Men's Ice Hockey | 2/9/2017 1:52:00 PM

WCHA Release

EDINA, Minn. – On Thursday, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), through Michigan Tech President Glen Mroz (Chair, Men's League), University of Minnesota Duluth Faculty Athletics Representative Steve Castleberry (Chair, Women's League) and Commissioners Bill Robertson (Men's League) and Kate Million (Women's League) announced that eight members of the Alaska Nanooks men's hockey team were selected as WCHA Scholar-Athletes for the 2016-17 season.

Per the WCHA release, "to earn recognition as a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, conference-member 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/her overall GPA is at least a 3.50 for all terms at his or her present institution."

A record of 145 conference-member student-athletes (both men's and women's division) make up the 12th annual group of WCHA Scholar-Athletes, as the award was developed through member teams' Faculty Representatives and approved by the WCHA in the 2005-06 season. Sixty-four (64) of this season's 145 recipients are repeat honorees, including junior defenseman Zach Frye, who is a two-time recipient.  Alaska's honorees account for eight of the 79 selections who hail from the men's division.

Alaska Hockey's 2016-17 WCHA Scholar Athletes
**Indicates two-time honoree

Jordan Burns – Sophomore, Defenseman (Vernon, British Columbia/Justice)
**Zach Frye – Junior, Defenseman (Spokane, Wash./Business Administration)
Nick Hinz – Junior, Defenseman (Oakdale, Minn./Business Administration)
Nikolas Koberstein – Sophomore, Defenseman (Barrhead, Alberta/Business Administration)
Ryker Leer – Sophomore, Forward (Red Deer, Alberta/Business Administration)
Brandon Morley – Senior, Forward (Burnaby, British Columbia/MBA)
John Mullally – Sophomore, Forward (Timberlea, Nova Scotia/Business Administration)
Chad Staley – Sophomore, Forward (Kennewick, Wash./Psychology-Biology)

The Alaska Nanooks hockey team is on the road this week, taking on the Northern Michigan Wildcats on Friday, Feb. 10 and Saturday, Feb. 11 at the Berry Events Center in Marquette, Mich. Puck-drop is slated for 3:07pm AKST on both days.

For more information on the Alaska Nanooks hockey team, follow @NanooksHockey on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Hockey team page on Facebook.