Porter wins Hobey Baker Award

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award announced Friday the 2008 recipient of college hockey's top individual prize is Kevin Porter from the University of Michigan.

The announcement came during the NCAA Frozen Four Tournament at Pepsi Center in Denver as part of the Friday at the Frozen Four festivities.

The senior captain of Michigan becomes only the second Wolverine to garner the award; Brendan Morrison was selected in 1997. Porter entered the Frozen Four after a phenomenal weekend at the East Regional in which he factored in six of the seven goals Michigan scored, bagging five goals and one assist, including a four-goal performance in a 5-1 win over Niagara.

The Hobey Baker Award, named for the legendary Princeton hockey player who died testing a repaired aircraft at the end of World War I, recognizes strength of character both on and off the ice. Porter was selected from a group of 10 finalists by the votes of a 25-member selection committee, along with the results of an online fan ballot.

Michigan entered the Frozen Four tournament as the No. 1 seed, an unlikely scenario in October when 24-year head coach Red Berenson greeted his largest freshman class ever - 12 brand-new faces. The outstanding leadership of Porter guided Michigan to the CCHA regular season and playoff championships. So superior were his efforts that Porter was named the leagues' Player of the Year and was a finalist for the CCHA's Best Defensive Forward. The First Team CCHA honoree was named the Hockey Commissioners January National Player of the Month.

Following Thursday's loss in the national semifinals, Porter finished second in the nation in scoring with 63 points in 43 games. He is presently tied for the lead in goals with 33 goals, including 15 power-play tallies (second in the nation.) The Phoenix draft pick scored points in all but six games this season and had a remarkable 18 multiple-point games.

Porter is a general studies major from Northville and finds time to make personal visits at Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor and volunteers for various Make-A-Wish Foundation events.

QUOTES

On how he feels being named the Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner ... "It's tough to describe. It's an amazing honor, and to be put in the category with the past players that have won (the Hobey Baker Award) and even (fellow Hobey Hat Trick finalists) Nathan Gerbe and Ryan Jones, both tremendous players, is a great feeling."

On what it means to his team and to his family to win the Hobey Baker Award ... "I think winning it is a testament to how well our team did this year. Without them I wouldn't have been in the top 10 or the final three (for the award). My linemates, Chad Kolarik and Max Pacioretty were unbelievable all year. I think those guys even should have been in the top 10, if not the top three. My family -- their support and encouragement has been amazing ever since I put on the skates when I was two years old. To win this, I think it means a lot to them as well."

On deciding to stay for four years and becoming a role model for other student-athletes ... "My four years at Michigan have been amazing -- the best four years of my life. And not just hockey-wise, but off the ice you meet some of your best friends, your life-long friends, you're graduating from the University of Michigan, one of the best universities in the country. I don't think it was a hard decision to make when I decided to come back for my senior season."

Photo courtesy Candace Horgan/USCHO

Michigan trio named All-Americans

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Three Michigan college players earned All-American status yesterday.

Two players from the University of Michigan made the RBK Hockey All-American West Team as senior forward Kevin Porter, a Hobey Hat Trick' finalist, is on the First Team, and his linemate, Chad Kolarik is on the Second Team.

Junior Jeff Lerg became the eighth member of the Michigan State Spartans to earn All-America accolades as a goaltender when he was named to the Second Team.

Lerg is the first MSU player to be named All-America since Jim Slater and A.J. Thelen also earned Second Team honors in 2004.

Wolverines stunned in OT by Irish

By Matt Mackinder/Michigan Beat Writer

The unexpected successful season for Michigan ended last night at the Frozen Four in Denver as the Wolverines rallied from a 3-0 deficit only to lose 5-4 in overtime to Notre Dame.

Notre Dame will play Boston College, who dominated North Dakota in the first semifinal as Oxford native Nathan Gerbe had three goals and an assist in the 6-1 victory, Saturday night for all the marbles.

