Thursday, March 10, 2016

Nelson is WCHA's top defensive player

Minnesota State junior defenseman Casey Nelson was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday when the league’s postseason awards were released.

Nelson led the Mavericks’ defense, which allowed the fewest shots on goal of any team in the country and ranked eighth in the nation allowing 2.03 goals per game. Nelson led all WCHA defensemen with a plus-16 plus-minus in his 27 league games and also lead league blueliners with 71 shots on goal. He has 20 points this season, 15 in conference play, which ranks fourth in the WCHA.

Nelson and senior forward Teddy Blueger were named first-team All-WCHA, and senior Bryce Gervais was named to the third team. Freshmen Max Coatta, a forward, and Daniel Brickley, a defenseman, were named to the rookie team.

Read more, including some comments from Nelson and coach Mike Hastings here.

Other WCHA awards:

Player of the Year: Alex Petan, sr. F, Michigan Tech

Coach of the Year: Mel Pearson, Michigan Tech

Rookie of the Year: Corey Mackin, fr., F, Ferris State

Student-Athlete of the Year: Jamie Phillips, sr. G, Michigan Tech

All-WCHA

First team: Forwards—Petan; Blueger; Tyler Morley, Alaska. Defensemen—Nelson, Mark Friedman, Bowling Green; Goaltender—Chris Nell, Bowling Green

Second team: Forwards—Gerald Mayhew, Ferris State; Darren Nowick, Northern Michigan; Dominik Shine, Northern Michigan. Defensemen—Matt Roy, Michigan Tech; Sean Walker, Bowling Green. Goaltender—Phillips

Third team: Forwards—Mark Cooper, Bowling Green; Gervais; Malcolm Gould, Michigan Tech; Tyler Heinonen, Michigan Tech. Defensemen—Brandon Anselmini, Ferris State; Shane Hanna, Michigan Tech. Goaltender—Gordon Defiel, Lake Superior State.

Rookie team: Forwards—Mackin; Coatta; Jake Lucchini, Michigan Tech. Defensemen: Wyatt Ege, Alaska Anchorage; Brickley. Goaltender—Atte Tolvanen, Northern Michigan.

MSU players on the All-Academic Team included: Sean Flanagan, Carter Foguth, Cole Huggins, Michael Huntebrinker, Jon Jutzi, Dylan Margonari, Aaron Nelson, Casey Nelson and Jordan Nelson.

No comments: