March 13, 2009
Notre Dame, Ind. – The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) announced the top three finalists for six of the major individual awards that will be presented on Thursday, March 15 at the historic Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit.
Notre Dame senior goaltender Jordan Pearce (Anchorage, Alaska) along with Miami sophomore Carter Camper and Alaska senior goaltender Chad Johnson are the three finalists for the RBC Finanical Group CCHA Player of the Year award.
Pearce, who ironically was not selected to one of the two all-CCHA teams and was an honorable mention all-CCHA selection, leads the CCHA and the nation in wins and is among the leaders in goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts. During the 2008-09 season, he played in all 28 CCHA games, leading the conference in wins (21), winning percentage (.804), minutes played (1,667:45) and shutouts (5). He was second in goals-against average (1.76) and save percentage (.927).
Camper played in 27 league games, scoring 29 points while leading the league in goals with 16. He also led was second in power-play goals, third in power-play points and tied for the league lead in game-winning goals.
Johnson led the CCHA in goals-against average (1.69) and save percentage (.939) and finished second behind Pearce in minutes played and shutouts while being third in saves for the season.
Irish head coach Jeff Jackson joins Alaska’s Dallas Ferguson and Ohio State’s John Markell as finalists for CCHA Coach of the Year honors. Now in his fourth season at Notre Dame, Jackson led the Irish to their second CCHA regular-season title in three seasons. His Irish are 27-5-3 overall and have been ranked No. 1 for eight weeks during the year.
Ferguson led the Nanooks to a fourth-place finish and a first-round bye while leading the CCHA and the nation in scoring defense.
Markell led the Buckeyes to a fifth-place finish in the regular season while seeing his young squad finish second in the league in scoring.
Kyle Lawson (Jr., Hudson, Mich.) is a finalist for the CCHA’s top defensive defenseman award along with Miami’s Kevin Roeder and Michigan’s Chris Summers. Lawson, the leader of the Notre Dame defense that was ranked second in the conference had 16 points in league play and was +7 on the year while taking second team all-CCHA honors.
Roeder led a Miami defense that was fourth in scoring defense in the CCHA and led the league in penalty killing.
Summers, who started the season as a forward, then moved back to defense had 12 points on the year and was second among defensemen with a +15 ranking.
Senior captain Erik Condra (Livonia, Mich.) was selected as a finalist for the league’s top defensive forward along with Miami’s Carter Camper and Michigan’s Tim Miller. Condra, a second team all-CCHA selection, had 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points and was +5 on the year while helping the Irish to the regular season title and the third-best scoring defense in the conference.
Camper had 29 points on the season and was +3 for the RedHawks.
Miller had a +10 on the season and was a key member of Michigan’s second-ranked penalty-killing unit.
Billy Maday (Fr., Burr Ridge, Ill.) was named as one of three finalists for the league’s Rookie of the Year award along with Michigan’s David Wohlberg and Ohio State’s Zac Dalpe. Maday was a unanimous selection to the CCHA’s all-rookie team at tied for the league’s rookie scoring lead with 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points. The CCHA rookie of the month in November, Maday led all CCHA rookies with 16 points on the power play.
Wohlberg joined Maday and Dalpe on the all-rookie team and was tied for the rookie scoring lead with Maday. He was the CCHA’s rookie of the month in December and led all league rookies with three game-winning goals.
Dalpe finished fourth in the conference in rookie scoring with nine goals and nine assists for 19 points and was a CCHA Rookie of the Week three times during the 2008-09 season.
The CCHA Awards Banquet kicks off the CCHA Championship weekend on Thursday, March 19. The Banquet, an Academy Awards-style event with music videos, video highlights and special awards presentations, is held at the historic Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit, across from Comerica Park. The Banquet begins with a social hour presented by the RBC Financial Group at 6:30 p.m. during which a cash bar will be available and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. The Awards Program will begin at 7:30 p.m. Banquet tickets are $15 and can be purchased by calling the CCHA at (248) 888-0600 or at the door the day of the event.