshman Cal Decowski was named the most improved player. Six of his eight points came over the final nine games of the season, as Decowski found a role on the second power play and developed chemistry on the fourth line.

Senior defenseman Drew Olson won Most Inspirational Player honors, and rightfully so. Senior Keegan Flaherty got the Community Service Award -- also richly deserved for all he did. Junior defenseman Tim Smith got the Bob Junkert Award for leading the team in plus-minus.

It appears that UMD's 2013-14 schedule is even closer to getting finalized. The Bulldogs have added an Oct. 7 exhibition against Lakehead University of Thunder Bay. That Monday night game comes four days before UMD's season opener against Michigan Tech at Amsoil Arena.

UMD's series at Minnesota could still be altered. Games are scheduled for Nov. 22 and 23, but Minnesota's football team is scheduled to host Wisconsin on Nov. 23. It's possible that the second game of the series could move to Sunday as a result. And, yes, it seems the "Main U" still insists on fielding a football team for reasons I can't articulate.

The Bulldogs' first taste of NCHC action comes Oct. 18 at Colorado College. The conference home opener isn't until Dec. 6 against St. Cloud State.

Last week, it was announced that forwards Joe Basaraba (senior) and Adam Krause (junior) will serve as co-captains for the 2013-14 team. Solid choices. I've known Basaraba was captain material from about the midway point of his sophomore season. Krause's effort and work ethic -- along with his classroom prowess -- make him a very good leader.

But as much as I like the choices for captains, it's worth pointing out that no good team relies solely on captains for leadership. There are a slew of guys -- specifically, I'm talking about players like Justin Crandall, Smith, and even Caleb Herbert and Andy Welinski -- who should be able to provide leadership, either vocally or by example with their play and work.

By the way, this offseason sucks. It's already been going on too long. The losses to Wisconsin were an incredible buzzkill, and the excitement about the future is ramping up. Let's get started already!

2013 WCHA Awards Announced

Here is the WCHA's annual awards release, which came out earlier Thursday.

St. Cloud State University forward Drew LeBlanc, a driving force behind the Huskies’ success in earning a share of the program’s first-ever conference regular season championship and MacNaughton Cup, has been honored as both the WCHA Player of the Year and the WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year to highlight the league’s individual men’s awards for 2012-13 as announced by the conference today (March 14).

A senior from Hermantown, Minn., LeBlanc becomes the first league player to earn both of these prestigious awards. He is also a member of the All-WCHA First Team. The offensive catalyst behind the Huskies’ drive to first place in the 2012-13 WCHA regular season standings, LeBlanc led the league with 25 assists and also had 10 goals for 35 points in conference play while charting 10 multiple-point games in WCHA action. Overall, he leads all Division 1 players this winter with 34 assists and ranks fourth in the nation with 46 points scored. A four- time recipient of the WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award and a four-time All-WCHA Academic Team honoree, LeBlanc has served as a team captain for the past two seasons at SCSU. He has helped the Huskies post a league-leading 3.36 goals per game in conference action and overall, SCSU ranks fourth in the nation with 119 goals scored. The Huskies enter the WCHA playoffs ranked eighth in the latest Division 1 national polls and own a 21-14-1 overall and 18-9-1 league record. A math education major, LeBlanc is currently completing his student teaching at nearby St. Cloud Apollo High School. He carries a cumulative grade-point average of 3.64, was a CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree in both 2010 and 2011, and has participated in numerous community service activities during his collegiate years, including programs such as Skate With the Huskies and Husky Haulers, helping first-year students move into their dormitories. Over his four-year St. Cloud State career, LeBlanc owns the program record for games played at 165, ranks sixth in career points with 143 and is third with 102 assists.

The WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year Award is determined from nominations made by the member institutions and each institution then has one final vote. The criteria is as follows: 1) must be a senior student-athlete, i.e. one who is finishing his competition as an eligible player in the WCHA; 2) consistently displays outstanding sportsmanship on and off the ice; 3) is a good student making satisfactory progress toward a degree; and 4) is a good hockey player who has performed consistently as a regular member of the team.

The league’s five other major individual awards for 2012-13 went to St. Cloud State University defenseman Nick Jensen as WCHA Defensive Player of the Year, Minnesota State University goaltender Stephon Williams as WCHA Rookie of the Year, University of Nebraska Omaha forward Ryan Walters as WCHA Scoring Champion, Williams as WCHA Goaltending Champion, and Minnesota State University first-year mentor Mike Hastings as WCHA Coach of the Year.

The league’s 12 head coaches voted St. Cloud State defenseman Nick Jensen as the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year. A junior from Rogers, Minn., and an All-WCHA First Team choice, Jensen has been a leader on the Huskies’ blueline throughout the 2012-13 campaign. In WCHA play this winter, he has scored four goals and added 19 assists along with a substantial +15 rating on the plus/minus. A leader in minutes played on defense for the Huskies, Jensen consistently faces the opposition’s top lines and has helped SCSU’s defense limit league opponents to just 2.36 goals per game. Among WCHA defenders, Jensen led the league with 19 assists and was second with 23 points. He has also posted 27 blocked shots in league play this season. In overall games played, Jensen ranks eighth among Division 1 defensemen with 28 points and second with 24 assists this season. He is +17 on the plus/minus for all games and has 36 blocked shots A two-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete and All-WCHA Academic Team selection, Jensen was named to the All-WCHA Second Team in 2011-12. An ironman for the Huskies, Jensen has started in 113 consecutive games and has notched 15 goals and 68 assists during his first three seasons in St. Cloud.

Honored by voters as the WCHA Rookie of the Year for 2012-13 is Minnesota State freshman goaltender Stephon Williams, who also earned All-WCHA First Team and All-WCHA Rookie Team accolades and was the WCHA Goaltending Champion. From Fairbanks, Alaska, Williams, stands 19-9-2 overall (tied for 11th in the country in winning percentage at .667), with a 1.83 goals-against average (sixth in the country) and a .929 save percentage (14 in the country). The two-time  WCHA Rookie of the Week finished the WCHA regular season leading the league in goals-against average (1.93), ranking second in save percentage (.927) and third in wins (15). Williams also has four shutouts this season, which stands tied for third on MSU’s single-season list, and he has started the last 27 games in a row for the Mavericks and has started 29 of MSU’s 36 games in 2012-13.

