March 12, 2008
FAIRBANKS, AK - This week has proved a historic one for the Alaska Nanooks' hockey program. Sunday night in Omaha the Nanook hockey team played in the longest game in school history and the eighth longest in NCAA Division I men's hockey, falling short in triple overtime to Nebraska-Omaha and getting eliminated from the first-round Central Collegiate Hockey Association playoff series for the first time in four years. Wednesday another entry was etched in the Alaska hockey history books, as junior defenseman and assistant captain Tyler Eckford became the first player to make the CCHA All-Conference First Team.
From the beginning of the season, the 6-2, 220-pound rearguard was pegged as an elite player in the league as he was selected for the CCHA Pre-Season All-Conference Team. One of the Nation's top scoring defenseman consistently throughout the season, Eckford led the conference's blueliners through 28 regular season games with five goals and 18 assists good for 23 points. Alaska's top defenseman all season, he also led the team offensively for the majority of the year tallying career bests in goals (8), assists (23) and points (31) in 35 games. The New Jersey Devils draft pick recorded five multi-point games, including two three-point performances, and notched at least one point in all 17 of Alaska's series. The three-year veteran finished his junior season the same way he started it: with a four-game scoring streak.
The Surrey, British Columbia native has been on the radar in the CCHA after garnering All-Rookie team honors following the 2005-06 campaign and being listed as among others receiving votes for last year's all-conference team selections.
Prior to Eckford, Alaska had had just one other player selected to a CCHA All-Conference team, although the program has had a handful earn honorable mention to the all-conference squads. During the 2001-02 season, then senior forward Bobby Andrews (1998-2002) became the first Nanook to garner an all-conference team award, with a Second Team selection.
With Eckford representing Alaska's only all-conference selection, Miami and Michigan each had a pair of players named to the All-Conference First Team with the RedHawks also placing two players and the Wolverines one on the Second Team. A player on both squads is represented by Michigan State while Bowling Green and Nebraska-Omaha each have a player on the Second Team. With three seniors and three juniors on each squad, this is the first time there are no underclassmen on either team since 1993. 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.
Michigan linemates Kevin Porter and Chad Kolarik, who finished 1-2 in league scoring, along with Miami forward Ryan Jones, who finished third, make up the front line. Porter, who was a unanimous pick, led the nation in regular-season scoring with 27-27-54. Porter was a Second Team selection last season while Jones has earned Second Team accololades in each of the past two seasons. Alaska's Tyler Eckford and Alec Martinez of Miami make up the defense pairing. Eckford led CCHA defensemen in assists and points with 5-18-23 while Martinez finished with 17 points and a +15 rating, placing in the top five among defensemen in both categories. Michigan State goaltender Jeff Lerg rounds out the First Team. He led the conference in wins, shutouts, save percentage and minutes played.
A pair of Miami RedHawks, defenseman Mitch Ganzak and netminder Jeff Zatkoff, were also voted to the Second Team. Ganzak, who was on the Second Team in 2006, tied for fifth among defensemen in scoring and fourth in plus/minus. The second Spartan voted as an All-Conference selection is forward Tim Kennedy who finished seventh in scoring and tied for fourth in assists among forwards. Nebraska-Omaha's Bryan Marshall, who finished second in assists, and Bowling Green's Derek Whitmore, who finished in a tie for first in both goals and hat tricks make up the final two forwards on the Second Team. The third Wolverine named is defenseman Mark Mitera who played in all 28 conference games and finished tied for sixth in plus/minus among all skaters and tied for 12th in scoring among defensemen.
2007-08 CCHA All-Conference Teams
First Team
Position, Name, Year, School, First, Totals
Forward, Kevin Porter, SR, Michigan, 11, 55
Forward, Ryan Jones, SR, Miami, 10, 53
Forward, Chad Kolarik, SR, Michigan, 7, 47
Defense, Tyler Eckford, JR, Alaska, 9, 48
Defense, Alec Martinez, JR, Miami, 6, 43
Goaltender, Jeff Lerg, JR, Michigan State, 7, 42
Second Team
Forward, Bryan Marshall, SR, Nebraska-Omaha, 5, 40
Forward, Derek Whitmore, SR, Bowling Green, 2, 31
Forward, Tim Kennedy, JR, Michigan State, 1, 30
Defense, Mitch Ganzak, SR, Miami, 3, 30
Defense, Mark Mitera, JR, Michigan, 2, 23
Goaltender, Jeff Zatkoff, JR, Miami, 4, 36
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): Billy Sauer, JR, G, Michigan, (1) 18; Kyle Lawson, SO, D, Notre Dame, (1) 17; Eddie Del Grosso, SO, D, Nebraska-Omaha, 16; Justin Abdelkader, JR, F, Michigan State, 15; Justin Mercier, JR, F, Miami, 12; Mike Ratchuk, SO, D, Michigan State, (2) 12; Daniel Vukovic, SR, D, Michigan State, (1) 12; Nick Sirota, JR, F, Northern Michigan, 12.
Others receiving votes: Forwards - Mick Lawrence, SR, Nebraska-Omaha, 8; Erik Condra, JR, Notre Dame, 6; Bryan Lerg, SR, Michigan State, 5; Carter Camper, FR, Miami, 4; Jarod Palmer, SO, Miami, 3; Tommy Goebel, SR, Ohio State, 1; Patrick Galivan, JR, Western Michigan, 1; Nathan Perkovich, SO, Lake Superior, 1. Defense - Jeff Petry, FR, Michigan State, 11; Chris Summers, SO, Michigan, 5. Goaltenders - Jordan Pearce, JR, Notre Dame, 5; Brian Stewart, SO, Northern Michigan, 3; Wylie Rogers, SR, Alaska, 1.
