Inside College Hockey | CCHA Recap: Year Of The RedHawks

March 12, 2010

By James V. Dowd

THE FAVORITE

No questions here as the CCHA heads into the conference quarterfinals this weekend: The Miami RedHawks are the team to beat. Right from the get-go, the RedHawks surged to the top of the CCHA and never relinquished a lead that seemed to grow perpetually, especially in the second half of the season. Miami’s team defense was incredible all year long, with very few slipups, and led the nation giving up just 1.75 goals per game, including just 1.39 per game in conference play. It will take a Herculean effort for any of the CCHA teams to knock the RedHawks off in the conference tournament, and it’s likely they’ll find their way to Detroit both a week from now and a month from now, although, admittedly, the postseason can be cruel to favorites.

THE GATE CRASHER

Over the past few seasons, every CCHA team has known that come the turn of the calendar year, it’s time to start looking in your rearview mirror for a speeding mass in Old Gold and Olive Green. Finally, after making several late surges that came up short, Northern Michigan cracked the top four and could be headed to the NCAA Tournament with a series win over Alaska this weekend and a stellar performance once the CCHA title race finds its way to Detroit. With a potent offense that seems to be hitting its stride and one of the league’s better goaltenders in Brian Stewart, the Wildcats are definitely a force to be reckoned with over the next few weeks.

INCH’s ALL-CCHA TEAM

F — Mark Olver, Northern Michigan
Olver was a major catalyst in Northern Michigan’s second half run into the top-four, and the junior is carrying a nine-game point streak that has produced a 7-9-16 line, giving him a league-leading 46 points on the year.

F — Corey Tropp, Michigan State
The story of Tropp’s revival after a season-ending suspension last year has been told many times, but the junior’s diligence in the offseason and on the ice helped bring Michigan State back from last year’s disappointing finish. His 20 goals and 22 assists place him second in the scoring race.

F — Tommy Wingels, Miami
You look a little bit further down the point scoring list to find Wingels’ name, but the Miami junior certainly deserves mention amongst the CCHA’s best this season. His 16-20-36 line is amongst the conference’s top-10 point scorers, and his defensive and leadership contributions are amongst the league’s best with a plus-14 rating and 30 blocked shots on the season.

D — Erik Gustafsson, Northern Michigan
Gustafsson is calm, cool and collected and knows how to make plays at both ends of the ice. The junior from Sweden makes his second-consecutive appearance on INCH’s All-CCHA team after finishing with 28 points on the year, and a plus-8 rating. Gustafsson was also INCH’s Freshman of the year 2 years ago.

D — Ed Del Grosso, Nebraska-Omaha
Del Grosso has always been one of the top offensive defensemen in the league in his four years in Omaha, and he continued that trend with a 30-point output in 40 games. The senior was his team’s leading point scorer and also led the club in plus-minus, and the pressure he puts on the net with his 110 shots helps create opportunities for his forwards.

G — Cody Reichard, Miami
Every great team gets great goaltending and Reichard provided that for Miami with a 1.48 goals-against average, a .938 save percentage and five shutouts. He was 17-2-3 on the year.

COACH OF THE YEAR

While a few perennial powers faltered due to injury or inconsistency, the 2009-10 season was a great showcase for the coaching acumen of veterans like Walt Kyle and Bob Daniels who guided their team to at least the NCAA Tournament conversation. But it’s Miami’s Enrico Blasi who was able to best piece together the puzzle that a college hockey season can be. His team could have been in emotional tatters after a crushing loss in the national championship game last year and even more so after losing team manager Brendan Burke in a tragic accident last month. But Blasi brought his “brotherhood” together stronger than ever, coaxing maximum effort out of his players and clinching the CCHA title with several weeks to play.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

He’s always been known as one of the more dynamic skaters and scorers in the CCHA, but 2009-10 proved to be a breakout year for Northern Michigan forward Mark Olver. The Colorado Avalanche prospect spent some time in the weight room bulking up to prepare himself to be a more physical player in his junior season and to get ready for the next level, and it certainly paid dividends throughout this season. Olver led the league with 46 points on 19 goals and 27 assists, giving him a career mark of 56-63-119 in 114 games, and helped the Wildcats’ rapid ascension into the top four and earning a first-round playoff bye.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Having arguably the most stellar team defense and goaltending in the country throughout last year, the Alaska Nanooks had one major problem that ultimately prevented them from making the NCAA tournament — they didn’t score goals. Despite ranking second in the nation in team defense, the Nanooks finished an abysmal 54th in scoring offense. This time around, Scott Greenham and the defense still held down the fort, but freshman Andy Taranto finally gave Alaska the offensive spark that it needed. Taranto’s 17-24-41 line, a line that includes seven power-play goals and a short-handed marker, gave him 12 more points than any other rookie heading into this weekend’s quarterfinal series against Northern Michigan. And in true Nanook spirit, Taranto’s not too shabby defensively either, notching 17 blocked shots and a plus-13 rating through his first 36 games.

BREAKTHROUGH PLAYER

Ferris State coach Bob Daniels always had a feeling about senior Blair Riley. The forward from Kamloops had good hockey sense and nice hands, but it seemed like Riley just couldn’t put it together. Daniels never gave up on Riley and his faith and patience paid off as Riley put together a memorable season that helped propel Ferris State into the league’s top four and made the Bulldogs contenders for an NCAA Tournament bid. All year long, Riley sat amongst the conference scoring leaders, and even sat atop the national scoring charts for a few weeks, and the senior heads into the quarterfinal series against Nebraska-Omaha with a 17-17-34 line. Riley’s success not only elevated the Bulldogs’ team, but also makes him a desirable prospect for NHL teams looking for undrafted free agents.