The WCHA Scoring Champion for 2012-13 is University of Nebraska Omaha forward Ryan Walters, who also earned All-WCHA First Team accolades while having one of the finest seasons in UNO history. A junior from Rosemount, Minn., Walters topped all league skaters with 40 points in 28 conference games, scoring 16 goals and adding 24 assists while also averaging a league-best 1.43 points per game. He had 50 points overall during the regular season, a total that ties for third best in school history, and he is just the third Maverick to score 50 or more points in a season. He ranks second in the NCAA in overall points (21-29=50) and has scored points in 26 of the last 29 games (21-26=47). Walters was named the Hockey Commissioners’ Association national player of the month for November, posting six goals and nine assists for 15 points and a +8 rating in seven games to help the Mavericks to a perfect 7-0-0 record. During that stretch, he scored goals in five straight games. Walters’ 21 goals are tied fifth best in UNO history, he is just two points from becoming the 13th Maverick to score 100 career points, and he has played in 111 consecutive games.

The WCHA Coach of the Year for 2012-13 is Mike Hastings of Minnesota State University. In his first year as head coach of the Mavericks, Hastings has guided MSU to its first top-half league finish since 2007-08 with a 16-11-1 mark (22-11-3 overall), with his club in contention for the regular season title heading into the final weekend. The Mavericks, who achieved an all-time program best national ranking of No. 7 in the country on Feb. 25, had a seven-game unbeaten streak from Nov. 23-Dec. 14 and during the course of the season the Mavericks have claimed wins over No. 2-ranked Minnesota, No. 4 North Dakota and No. 15 Wisconsin. Minnesota State is positioned to make its second-ever NCAA postseason tournament appearance and under Hastings’ guidance, the Mavericks claimed an all-time program-best 16 wins in WCHA games. Since Nov. 23rd MSU has gone 19-6-1.

Five conference-member teams – Minnesota, Minnesota State, Nebraska Omaha, North Dakota and St. Cloud State – are represented on the All-WCHA First Team for 2012-13, with the Huskies landing two players. Named to the All-WCHA First Team, with statistics for league games only, are: F - Ryan Walters, Jr., Nebraska Omaha (28 gp, 16-24=40); F - Drew LeBlanc, Sr., St. Cloud State (28 gp, 10-25=35); F - Danny Kristo, Sr., North Dakota (28 gp, 17-20=37); D - Nate Schmidt, Jr., Minnesota (28 gp, 7-19=26); D - Nick Jensen, Jr., St. Cloud State (28 gp, 4-19=23); G - Stephon Williams, Fr., Minnesota State (15-9-1, 1.93 GAA, .927 Sv%). LeBlanc was the  WCHA Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 30 and Feb. 5, Kristo was the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 20 and Feb. 27, and Williams was the WCHA Rookie of the Week on Nov. 27 and Dec. 4.

Members of the All-WCHA Second Team for 2012-13 are: F - Corban Knight, Sr., North Dakota (28 gp, 12-23=35); F - Erik Haula, Jr., Minnesota (26 gp, 13-24=37); F - Rylan Schwartz, Sr., Colorado College (27 gp, 12-23=35); D - Joey LaLeggia, So., Denver (28 gp, 10-13=23); D - Mike Boivin, Sr., Colorado College (28 gp, 13-10=23); G - Juho Olkinuora, So., Denver (9-3-5, 2.44 GAA, .924 Sv%). Knight was the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week on both Dec. 8 and Jan. 8, Schwartz earned the same honor on both Nov. 13 and Feb. 27, LaLeggia was WCHA Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 20, Boivin was WCHA Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 16, and Olkinuora was WCHA Defensive Player of the Week on Jan. 8 and Feb. 5.

Voted to the All-WCHA Third Team for 2012-13 are: F - Matt Leitner, So., Minnesota State (28 gp, 13-19=32); F - Nick Bjugstad, Jr., Minnesota (28 gp, 15-8=23); F - Eriah Hayes, Sr., Minnesota State (28 gp, 15-13=28); D - Andrej Sustr, Jr., Nebraska Omaha  (28 gp, 7-11=18); D - Jake McCabe, So., Wisconsin (24 gp, 3-12=15); G - Adam Wilcox, Fr., Minnesota (16-6-5, 2.13 GAA, .914 Sv%). Leitner was the WCHA Offensive Player of the week on Nov. 27, Bjugstad earned the honor on both Oct. 16 and Jan. 3, Hayes was the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week on Feb. 12, and Wilcox was the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week on March 5 and the league’s rookie of the week on Nov. 13 and Jan. 3.

Members of the All-WCHA Rookie Team for 2012-13 as selected by the voters are: F - Tony Cameranesi, Fr., Minnesota Duluth (28 gp, 11-17=28); F - Alex Petan, Fr., Michigan Tech (28 gp, 11-18=29);  F - Rocco Grimaldi, So., North Dakota (28 gp, 10-16=26); D - Nolan Zajac, Fr., Denver  (26 gp, 4-10=14); D - Andy Welinski, Fr., Minnesota Duluth (28 gp, 3-12=15); G - Stephon Williams, Fr., Minnesota State (15-9-1, 1.93 GAA, .927 Sv%. Petan was the WCHA Rookie of the Week on March 5, Grimaldi was the WCHA Rookie of the Week on Dec. 11, and Williams was the WCHA Rookie of the Week on both Nov. 27 and Dec. 4.

Repeat members of all-league teams from 2011-12 were: Nick Bjugstad, F, Minnesota (All-WCHA First Team), Joey LaLeggia, D, Denver (All-WCHA Second Team, All-WCHA Rookie Team), Nate Schmidt, D, Minnesota (All-WCHA Second Team), Nick Jensen, D, St. Cloud State (All-WCHA Third Team), and Juho Olkinuora, G, Denver (All-WCHA Rookie Team).

Four players who were named as major award winners and/or to this season’s all-league teams were previously honored on Feb. 13 as WCHA Scholar-Athletes for 2012-13. They were: Ryan Walters, Jr., F, Nebraska Omaha (All-WCHA First Team, WCHA Scoring Champion); Andrej Sustr, Jr., D, Nebraska Omaha (All-WCHA Third Team), Drew LeBlanc, Sr., F, St. Cloud State (WCHA Player of the Year, WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year, All-WCHA First Team); and Nick Jensen, Jr., D, St. Cloud State (WCHA Defensive Player of the Year, All-WCHA First Team). To earn recognition as a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, student-athletes must have completed at least one year of residency at their present institution prior to the current academic year and must also have a grade-point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.0 scale for the previous two semesters or three quarters, or may qualify if his or her overall GPA is at least 3.50 for all terms at his or her present institution.

