Nov. 14, 2012
Notre Dame, Ind. – Notre Dame senior goaltender Mike Johnson (Verona, Wis.) has been selected as a candidate for the 2012-13 Senior CLASS Award in the men’s Division I hockey category.
Johnson joins 19 other Division I players who have combined excellence in athletics, academics and community service. The award is presented annually to an NCAA Division I student-athlete in 10 sports based on achievement’s in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. CLASS is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School and the award focuses and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The three-time monogram winner is one of four seniors on the Notre Dame hockey roster this season and serves on the team’s seven-man leadership group. He is in his second year as a member of Notre Dame’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and is a three-year member of the Rosenthal Leadership Academy.
He entered the 2012-13 season ranked among the top goaltenders in Notre Dame history. As a senior, he has seen action in one game to date and is 1-0-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage, winning his lone start at Northern Michigan (3-2) on Oct. 27. For his career, Johnson owns a 40-33-12 career record with a 2.62 goals-against average, a .901 save percentage and two shutouts. He ranks fourth all-time in goals-against average, fourth in save percentage and seventh in wins. He is just one of seven Irish goaltenders to win 40 or more games in his career.
As a sophomore in 2009-10, he helped lead Notre Dame to the Frozen Four, going 20-13-4 for the year with a 2.62 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. He was selected to the NCAA Northeast Region all-tournament team and was the Northeast Region Tournament’s most valuable player with wins over Merrimack and New Hampshire that sent the Irish on to the Frozen Four. He became the sixth goaltender in Notre Dame history to win 20 or more games in a season that year. As a freshman in 2008-09, he was Notre Dame’s rookie of the year and was selected to the CCHA all-rookie team.
Off the ice, Johnson has a double major in sociology and computer applications and began his senior year with a 3.59 grade-point average. As a junior last season, he was Notre Dame’s recipient of the CCHA’s scholar-athlete award and a finalist for the league’s scholar-athlete of the year award. At Notre Dame, he received the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley’s Rockne Scholar-Athlete Award.
The Verona, Wis., native will oversee the hockey team’s community service activities in 2012-13. He has been active in the local community with the Irish hockey team throughout his first three years at Notre Dame. So far this season, Johnson has participated in the Irish Experience Camp during the summer and early fall. The camp works with disadvantaged kids, teaching them to set goals and how to work towards them. As a junior, he was a member of Life Work’s Dream Teams that visited area schools, serving as mentors to elementary school children. Throughout his career at Notre Dame, Mike has been active in the Irish Youth Hockey League (IYHL), working with local youth hockey groups, teaching and helping grow the game in the local area. He has participated in team activities like the Junior Diabetes Walk, the Buddy Walk for kids with Downs Syndrome and has participated in Habitat for Humanity.
This is the seventh year for the Senior CLASS Award in hockey. In 2006-07, former Irish goaltender David Brown `07 won the Senior CLASS Award while in 2007-08, Mark Van Guilder `08 and in 2008-09, Jordan Pearce `09 and Erik Condra `09 were top 10 finalists. Ryan Thang `10 was a nominee in 2009-10 while Calle Ridderwall `11 and Sean Lorenz `12 were top 10 finalists in each of the last two seasons.
The 2012-13 hockey candidates represent 20 different schools and five conferences. Five nominees represent the CCHA. Adam Henderson of Alaska, Brett Beebe of Western Michigan, Kyle Bonis of Ferris State and Steven Spinell of Miami join Johnson on the list.
From the list of 20 nominees, a list of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award will be selected midway through the season. Those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote that will include coaches, media and fans. The award winner will be announced and recognized at the 2013 NCAA Frozen Four in Pittsburgh, Pa. April 11 and 13.
For more information on all the candidates, visit seniorclassaward.com.
Senior CLASS Award2012-13 Men's Hockey Nominees
Name School Pos. ConferenceNick Bailen Rensselaer D ECAC Hockey LeagueBrett Beebe Western Michigan F Central Collegiate Hockey AssociationDanny Biega Harvard D ECAC Hockey LeagueKyle Bonis Ferris State F Central Collegiate Hockey AssociationStephen Carew Air Force F/D Atlantic Hockey AssociationNick D'Agostino Cornell D ECAC Hockey LeagueKyle Flanagan St. Lawrence F ECAC Hockey LeagueAlex Gerke Connecticut D Atlantic Hockey AssociationBen Hanowski St. Cloud State F Western Collegiate Hockey AssociationConnor Hardowa New Hampshire D Hockey East AssociationSeth Helgeson Minnesota D Western Collegiate Hockey AssociationAdam Henderson Alaska F Central Collegiate Hockey AssociationBrendan Jamison Robert Morris D Atlantic Hockey AssociationMike Johnson Notre Dame G Central Collegiate Hockey AssociationDan Koudys Bentley F Atlantic Hockey AssociationRyan Little Wisconsin F Western Collegiate Hockey AssociationMark Nemec Maine D Hockey East AssociationBrandon Nunn Holy Cross F Atlantic Hockey AssociationCheyne Rocha Army D Atlantic Hockey AssociationSteven Spinell Miami (OH) D Central Collegiate Hockey Association
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