For top-ranked Michigan, though, it was a heartbreaking way to see their season come to a conclusion. Goaltender Billy Sauer was yanked by head coach Red Berenson after allowing three goals on nine shots in the first 20 minutes.

"He's been our bread and butter goalie all year, but I just didn't like the way that the game was going," Berenson said. "It looked like he was fighting the puck. There were two goals that he probably would have stopped any other night. We just watched the No. 1 goalie in the country (North Dakota's Jean-Philippe Lamoureux) give up six goals in the game before ours. That proves that it doesn't matter what you've done, it's what you do at this stage of the season. We had to change the momentum of the game and that helped our team a little bit. It was a tough decision, but you're trying to win the game anyway that you can."

Freshman Bryan Hogan came in and made 18 saves the rest of the way. Calle Ridderwall's second goal of the game ended it 5:44 into the extra session (pictured above).

"Notre Dame is a great team and I knew they were going to come out the way they did," UM senior captain Kevin Porter said. "They had a couple good bounces and they capitalized when they needed to. We just needed to regroup after the second and that's what we did. We came out and I thought we played well the rest of the game."

Chad Kolarik scored twice for the Wolverines (his 29th and 30th goals of the year) with his second coming just 2:16 into the third period to tie the game at 3-all. Hogan also drew an assist on Kolarik's first goal.

"That was huge," Berenson said of Kolarik's third-period snipe. "That goal got us back in the game again. Getting the puck into the net was the thing that we needed. We were trying to get power plays, but we're going up against the top penalty-killing team in the nation. They showed it tonight. They didn't give up much. We weren't able to capitalize for the majority of the game. I can't tell you that they were great plays, but second efforts around the net, rebounds. These games aren't won with good plays, they're won by ugly plays and second efforts. That's what we used and it definitely gave us the momentum we needed in the third period."

Matt Rust and Carl Hagelin also tallied for the Wolverines. Rust's goal came 15 seconds after Kolarik's first goal midway through the second period. Hagelin's marker at 14:39 of the third sent the game to overtime and set-up Ridderwall's heroics.

Aaron Palushaj added three assists for UM, who finished the season with a 33-6-4 record.

Captain Mark Van Guilder, Ryan Thang and Kevin Deeth scored the other goals for the Irish, now in their very first NCAA title game. Jordan Pearce stopped 29 shots for Notre Dame and Justin White (Traverse City) chipped in two assists.

Photo by Candace Horgan/USCHO

Wolverines ready for Irish tonight

Courtesy Paula Weston/USCHO

It’s hard to think of the Wolverines as anybody’s Cinderella, but given the expectations Michigan had coming into this season, it’s not so difficult to imagine that glass slipper.

Starting the season with a dozen freshmen and two seniors on the roster and a junior goaltender who had not yet lived up to expectations, the team that had never finished lower than tied for second in the CCHA league standings since the 1989-90 season was picked fourth in preseason polls by both the league coaches and media.

The Wolverines were expected to rebuild this year, not to contend.

“We’ve had a good year,” said UM associate head coach Mel Pearson, taking a page from head coach Red Berenson’s big book of understatements.

Read the rest HERE.

Michigan vs. Notre Dame

Thursday, 9 p.m. ET

Pepsi Center, Denver

ESPN2

Spartans add two more for '08-09

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Michigan State has announced that two additional players will join the Spartan hockey program in the fall of 2008 as defenseman Matt Crandell and forward Andrew Conboy have each signed a National Letter of Intent and a Tender of Financial Aid, respectively.

“These two players help fill out our team and add some skill and toughness,” noted MSU head coach Rick Comley about the two newest Spartans.

Crandell will help fortify a Spartan blueline that loses stalwarts Daniel Vukovic and Jeff Dunne to graduation and saw Michael Ratchuk sign a professional contract with Philadelphia last week. Crandell is a 5-foot-10, 190-pound product of the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League USHL. The 19-year old Crandell enters the Clark Cup playoffs with an 8-21-29 scoring line and was +17 in 60 games for the Musketeers this season, who take on the Omaha Lancers and Conboy in the first round. He ranked ninth among USHL defensemen in scoring in the regular season, a list where fellow incoming freshman Tim Buttery of the Chicago Steel ranks fifth (60 GP, 6-26-32).