Major award winners and members of the various all-league teams who were also recognized today as members of the 2012-13 All-WCHA Men’s Academic Team were: Rylan Schwartz, Sr. F, Colorado College (All-WCHA Second Team); Juho Olkinuora, So., G, Denver (All-WCHA Second Team); Nick Bjugstad, Jr., F, Minnesota (All-WCHA Third Team); Erik Haula, Jr., F, Minnesota (All-WCHA Second Team); Nate Schmidt, Jr., D, Minnesota (All-WCHA First Team); Eriah Hayes, Sr., F, Minnesota State (All-WCHA Third Team); Andrej Sustr, Jr., D, Nebraska Omaha (All-WCHA Third Team); Ryan Walters, Jr., F, Nebraska Omaha (All-WCHA First Team, WCHA Scoring Champion); Rocco Grimaldi, Fr., F, North Dakota (All-WCHA Rookie Team); Nick Jensen, Jr., D, St. Cloud State (WCHA Defensive Player of the Year, All-WCHA First Team); Drew LeBlanc, Sr., F, St. Cloud State (WCHA Player of the Year, WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year, All-WCHA First Team); and Jake McCabe, So., D, Wisconsin (All-WCHA Third Team).

Voting for the WCHA awards is done by conference member team coaches, players, sports information directors and local media. Each team receives eight ballots for a total of 96 voters. Points for awards and all-league teams are awarded on a 5-point (for a 1st team vote), 3-point (for a 2nd team vote), and 1-point (for a 3rd team vote) basis. The WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year award is selected by member team Faculty Athletic Representatives while the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year is selected by the league’s 12 head coaches.


2012-13 WCHA Men’s Major Award Winners

WCHA Player of the Year
Drew LeBlanc • Senior, Forward, St. Cloud State University (Hermantown, MN)
WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year
Drew LeBlanc • Senior, Forward, St. Cloud State University (Hermantown, MN)
WCHA Defensive Player of the Year
Nick Jensen • Junior, Defenseman, St. Cloud State University (Rogers, MN)
WCHA Rookie of the Year
Stephon Williams • Freshman, Goaltender, Minnesota State University (Fairbanks, AK)
WCHA Scoring Champion
Ryan Walters • Junior, Forward, University of Nebraska Omaha (Rosemount, MN)
WCHA Goaltending Champion
Stephon Williams • Freshman, Goaltender, Minnesota State University (Fairbanks, AK)
WCHA Coach of the Year
Mike Hastings • Minnesota State University


2012-13 All-WCHA First Team
Pos    Name    Team    Ht    Wt    Yr    Hometown    2012-13 WCHA Stats
F    Ryan Walters    Nebraska Omaha    6-0    188    Jr    Rosemount, MN    28 gp, 16-24=40
F    Drew LeBlanc    St. Cloud State    6-0    195    Sr    Hermantown, MN    28 gp, 10-25=35
F    Danny Kristo    North Dakota    5-11    185    Sr    Eden Prairie, MN    28 gp, 17-20=37
D    Nate Schmidt    Minnesota    6-0    195    Jr    St. Cloud, MN    28 gp, 7-19=26
D    Nick Jensen    St. Cloud State    6-1    193    Jr    Rogers, MN    28 gp, 4-19=23
G    Stephon Williams    Minnesota State    6-2    190    Fr    Fairbanks, AK    15-9-1, 1.93, .927

2012-13 All-WCHA Second Team
Pos    Name    Team    Ht    Wt    Yr    Hometown    2012-13 WCHA Stats
F    Corban Knight    North Dakota    6-2    200    Sr    High River, AB    28 gp, 12-23=35
F    Erik Haula    Minnesota    5-11    190    Jr    Pori, Finland    26 gp, 13-24=37
F    Rylan Schwartz    Colorado College    5-10    196    Sr    Wilcox, SK    27 gp, 12-23=35
D    Joey LaLeggia    Denver    5-9    180    So    Burnaby, BC    28 gp, 10-13=23
D    Mike Boivin    Colorado College    6-1    190    Sr    Delta, BC    28 gp, 13-10=23
G    Juho Olkinuora    Denver    6-2    200    So    Helsinki, Finland    9-3-5, 2.44, .924

2012-13 All-WCHA Third Team
Pos    Name    Team    Ht    Wt    Yr    Hometown    2012-13 WCHA Stats
F    Matt Leitner    Minnesota State    5-9    170    So    Los Alamitos, CA    28 gp, 13-19=32
F    Nick Bjugstad    Minnesota    6-6    220    Jr    Blaine, MN    28 gp, 15-8=23
F    Eriah Hayes    Minnesota State    6-4    210    Sr    La Crescent, MN    28 gp, 15-13=28
D    Andrej Sustr    Nebraska Omaha    6-8    225    Jr    Plzen, Czech Republic    28 gp, 7-11=18
D    Jake McCabe    Wisconsin    6-1    205    So    Eau Claire, WI    24 gp, 3-12=15
G    Adam Wilcox    Minnesota    6-0    186    Fr    South St. Paul, MN    16-6-5, 2.13, .914

2012-13 All-WCHA Rookie Team
Pos    Name    Team    Ht    Wt    Yr    Hometown    2012-13 WCHA Stats
F    Tony Cameranesi    Minnesota Duluth    5-10    180    Fr    Maple Grove, MN    28 gp, 11-17=28
F    Alex Petan    Michigan Tech    5-8    155    Fr    Delta, BC    28 gp, 11-18=29
F    Rocco Grimaldi    North Dakota    5-6    170    Fr    Rossmoor, CA    28 gp, 10-16=26
D    Nolan Zajac    Denver    5-11    180    Fr    Winnipeg, MB    26 gp, 4-10=14
D    Andy Welinski    Minnesota Duluth    6-1    200    Fr    Duluth, MN    28 gp, 3-12=15
G    Stephon Williams    Minnesota State    6-2    190    Fr    Fairbanks, AK    15-9-1, 1.93, .927

One Man's All-WCHA Ballot

As is typical, I was handed a ballot for the All-WCHA team on Friday night, before UMD's game with Omaha.

And also typical is my general rule to post my ballot for the masses. I think it's fun for discussion, as everyone voting is going to have a different perspective.

The same rules apply. These selections are based on what I've seen, and discussions I've had with folks around the league. I don't use the ballot as a way to personally attack anyone or any team, and I don't use it to cast a bunch of non-sensical votes for UMD guys because I call their games.

In the seven years I've done this ballot, this is easily the toughest set of decisions I've ever had to make, especially at the forward position.

Here goes nothing.

