Guentzel Is NCHC Forward of the Year Finalist
Mar 11, 2016 | Hockey
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Omaha junior forward Jake Guentzel is one of three finalists for the NCHC Forward of the Year Award.
On Thursday, the conference announced the finalists for 10 of its individual specialty awards for 2015-16. The winners of the awards will be announced Thursday, March 17 at the NCHC Awards Celebration at Muse Event Center in Minneapolis on the eve of the third annual NCHC Frozen Faceoff.
Guentzel has already been named to the NCHC All-Conference Second Team this season. He played in all 24 NCHC games for the Mavericks this season, leading the team in conference scoring with 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points. He finished seventh in the NCHC in scoring in conference games. He also was third in conference goals and led the NCHC with three shorthanded goals.
The native of Woodbury, Minn. leads the team in scoring for all games with 17 goals and 25 assists for 42 points in 33 games. Both his goal and point totals are career highs. He is currently tied for third in NCHC scoring for all games played.
Guentzel is the only Maverick nominated for any of the specialty awards.
For most of the awards, finalists were determined based on voting by the conference's head coaches and one student-athlete from each team with the top three vote-getters (plus ties) being finalists. The Scholar-Athlete of the Year finalists were determined in a vote by the conference's Faculty Athletics Representatives (FARs) while the Three Stars Award finalists are the players with the highest Three Stars of the Game point totals from the season. Athletic Directors at each NCHC institution had a vote on Herb Brooks Coach of the Year, rather than the student-athletes.
In addition to these 10 award winners being announced at the NCHC Awards Celebration next Thursday, the NCHC will also announce its Sportsmanship Award and Postgraduate Scholarship winners. The NCHC announced its All-Rookie Team on Tuesday and its all-academic teams in February.
Herb Brooks Coach of the Year Finalists
Brad Berry, UND
Jim Montgomery, Denver
Bob Motzko, SCSU
Player of the Year Finalists
Drake Caggiula, Sr., F, UND
Danton Heinen, So., F, Denver
Ethan Prow, Sr., D, SCSU
Scholar-Athlete of the Year Finalists
Kalle Kossila, Sr., F, SCSU
Gabe Levin, Sr., F, Denver
Rookie of the Year Finalists
Brock Boeser, F, UND
Dylan Gambrell, F, Denver
Jack Roslovic, F, Miami
Goaltender of the Year Finalists
Cam Johnson, So., UND
Kasimir Kaskisuo, So., UMD
Charlie Lindgren, Jr., SCSU
Forward of the Year Finalists
Drake Caggiula, Sr., UND
Jake Guentzel, Jr., Omaha
Danton Heinen, So., Denver
Defenseman of the Year Finalists
Will Butcher, Jr., Denver
Ethan Prow, Sr., SCSU
Troy Stecher, Jr., UND
Andy Welinski, Sr., UMD
Offensive Defenseman of the Year Finalists
Will Butcher, Jr., Denver
Ethan Prow, Sr., SCSU
Troy Stecher, Jr., UND
Defensive Forward of the Year Finalists
Kalle Kossila, Sr., SCSU
Sean Kuraly, Sr., Miami
Quentin Shore, Sr., Denver
Three Stars Award Finalists
Brock Boeser, Fr., F, UND
Danton Heinen, So., F, Denver
Tanner Jaillet, So., G, Denver
Charlie Lindgren, Jr., G, SCSU