“Matt’s strength is his puck movement – he’ll be an asset on the power play and is a very good add for us,” Comley said. “He’s also a strong student.”

Conboy racked up 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 52 games with a +16 rating for the West Division champion Lancers. In two seasons in Omaha , he has 39 goals and 47 assists. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Conboy led the Lancers and ranked fifth in the USHL in penalty minutes (180). He will add size and toughness to a forward corps that has lost top forwards Bryan Lerg and Chris Mueller to graduation and Justin Abdelkader to the Detroit Red Wings after his junior season.

“Andrew adds skill and toughness for sure,” added Comley. “He’s got a great skill package and will add a dimension to our lineup. He’ll help us out right away.”

The pair join a class of six that signed Letters of Intent in November, including Buttery (Northville/Chicago Steel (USHL), goaltender Drew Palmisano (Ann Arbor/Omaha Lancers), and forwards Adam Henderson (Whitehorse, Yukon Territory/Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL), Daultan Leveille (St. Catharines, Ontario/St. Catharines (GHJHL), Trevor Nill (Novi/Penticton Vees (BCHL) and Brett Perlini (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario/Soo Thunderbirds).

Griffins ink MSU's Mueller to tryout

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

The Grand Rapids Griffins signed Michigan State forward Chris Mueller to an amateur tryout on Wednesday.

Mueller, 22, recently completed his senior season and second year as an alternate captain at Michigan State, where he ranked fifth on the Spartans with 27 points (13-14—27) in 42 games.

Over the course of his four-year career with the Green and White, the West Seneca, N.Y., native tallied 104 points (42-62—104) and 141 penalty minutes in 166 contests.

“I want to thank the Griffins for giving me the opportunity to play this level of hockey,” noted Mueller from Grand Rapids, where he completed his first professional practice on Wednesday. “I’m excited about getting a couple of practices and maybe a couple of games under my belt this spring.

“I also want to thank all of my teammates and the staff at Michigan State. It was an unreal experience for four years and I’d like to thank all of them for helping me reach my lifelong dream of becoming a professional hockey player.”

In 2006-07, Mueller was a key part of the Spartans’ first NCAA championship squad in 21 years, leading the team with 10 points (tied), five goals (tied) and a plus-9 rating during the postseason and earning a spot on the NCAA Midwest Region All-Tournament Team. During the regular season of his junior campaign, he set career highs with 16 goals and 32 points to place fourth on the Spartans in scoring.

Mueller, who was selected as MSU’s Outstanding Rookie for 2004-05, will be available to make his professional debut on Friday when the Griffins host the Manitoba Moose.

Photo courtesy Michigan State Athletics

Shawhan not returning to LSSU

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Lake Superior State assistant coach Joe Shawhan will not be returning to the university when his contract expires June 30.

Shawhan served as an assistant coach at LSSU for the past three seasons after heading the Soo Indians Junior A program for 10 years before it closed its doors in 2005. Shawhan also served a variety of roles with the Lakers in an unofficial capacity from 1988-1995.

The Sault Ste. Marie native was a goaltender at LSSU from 1982-1987. He led the CCHA in goals-against average and save percentage in 1985-1986 and totaled 1,130 career saves.

"I wish him well in his future endeavors and know he will be successful in whatever path he chooses," LSSU head coach Jim Roque said.

MSU, LSSU get new recruits

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Two Michigan schools recently received verbal commitments from players expected to step into the lineup this fall and make immediate contributions.

Sioux City Musketeers defenseman Matt Crandell has committed to Michigan State for next season and looks to be replacing the departed Mike Ratchuk (see story below).

Kyle Pobur and Kellan Lain have both committed to Lake Superior State (links courtesy LSSUhockey.com)