ALL-WCHA TEAMS
First team
Forwards
Eriah Hayes, Minnesota State
Drew LeBlanc, St. Cloud State
Ryan Walters, Omaha
Defensemen
Mike Boivin, Colorado College
Nick Jensen, St. Cloud State
Goalie
Stephon Williams, Minnesota State

Second team
Forwards
Danny Kristo, North Dakota
Matt Leitner, Minnesota State
Rylan Schwartz, Colorado College
Defensemen
Joey LaLeggia, Denver
Nate Schmidt, Minnesota
Goalie
Juho Olkinuora, Denver

Third team
Forwards
Erik Haula, Minnesota
Corban Knight, North Dakota
Michael Mersch, Wisconsin
Defensemen
Derek Forbort, North Dakota
Andrej Sustr, Omaha
Goalie
Joel Rumpel, Wisconsin

Apologies to ...
Forwards
Josh Archibald, Omaha
Nick Bjugstad, Minnesota
Jonny Brodzinski, St. Cloud State
Tony Cameranesi, UMD
Alexander Krushelnyski, Colorado College
Alex Petan, Michigan Tech
Mike Seidel, UMD
Defensemen
Jake McCabe, Wisconsin
Zach Palmquist, Minnesota State
Goalie
Landon Peterson, Wisconsin

Thoughts
Incredibly difficult decisions at forward, especially leaving Archibald off. Mersch's season, especially as his team's clear No. 1 scoring threat, has been great. And I couldn't ignore the goal production of Kristo, who has scored some big goals for his team this year.

ALL ROOKIE TEAM
Forwards
Tony Cameranesi, UMD
Austin Farley, UMD
Alex Petan, Michigan Tech
Defensemen
Mike Reilly, Minnesota
Andy Welinski, UMD
Goalie
Stephon Williams, Minnesota State

Apologies to ...
Forwards
Jonny Brodzinski, St. Cloud State
Rocco Grimaldi, North Dakota
Kalle Kossila, St. Cloud State
Defensemen
Nolan Zajac, Denver
Goalie
Adam Wilcox, Minnesota

Thoughts
More tough decisions at forward, but Cameranesi and Farley have carried a ton of weight for UMD all season, and as the Bulldogs have surged a bit lately, the two have continued to be big-time players. Brodzinski was easily the hardest player to leave off the ballot, but Petan has been wonderful for Tech, averaging a point per game in league games. That isn't easy to do under any circumstances.

WCHA PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ryan Walters, forward, Omaha
WCHA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Tony Cameranesi, forward, UMD
WCHA COACH OF THE YEAR: Mike Hastings, Minnesota State

Thoughts
I'm surprised the coach portion of the ballot was even open. This should be unanimous for Hastings, frankly. No one else comes close to the job he did, outside of maybe Bob Motzko, but that's a bit of a stretch, I think.

Walters was a pretty easy choice in the player category, and while Cameranesi was a tough choice, I think the work he has done -- spending much of the season as UMD's de facto No. 1 center -- speaks volumes for his talent level.

I encourage other media members to make their ballots public, but certainly never hold it against those who do not. Your comments and critiques are welcome, but I do not take kindly to personal attacks because you don't agree with my choices.

WCHA Mid-Season Awards

Halfway through the WCHA season, it's time for my annual look back at what we've seen so far, complete with a look at what my All-WCHA ballot would look like if I had to fill it out now.

(Which, thankfully, I do not.)

We'll start with all-league teams.

FIRST TEAM
Forwards
Corban Knight, North Dakota
Ryan Walters, Omaha
Nic Dowd, St. Cloud State

Defensemen 
Nick Jensen, St. Cloud State
Joey LaLeggia, Denver

Goalie
Adam Wilcox, Minnesota

SECOND TEAM
Forwards
Drew LeBlanc, St. Cloud State
Alexander Krushelnyski, Colorado College
Erik Haula, Minnesota

Defensemen
Andy Welinski, UMD
Nate Schmidt, Minnesota

Goalie
Stephon Williams, Minnesota State

THIRD TEAM
Forwards
Tony Cameranesi, UMD
Danny Kristo, North Dakota
Chris Knowlton, Denver

Defensemen
Derek Forbort, North Dakota
Jake McCabe, Wisconsin

Goalie
Juho Olkinuora, Denver

APOLOGIES TO
Forwards
Ben Hanowski, St. Cloud State; Kalle Kossila, St. Cloud State; JP Lafontaine and Matt Leitner, Minnesota State; Rylan Schwartz, Colorado College; Mike Seidel, UMD; Scott Winkler, Colorado College; Dominic Zombo, Omaha.

Defensemen
Wade Bergman, UMD: Mike Boivin, Colorado College; Andrew Prochno, St. Cloud State; Dillon Simpson, North Dakota.

Goalie
Joel Rumpel, Wisconsin; Clarke Saunders, North Dakota

ALL ROOKIE TEAM
Forwards
Tony Cameranesi, UMD
Kalle Kossila, St. Cloud State
Austin Farley, UMD

Defensemen
Andy Welinski, UMD
Mike Reilly, Minnesota

Goalie
Adam Wilcox, Minnesota

WCHA PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ryan Walters, Omaha
WCHA COACH OF THE YEAR: Mike Hastings, Minnesota State

WCHA Mid-Season Awards and Such

Every year, I usually kill some time during mark the midseason break in college hockey by taking a stab at what my actual WCHA awards ballot would look like, if I had to fill out such a thing now.

This year is no different, so let's get a move on this. We'll start with the all-league teams.

First team
Forwards
Nick Bjugstad, Minnesota
Jack Connolly, Minnesota Duluth
Jason Zucker, Denver 
Defensemen
Brady Lamb, Minnesota Duluth
Justin Schultz, Wisconsin
Goalie
Kent Patterson, Minnesota

Second team
Forwards
J.T. Brown, Minnesota Duluth
Erik Haula, Minnesota
Rylan Schwartz, Colorado College
Defensemen
Brad Hunt, Bemidji State
Nick Jensen, St. Cloud State
Goalie
Kenny Reiter, Minnesota Duluth

Third team
Forwards
Brock Nelson, North Dakota
Kyle Rau, Minnesota
Matt White, Nebraska Omaha
Defensemen
Wade Bergman, Minnesota Duluth
Nate Schmidt, Minnesota
Goalie
Josh Robinson, Michigan Tech

All-Rookie Team
Forwards
Caleb Herbert, Minnesota Duluth
JP LaFontaine, Minnesota State
Kyle Rau, Minnesota
Defensemen
Joey LaLeggia, Denver
Andrew Prochno, St. Cloud State
Goalie
Juho Olkinuora, Denver

Player of the Year: Jack Connolly, F, Minnesota Duluth
Defensive Player of the Year: Justin Schultz, D, Wisconsin
Rookie of the Year: Kyle Rau, F, Minnesota
Coach of the Year: Mel Pearson, Michigan Tech

For starters, I expect this to change a lot as the season wears on. It's always easier for me to evaluate players when I see them in person, and I still have not seen a lot of notable teams (Nebraska Omaha, Colorado College, St. Cloud State, North Dakota) in person.

