Michigan forward Kevin Porter, among the favorites for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, led the CCHA’s All-Conference teams announced Wednesday. Porter, a senior, was a unanimous First-Team selection of CCHA coaches.
With three seniors and three juniors on each squad, this is the first time there are no freshmen or sophomores on either team since 1993. The teams were selected by a vote of the league’s head coaches and are based on performance in conference games; coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.
Michigan linemates Porter and Chad Kolarik, who finished one-two in league scoring, along with Miami forward Ryan Jones, who finished third, make up the front line of the First Team. Porter led the nation in regular-season scoring with 27-27-54. Porter was a Second-Team selection last season while Jones has earned Second-Team accolades in each of the past two seasons.
Alaska’s Tyler Eckford and Alec Martinez of Miami make up the defense. Eckford led CCHA defensemen in assists and points with 5-18-23 while Martinez finished with 17 points and a +15 rating, placing in the top five among defensemen in both categories. Michigan State goaltender Jeff Lerg rounds out the First Team. He led the conference in wins, shutouts, save percentage and minutes played.
A pair of RedHawks, defenseman Mitch Ganzak and netminder Jeff Zatkoff, were also voted to the Second Team. Ganzak, who was on the Second Team in 2006, tied for fifth among defensemen in scoring and fourth in plus/minus. The second Spartan voted as an All-Conference selection is forward Tim Kennedy who finished seventh in scoring and tied for fourth in assists among forwards.
Nebraska-Omaha’s Bryan Marshall, who finished second in assists, and Bowling Green’s Derek Whitmore, who finished in a tie for first in both goals and hat tricks make up the final two forwards on the Second Team. The third Wolverine named is defenseman Mark Mitera, who played in all 28 conference games and finished tied for sixth in plus/minus among all skaters and tied for 12th in scoring among defensemen.
Bowling Green and Northern Michigan each had two players named to the All-Rookie Team. Because of a tie in voting at the forward position, there are seven members on the squad.
Listed below are players by position, with class and school. First-place votes appear in parentheses, while total points (awarded on the basis of five for a first-place vote, three for second and one for third) follow.
2007-08 CCHA All-Conference Teams
First Team
F Kevin Porter, Sr., Michigan (11) 55
F Ryan Jones, Sr., Miami (10) 53
F Chad Kolarik, Sr., Michigan (7) 47
D Tyler Eckford, Jr., Alaska (9) 48
D Alec Martinez, Jr., Miami (6) 43
G Jeff Lerg, Jr., Michigan State (7) 42
Second Team
F Bryan Marshall, Sr., Nebraska-Omaha (5) 40
F Derek Whitmore, Sr., Bowling Green (2) 31
F Tim Kennedy, Jr., Michigan State (1) 30
D Mitch Ganzak, Sr., Miami (3) 30
D Mark Mitera, Jr., Michigan (2) 23
G Jeff Zatkoff, Jr., Miami (4) 36
All-Rookie Team
F Carter Camper, Miami
F Max Pacioretty, Michigan
F Jacob Cepis, Bowling Green
F Mark Olver, Northern Michigan
D Erik Gustafsson, Northern Michigan
D Jeff Petry, Michigan State
G Nick Eno, Bowling Green
