WCCHA Announces 2017-2018 Conference Award Winners
In what has been a banner year for the league, we are excited to announce the 2017-2018 WCCHA Conference Awards. As we complete our 15th season of competition, we are excited to - for the first time - present a number of individual awards. These include Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, the Leadership Award and the Legacy Award.
In addition, with the expansion to 12 members, the WCCHA has increased our All-Conference honorees to include 3 full teams and an All-Rookie team.
The full list of winners is below. Congratulations to this year's honorees on a fantastic performance this season!
2017-2018 ALL CONFERENCE TEAMS | 2017-2018 INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS
2017-2018 WCCHA FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
FORWARDS: Matt Masterman (Wisconsin), Justin Anderson (Wisconsin) ^, Will Reabe (UW-Eau Claire) ^^
DEFENSE: Brien Martin (Wisconsin) **^, Riley Fisher (North Dakota State) *
GOALIE: Clay Knutsen (Minnesota) ^
2017-2018 WCCHA SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
FORWARDS: Brandon Thompson (Minnesota) **^, Spencer Helming (North Dakota State) *^, Todd Bates (Wisconsin) *
DEFENSE: Charlie Klos (North Dakota) *^, AJ Romanoski (UW-Eau Claire) *
GOALIE: Waldemar Sunden (Minnesota State)
2017-2018 WCCHA THIRD TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
FORWARDS: Rex Riley (North Dakota), Nick Anderson (Minnesota) ^, Dylan Ross (Minnesota)
DEFENSE: Andrew Glad (St. Thomas) ^^, Ryan Lieber (North Dakota)
GOALIE: Grayden Skok (UW-Eau Claire)
2017-2018 WCCHA ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
FORWARDS: Jake Cohn (Wisconsin), Tyler Larwood (Bethel), Connor Julius (UW-La Crosse)
DEFENSE: Sam Libke (St. Cloud State), Zach Heidel (UW-La Crosse)
GOALIE: Waldemar Sunden (Minnesota State)
HONORABLE MENTION: Forwards: Tyler Lawry (Minnesota State) ^, Derek Rasmussen (North Dakota State) ^, Joey Mendel (North Dakota), Tyler Larwood (Bethel), Garrett Dey (UW-Eau Claire), Jared Christen (St. Cloud State) **, Jack Sterne (St. Thomas) ^ | Defense: Dylan Bouten (Minnesota State) *^, Montana Milless (North Dakota State), Jake Anderson (UW-Eau Claire) | Goalies: Trevor Macey (Wisconsin), Will Griswold (Bethel)
* - Previous All-Conference Selection
^ - Previous Honorable Mention
2017-2018 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Matt Masterman, Forward, Wisconsin
2017-2018 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Brien Martin, Defense, Wisconsin
2017-2018 COACH OF THE YEAR
Joe Garvey, Wisconsin
2017-2018 LEADERSHIP AWARD
The WCCHA Leadership Award is presented to the team leader whose work off the ice best prepares his or her team for on-ice success.
Jack Sterne, President/Captain, St. Thomas
2017-2018 LEGACY AWARD
The WCCHA Legacy Award is presented to an individual who has left a lasting, positive impact on his or her program and the WCCHA.
Jack Diercks, 3 year President and Coach, Minnesota State
Brief bio: Jack assumed the leadership position at Minnesota State just as the team re-entered the league following a few years away due to disciplinary issues. Since their return, Jack has played an instrumental role not only in the team's on-ice success, which included a championship last season, but he has also stabilized and improved the off-ice structure and administration of the club into one of the model programs in the WCCHA.