(For example, I left SCSU's Ben Hanowski off the list, though I've been impressed by the numbers he's put up since Drew LeBlanc went down. I haven't seen SCSU since then, and have only seen them on television once.)

If I could leave the second defense spot on the first team blank, I would. Schultz is that much better than everyone else I've seen to this point. I'd venture that he's the best defenseman in the college game right now, without a close second. There isn't anything he doesn't do well.

Connolly started a bit slow by his standards, but he's been the best player on the hottest team in the country for about two months. Picking him over Bjugstad and Schultz wasn't easy, but it wasn't difficult, either. Somewhere in between. Bjugstad is a hell of a player, and the leap he's made since I last saw him last season is very impressive. I've already talked up Schultz. Connolly was in a tough spot entering this season, having lost his two-year linemates, but he's been carrying this team, scoring big goals and making big plays for a large chunk of the first half of the season.

Rau is the best rookie in the league, and it's not terribly close. LaFontaine and Herbert have been rock-solid, though, and deserve inclusion on that team. Apologies to Bemidji's Andrew Walsh, but Olkinuora wasn't expected to play much, and he's done a fine job in my view of keeping that ship afloat while the other main goalies have battled injuries.

There's only one Michigan Tech player listed, but let's not discount what's happening in Houghton. Pearson isn't just coaching a team. He's trying to change a culture, and while the work he's done so far is very much worthy of recognition, it's just the start.

I'm sure everyone will hate this list. Maybe I'll get called a Gopher fan. So fire away.

(Note: A Badger fan -- presumably -- chimed in to remind me about Mark Zengerle. Oops. When I file my final vote in March, it's after I've taken notes on each team. I haven't done that yet because I still haven't seen every team in a game either in person or on television. Anyway, I did this without notes, and forgot about Zengerle. He should be on the second or third team, probably second. I'm not taking someone off at this point, so consider this my humble apology, Badger fans. It wasn't out of some disrespect or anything. Just an oversight that again proves my humanity to you.)

UMD Players Honored by WCHA

For the second straight week, UMD is front-and-center as the WCHA releases its weekly individual awards.

This time, the Bulldogs are double-dipping, with players of the week on both ends of the ice. Here is the press release from the league:

Veteran forward Jack Connolly, who figured in on half of the University of Minnesota Duluth's eight goals in a two-game conference home-ice sweep of Alaska Anchorage last weekend, has been named the Red Baron® WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for November 15.

A 5-8, 170-pound senior from Duluth, Minn., Connolly scored two goals and set up two others for four points while extending his personal scoring streak to 10 games as the defending national champion Bulldogs pushed their unbeaten streak to eight games (6-0-2). He scored a power-play goal and earned an assist on teammate Joe Basaraba's winner in the series-opening 5-0 victory over the Seawolves last Friday (Nov. 11) and then duplicated that feat the following evening (Nov. 12) as Minnesota Duluth prevailed 3-1 over UAA to complete the sweep. In addition to his four points, Connolly fired four shots on goal and earned a +2 plus/minus rating.

A two-time All-WCHA First Team honoree and a 2011 Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist, Connolly is tied for second in scoring among WCHA players overall this season with 17 points (6g, 11a) in 12 games. Over his 137-game UMD career, he has recorded 154 points (52g, 102a).

University of Minnesota Duluth goaltender Kenny Reiter, who extended his scoreless streak to a school-record 166:45 while backstopping the Bulldogs to a two-game sweep over visiting league rival Alaska Anchorage last weekend, has been honored as the Red Baron® WCHA Defensive Player of the Week. This marks the second straight week Reiter has earned the conference's Defensive Player of the Week honor.

A 6-0, 175-pound senior from Pittsburgh, Pa., Reiter posted his second consecutive shutout and third in the last four games last Friday (Nov. 11) night while stopping all 27 shots on goal as defending national champion UMD blanked the visiting Seawolves, 5-0. Then last Saturday (Nov. 12) in a 3-1 Bulldogs' victory, Reiter finally surrendered his first goal in 166:45 of action when the Seawolves' Eric Scheid scored at 5:18 of the first period. He went on to stop 33 of 34 shots on goal in that game. The 166:45 scoreless streak is a school record, topping by exactly 19 minutes the previous mark set by All-American Alex Stalock from March 19-27, 2009.

Over his last eight games, Reiter owns a 6-0-2 record, a 1.23 goals-against average and a .955 saves percentage. Overall this season, the three-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete is 7-2-2 with a 2.05 gaa and .923 sv%. His career mark at UMD of 36-19-7 (.637) is the second best winning percentage in club history behind former All-American Rick Kosti's .753 figure (60-18-2) between 1983-85. 

The Bulldogs are unbeaten in eight. Reiter has been incredible over that stretch, but Connolly is playing some great hockey right now. His last three games have been probably his best of the season. He seems more engaged on both ends of the ice, and the captain has very good chemistry with linemates Joe Basaraba and Mike Seidel.

It's hard to imagine Connolly exceeding expectations in a season where "Hobey Baker" is listed among the expectations, but he's leading by example right now. By stepping up his game and cementing himself as UMD's best player, he's also making his linemates better. The pass he made to Basaraba for the first goal Friday was something to behold. Give Joe credit for getting to the right spot, but that pass had no margin for error, and it was perfect.

Connolly and the Bulldogs host Minnesota State at Amsoil Arena this weekend. It's the last chance for UMD fans to see the team play at home until late January, as UMD will play eight straight road games over two months starting in Houghton in two weeks.

(Four road series and four off weeks over eight. Thanks for that, WCHA scheduling person.)

Kyle Schmidt Wins National Honor

ST. PAUL -- On the eve of what he termed Friday as the biggest game of his life -- for the fourth game in a row -- UMD senior Kyle Schmidt has picked up a national honor.

Schmidt, from Hermantown, has been named the winner of the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award, given out by the Hockey Commissioners Association. It's named after former Army player Derek Hines, who was killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan in 2006.

The award is in its fifth year, and is given to a player who personifies Hines' spirit and commitment, as he was regarded as a great team player.

