FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – Alaska Nanooks' senior center Dion Knelsen (Three Hills, AB, Drumheller (AJHL)) and rookie winger Andy Taranto (Woodridge, IL, Fargo (USHL)) earned honorable mention to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's All-Conference Team, announced Wednesday by the Michigan-based league.
Knelsen, who is second in scoring for Alaska this season with 19-21-40, was named Alaska's CCHA Scholar-Athlete Tuesday, and is a finalist for two nationally distinguished collegiate hockey awards. He is one of seven finalists for the Hockey Humanitarian Award and one of ten candidates up for the 2010 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
A Three Hills, Alberta native, Knelsen has excelled on and off the ice and made valuable contributions on his team and in the community of Fairbanks. Currently riding a career-best for single-season points, he has amassed 45 goals and 72 assists in 145 career games, good for 17th on the program's all-time scoring list.
The business administration major maintains a 3.98 grade-point average and will graduate with his bachelor's degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in May.
Taranto, who leads the Nanooks in scoring with 41 points, was the lone unanimous pick on the CCHA All-Rookie Team that was announced Monday.
The top scoring freshman in the 12-team conference through 32 games this season, Taranto was chosen as CCM CCHA Rookie of the Month and the Hockey Commissioners Association National Rookie of the Month in November and February and finished the CCHA season with a scoring line of 12-19-31.
Taranto was also named CCM CCHA Rookie of the Week three times and captured the freshmen scoring title by 10 points. He was second in power-play points (14) and fifth in point scoring (31) among all CCHA players.
Two more Alaska skaters received votes in the all-conference balloting, as sophomore goalie Scott Greenham (Addison, ON, Oakville (OPJHL)) and sophomore defenseman Joe Sova (Berwyn, IL, Omaha (USHL)) tallied seven and six point, respectively.
The CCHA's All-Conference First Team was led by Northern Michigan's forward Mark Olver, the conference scoring champion, who received the most first-place votes and accumulated the most points in voting while teammate Erik Gustafsson, the lone holdover from the 2009 First Team, polled the most votes among defensemen after leading all blueliners in scoring during conference play. Miami forward Jarod Palmer, the third-leading scorer in league action, joined goaltender Cody Reichard as RedHawks to earn First-Team honors. Reichard finished undefeated in the CCHA (15-0-2) and led the league in save percentage (.950) and goals-against average (1.23).
Ohio State forward Zac Dalpe and Nebraska-Omaha defenseman Eddie DelGrosso complete the First Team. Dalpe, an All-Rookie Team selection last season, tied for the league lead in goals and finished second in points during CCHA action. DelGrosso, the Mavericks’ leading scorer and top-scoring defenseman in school history, was a Second-Team member last season.
A trio from Michigan State, a pair of forwards from Miami and a Ferris State rearguard were selected to the All-Conference Second Team. Michigan State forward Corey Tropp led the conference in power-play production with 6-10-16 and tied for third with four game-winning goals. Spartan defenseman Jeff Petry and goaltender Drew Palmisano, who ranked third in goals-against average (2.21) and fourth in save percentage (.924), were also recognized. Miami forwards Andy Miele and Tommy Wingels, who finished fourth and eighth in conference scoring, respectively, were voted to the Second Team as well. Ferris State defenseman Zach Redmond, who tied DelGrosso for the lead in goals by a defenseman in CCHA play, was the final Second-Team selection.
The teams were selected by a vote of the league’s head coaches and are based on performance in conference games. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.
2009-10 CCHA All-Conference Teams
First Team
Position Name, Year, School First Totals
Forward Mark Olver, JR, Northern Michigan 10 53
Forward Jarod Palmer, SR, Miami 7 44
Forward Zac Dalpe, SO, Ohio State 8 43
Defense Erik Gustafsson, JR, Northern Michigan 6 45
Defense Eddie DelGrosso, SR, Nebraska-Omaha 6 40
Goaltender Cody Reichard, SO, Miami 9 51
Second Team
Position Name, Year, School First Totals
Forward Andy Miele, JR, Miami 4 36
Forward Tommy Wingels, JR, Miami 1 21
Forward Corey Tropp, JR, Michigan State 1 20
Defense Zach Redmond, JR, Ferris State 4 35
Defense Jeff Petry, JR, Michigan State 3 21
Goaltender Drew Palmisano, SO, Michigan State 1 17
Vote Values: 1st place = 5, 2nd place = 3, 3rd place = 1
Honorable Mention (next six point totals, regardless of position with first team-votes in parentheses): Andy Taranto, FR, F, Alaska, (1) 19; Matt Bartkowski, SO, D, Ohio State (1) 19; Dion Knelsen, SR, F, Alasaka, 17; Kyle Lawson, SR, D, Notre Dame, (1) 17; Carter Camper, JR, F, Miami, (1) 16; Brian Stewart, SR, G, Northern Michigan, (1) 15.
Others receiving votes: Forwards — Greger Hanson, JR, Northern Michigan, 13; Blair Riley, SR, Ferris State, (1) 11; Carl Hagelin, JR, Michigan, (1) 10; Cody Chupp, SR, Ferris State, (1) 6; Peter Boyd, JR, Ohio State, 5; Calle Ridderwall JR, Notre Dame, 4; Matt Rust, JR, Michigan, 3; Louie Caporusso, JR, Michigan, 1; Andrew Rowe, JR, Michigan State, 1; Rick Schofield, JR, Lake Superior, 1. Defense — Torey Krug, FR, Michigan State (1) 8; Steve Kampfer, SR, Michigan (1) 6; Chad Langlais, JR, Michigan, (1) 6; Joe Sova, SO, Alaska, 6; Matt Case, SR Ferris State, 5; Chris Summers, SR, Michigan, 5; Kyle Page, SR, Bowling Green, 2. Goaltenders — Riley Gill, SR, Western Michigan 10; Taylor Nelson, SO, Ferris State 8; Scott Greenham, SO, Alaska, 7.