In a release from UMD, Schmidt says, "Although I never met Derek or ever saw him compete, he sounds like the kind of player I have always strived to be. It is a tremendous privilege for me to be selected for an award named in his honor. Over the past four years, I have been blessed in so many ways while being part of one of the best hockey programs in the country. Receiving the Derek Hines Award certainly is at the top of that list of blessings."

Schmidt has overcome a broken hand on two separate occasions this season, including two weeks ago, when he was injured during the regional final win over Yale.

“Kyle’s been a great representative of our program both off and on the ice,” UMD head coach Scott Sandelin said. “To me, he’s the ideal student-athlete, someone who has an undeniable commitment to hockey, academics and the community. It’s nice to see him being recognized with this award.”

Via UMD, here is a rundown of Schmidt's off-ice credentials, which certainly could make virtually any Bulldog fan proud:

Schmidt, who is majoring in statistics and actuarial science, owns a 3.70 cumulative grade point average and is a three-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award winner (a program first).  He has qualified for the School of Science and Engineering Dean’s List on three occasions and earned a spot on the UMD Athletic Support Center Scholar List for maintaining the highest cumulative grade point average of any Bulldog as both a freshman and sophomore. Schmidt has also made the WCHA All-Academic Team in each of the past three years, and has been a member of the UMD Actuary Club and a tutor at the UMD Tutoring Center since arriving on campus.

Schmidt has also been active in the Twin Ports community during his stay at UMD,  volunteering his time reading at local elementary schools and assisting at area youth hockey practices. Last month, he was bestowed with the 2010-11 Bulldog Fan Favorite Award for receiving the most votes in an on-line competition.

Schmidt and his Bulldog teammates will face off against Michigan for the NCAA title Saturday night here in St. Paul.

Jack Connolly Named Hobey Baker Finalist

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award is the most prestigious honor given out in college hockey. Annually, it is awarded to the sport's top player, with the nod also given to those who are good people off the ice.

In the award's history, it has been won by four UMD Bulldogs: Tom Kurvers, Bill Watson, Chris Marinucci, and Junior Lessard.

In 2010, UMD is going after a fifth Hobey winner.

Junior All-America center Jack Connolly has been named a finalist for the award. The list of ten finalists was released by the committee Thursday.

Entering the WCHA Final Five Thursday afternoon, Connolly has 15 goals and 54 points to lead the Bulldogs and tie for the WCHA lead with North Dakota's Matt Frattin, who has played in two more games (39 to Connolly's 37). Connolly has 1.46 points per game, tops in the WCHA and third in the nation behind Miami senior Andy Miele and Niagara's Paul Zanette.

All-WCHA Teams Announced

We all voted. We gave you a chance to chime in (most of you generally failed at providing anything substantive, but you're fans, so it's okay).

Now, it's time to see how the All-WCHA teams look. With the new Final Five format, there is no more awards banquet on the Thursday of the play-in round. With that gone, the league has decided to simply throw out a press release to announce the honors, then they will try to have all the major award winners on hand during the Final Five for media availability and recognition during the games.

Here is the press release from the WCHA:

Two seniors representing regular season and MacNaughton Cup champion University of North Dakota – forward Matt Frattin and defensemen Chay Genoway – were today (March 10) honored as WCHA Player of the Year and WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year, respectively, to highlight the men’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association individual awards for the 2010-11 season. Frattin and Genoway were also both voted to the All-WCHA First Team.
    The league’s other major individual awards went to University of Wisconsin defensemen Justin Schultz as WCHA Defensive Player of the Year, University of Denver forward Jason Zucker as WCHA Rookie of the Year, Frattin as WCHA Scoring Champion, North Dakota netminder Aaron Dell as WCHA Goaltending Champion, and to Dean Blais of the University of Nebraska Omaha as WCHA Coach of the Year.
    Frattin, who received 58 votes in player of the year balloting, also captured the league’s scoring title (conference games only) with 40 points (22g, 18a), the most points by a Sioux player in league games since 2000-01. In 28 league games he averaged 1.43 points per game as the Sioux claimed the regular season championship for a record 15th time overall and second time in the past three seasons. A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Frattin is tied for the NCAA Div. 1 lead with 29 goals, including a nation’s-best 19 goals scored away from home, and leads UND in points (49), goals (29), power-play goals (9), game-winning goals (4), and shorthanded goals (2). He is currently riding his second nine-game point streak for the season, scored a goal in eight straight games earlier this season, and has gone consecutive games without a point on only two occasions. Frattin is a draftee of the National Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs.
    Genoway, who also earned All-WCHA First Team honors, was named the men’s WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year in a vote of league member team Faculty Athletic Representatives. A two-time team captain and one of only three individuals to earn WCHA Scholar-Athlete honors four times (the others were Scott McCulloch of Colorado College from 2005-09 and Jenna Hewitt of Minnesota State from 2006-10), Genoway maintains a 3.558 cumulative grade-point average at North Dakota and will graduate in May with a BBA in Management. After a season-ending injury last year, the Morden, Manitoba product went on to earn a 4.0 GPA in the fall of 2010, has done a team-leading 68.5 hours of community service during this academic year and was named an ESPN the Magazine All-American as a junior. He is the fourth highest scoring defenseman overall in the WCHA this season with 26 points (6g, 20a) despite missing eight games, ranked second in the WCHA in points per game by a defenseman at 0.95, leads all active WCHA defensemen with 116 career points, and put together a 12-game point streak earlier this season, tying a 33-year old school record for defensemen. Genoway is also a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award and has earned UND’s Archie Krum Memorial Athletic Scholarship for “leadership qualities, high academic standards and athletic excellence” three years in a row.
    The WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year Award is determined from nominations made by the member institutions and each institution then has one final vote. The criteria is as follows: 1) must be a senior student-athlete, i.e. one who is finishing his competition as an eligible player in the WCHA; 2) consistently displays outstanding sportsmanship on and off the ice; 3) is a good student making satisfactory progress toward a degree; and 4) is a good hockey player who has performed consistently as a regular member of the team.
    To earn recognition as a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, student-athletes must have completed at least one year of residency at their present institution prior to the current academic year and must also have a grade-point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.0 scale for the previous two semesters or three quarters, or may qualify if his or her overall GPA is at least 3.50 for all terms at his or her present institution.
    The league’s 12 head coaches voted the University of Wisconsin’s Justin Schultz as WCHA Defensive Player of the Year. From West Kelowna, British Columbia, Schultz is the first sophomore to win the award and also earned All-WCHA First Team accolades. Schultz is the second straight Badger to earn the league’s top defensive award, with defensemen Brendan Smith earning the honor in 2009-10. Schultz’s 18 goals so far this season are the most for any defenseman in the country since the 2002-03 season and one off the UW record. He’s the nation’s leading point scorer among defensemen and also leads the Badgers with 46 points. Among his goals are nine power-play goals, five first goals and three game-winning goals, including an overtime game-winning goal. A draftee of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, he posted the first hat trick by a UW defenseman since 1991-92 and logs over 30 minutes of ice time per game.
    Honored as the WCHA Rookie of the Year was University of Denver forward Jason Zucker, who was named on 78 ballots after leading all first-year conference players in scoring – and finishing third overall – with 36 points (20g, 16a). From Las Vegas, Nevada, Zucker made a strong bid to become just the second freshman in the 59-year history of the WCHA to win a scoring title, with DU’s Vic Venasky first accomplishing the feat in 1970-71 with 39 points (14g, 25a) in 22 games. One of only two players to score 20 goals in WCHA action, he ranked second nationally among rookies with 1.12 points per game, had 12 multiple-point games, and tallied 14 points (4g, 10a) during a career-high nine-game point streak. Zucker was named the National Div. 1 Rookie of the Month for February and was a two-time WCHA Rookie of the Week. He is a draftee of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.
    Earning the WCHA goaltending crown for 2010-11 was North Dakota’s Aaron Dell, who was also voted to the All-WCHA First Team. A sophomore from Airdrie, Alberta, Dell topped all league netminders with a 1.97 goals-against average in conference play, posting a 19-4-1 WCHA mark and a .912 save percentage over 1,432:09 of action. He won the league’s goaltending crown by the widest margin since 2001-02 and led the WCHA in league wins (19) and winning percentage (.812). In 33 overall games, Dell is tied for second in the nation in wins (24), ranks second in GAA (1.95), third in winning percentage (.781), and is tied for fourth in shutouts (4). A two-time WCHA Defensive Player of the Week, he put together a shutout streak of 224 minutes, :31 seconds, the second-longest in school history and the longest in nearly 60 years.
    The WCHA Coach of the Year for 2010-11 is Dean Blais of the University of Nebraska Omaha. Blais, who earns the award for the fourth time in his collegiate coaching career, led his Mavericks to a 17-9-2 league mark and third place finish, just one point out of second, as well as to a home playoff berth in the team’s first season in the WCHA. Named on 49 ballots, he guided UNO to it’s best-ever conference finish, to the most conference wins in school history, and as of March 10, the Mavericks have also already secured the second-highest single season win total in school history with 21. Blais, who earned his 300th career win on Feb. 12 against Wisconsin, was previously honored as the league’s coach of the year in 1996-97, 1998-99 and 2000-01 as head coach at North Dakota.
    Three different conference-member teams – North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth and Wisconsin – are represented on the All-WCHA First Team for 2010-11. Named to the All-WCHA First Team (statistics are league games only) were: F – Matt Frattin, Sr., North Dakota (28 gp, 22-18=40); F - Jack Connolly, Jr., Minnesota Duluth (28 gp, 9-28=37); F – Mike Connolly, Jr., Minnesota Duluth (28 gp, 19-15=34); D – Justin Schultz, So., Wisconsin (28 gp, 10-19=29); D – Chay Genoway, Sr., North Dakota (20 gp, 5-14=19); G – Aaron Dell, So., North Dakota (19-4-1, 1.97 gaa, .912 sv%).
    Members of the 2010-11 All-WCHA Second Team are: F – Jason Zucker, Fr., Denver (28 gp, 20-16=36); F – Drew Shore, So., Denver (28 gp, 15-19=34): F – Justin Fontaine, Sr., Minnesota Duluth (28 gp, 14-18=32); D – Jake Gardiner, Jr., Wisconsin (28 gp, 5-18=23); D – Matt Donovan, So., Denver (28 gp, 4-17=21); G – Kent Patterson, Jr., Minnesota (13-5-5, 2.31 gaa, .926 sv%).
    Voted to the All-WCHA Third Team for 2010-11 were: F – Jason Gregoire, Jr., North Dakota (24 gp, 18-13=31); F – Jaden Schwartz, Fr., Colorado College (17 gp, 10-15=25); F – Drew LeBlanc, Jr., St. Cloud State (28 gp, 11-17=28); D – Kurt Davis, Sr., Minnesota State (28 gp, 5-14=19); D – Justin Faulk, Fr., Minnesota Duluth (28 gp, 6-15=21); G – John Faulkner, So., Nebraska Omaha (16-9-2, 2.54 gaa, .910 sv%).
    And voted to the All-WCHA Rookie Team for 2010-11 were: F – Jason Zucker, Fr., Denver (28 gp, 20-16=36); F – Jaden Schwartz, Fr., Colorado College (17 gp, 10-15=25); F – J.T. Brown, Fr., Minnesota Duluth (28 gp, 12-14=26); D – Justin Faulk, Fr., Minnesota Duluth (28 gp, 6-15=21); D – David Makowski, Fr., Denver (27 gp, 4-14=18); G – Sam Brittain, Fr., Denver (13-6-3, 2.40 gaa, .920 sv%).
    Two players named to the all-league teams were also earlier honored on Feb. 10 as WCHA Scholar-Athletes for 2010-11. They were Chay Genoway (Sr., D, North Dakota) and Drew LeBlanc (Jr., F, St. Cloud State).
    Major award winners and members of the various all-league teams who were also recognized today as member of the 2010-11 men’s All-WCHA Academic Team were: Matt Donovan (So., D, Denver), Drew Shore (So., F, Denver), Kent Patterson (Jr., G, Minnesota), Jack Connolly (Jr., F, Minnesota Duluth), Justin Fontaine (Sr., F, Minnesota Duluth), John Faulkner (So., G, Nebraska Omaha), Matt Frattin (Sr., F, North Dakota), Chay Genoway (Sr., D, North Dakota), Jason Gregoire (Jr., F, North Dakota), and Drew LeBlanc (Jr., F, St. Cloud State).
    Voting for the major awards and all-league teams in the WCHA is done by conference member team coaches, players, sports information directors and local media. Each member team receives eight ballots and there are 96 total voters. Points for the all-league teams are awarded on a five (1st team vote), three (2nd team), and one (3rd team vote) basis. The WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year award is selected by league-member Faculty Athletic Representatives while the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year is selected by the league’s 12 head coaches.


2010-11 WCHA Major Award Winners

WCHA Player of the Year
Matt Frattin • Senior, Forward
University of North Dakota (Edmonton, AB)

WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year
Chay Genoway • Senior, Defenseman
University of North Dakota (Morden, MB)

WCHA Defensive Player of the Year
Justin Schultz • Sophomore, Defenseman
University of Wisconsin (West Kelowna, BC)

WCHA Rookie of the Year
Jason Zucker • Freshman, Forward
University of Denver (Las Vegas, NV)

WCHA Scoring Champion
Matt Frattin • Senior, Forward
University of North Dakota (Edmonton, AB)

WCHA Goaltending Champion
Aaron Dell • Sophomore, Goaltender
University of North Dakota (Airdrie, AB)

WCHA Coach of the Year
Dean Blais • University of Nebraska Omaha (49 votes)


2010-11 All-WCHA First Team
  Pos    Name    Team    Ht    Wt    Yr    Hometown    Pts
    F    Matt Frattin    North Dakota    6-0    206    Sr    Edmonton, AB    435
    F    Jack Connolly    Minnesota Duluth    5-8    160    Jr    Duluth, MN    354
    F    Mike Connolly    Minnesota Duluth    5-9    190    Jr    Calgary, AB    354
    D    Justin Schultz    Wisconsin    6-1    185    So    West Kelowna, BC    438
    D    Chay Genoway    North Dakota    5-9    177    Sr    Morden, MB    273
    G    Aaron Dell    North Dakota    6-0    191    So    Airdrie, AB    283

2010-11 All-WCHA Second Team
   Pos    Name    Team    Ht    Wt    Yr    Hometown    Pts
    F    Jason Zucker    Denver    5-10    175    Fr    Las Vegas, NV    320
    F    Drew Shore    Denver    6-3    190    So    Denver, CO    196
    F    Justin Fontaine    Minnesota Duluth    5-11    175    Sr    Bonnyville, AB    183
    D    Jake Gardiner    Wisconsin    6-2    193    Jr    Minnetonka, MN    253
    D    Matt Donovan    Denver    6-0    190    So    Edmond, OK    151
    G    Kent Patterson    Minnesota    6-1    180    Jr    Plymouth, MN    141

2010-11 All-WCHA Third Team
   Pos    Name    Team    Ht    Wt    Yr    Hometown    Pts
    F    Jason Gregoire    North Dakota    5-11    196    Jr    Winnipeg, MB    113
    F    Jaden Schwartz    Colorado College    5-10    182    Fr    Wilcox, SK    87
    F    Drew LeBlanc    St. Cloud State    6-0    185    Jr    Hermantown, MN    74
    D    Kurt Davis    Minnesota State    5-9    175    Sr    Plymouth, MN    150
    D    Justin Faulk    Minnesota Duluth    5-11    200    Fr    South St. Paul, MN    99
    G    John Faulkner    Nebraska Omaha    6-1    207    So    Sarnia, ON    123

2010-11 All-WCHA Rookie Team
   Pos    Name    Team    Ht    Wt    Yr    Hometown    Votes
    F    Jason Zucker    Denver    5-10    175    Fr    Las Vegas, NV    91
    F    Jaden Schwartz    Colorado College    5-10    182    Fr    Wilcox, SK    80
    F    J.T. Brown    Minnesota Duluth    5-10    170    Fr    Burnsville, MN    44
    D    Justin Faulk    Minnesota Duluth    5-11    200    Fr    South St. Paul, MN    82
    D    David Makowski    Denver    6-0    205    Fr    Wildwood, MO    44
    G    Sam Brittain    Denver    6-3    210    Fr    Calgary, AB    79

(Tuesday) Hockey Notes and Thoughts: I Will Never Besmirch North Dakota Again

It's just another lesson learned, yeah.



In this case, don't do anything that makes it appear you're intentionally (or, for that matter, unintentionally) slighting North Dakota.

Instead of a healthy, intelligent discussion about the picks I made for the All-WCHA teams, I got a rash of comments via Twitter, e-mail, and the blog about how much of a jerk I am and how I must only like UMD players and how I hate North Dakota.

This coming from a guy who picked North Dakota to win the league, called them the team with "easily the fewest holes" of anyone in the WCHA, has consistently blown the horn for Chay Genoway as a great choice for the Hobey Baker and Lowe's Senior CLASS Awards, has defended coach Dave Hakstol on Twitter from attacks by his own team's crazy fans, and predicted on the air in January that Matt Frattin would win WCHA Player of the Year.

Yeah, I hate North Dakota.

My favorite might be the guy who didn't have a problem with me putting Denver's Jason Zucker on my first team, but didn't think Jack Connolly -- fourth in the nation in points per game -- belonged.

But, yeah, I'm the guy who's blind here.

(It should be noted that I appreciate the positive and constructive feedback I got. I always do. And I hope you keep that coming. Quality conversation and healthy debate is good. Stupid personal attacks and anonymous comments are not. And I stand by my picks, even the ones you don't like.)

Moving right along ...

******

Lots of speculation this week about UMD's NCAA Tournament fate, but it might be all for naught. Twitter (twitter.com/bruceciskie, by the way) follower @blackbear93, who doubles as "Priceless" on the USCHO message board, is one of the better Pairwise experts on that board, to the point that virtually no one questions anything he says about the Pairwise.

He chimed in Monday on Twitter about UMD's situation.

Even if they are swept by SCSU this weekend I still have them at 12. Still calculating, but it looks like they're in

He noted that there is a string of events that could happen that would push UMD out of the tournament if they don't beat St. Cloud State, but it's not likely to happen. Without getting too involved here, that string includes Dartmouth winning the ECAC while Western Michigan also wins the CCHA, which is about as likely as Michigan Tech beating North Dakota. Or something.

I have no reason not to trust his math skills, based on what I know from my time as a regular on that message board, and what I have seen from his posts during the season.

That said, I'd much rather UMD took nothing for granted. I'm just reporting the facts as they are known at this point. That's the best I can do, since the math is way beyond my comprehension.

******

Hats off to the NCAA Division III Selection Committee. There are major league pitchers who would love to have the ability to throw a curveball the way the committee did Monday, when it selected 16-12-1 UWS for the Division III tournament over 22-4 Castleton.

It's not as cut and dried as the records make it look, as UWS tested itself all season long with one of the nation's toughest schedules, and Castleton toiled with creampuffs in most of their non-league games. The schedule strength mattered in the end, but the selection also allowed the committee to balance things better and limit early-round flights. In Division III, these types of things matter.

UWS has fallen victim to that kind of numbers game before, so it's nice to see Dan Stauber's team benefit this time around. They also benefit from the removal of ice at Hamline's facility in the Twin Cities, as it allows them to host the first-round game Wednesday in Superior, though Hamline will be considered the home team.