Colorado College freshman goaltender Richard Bachman was named WCHA Player of the Year and WCHA Rookie of the Year — only the second player in the 56-year history of the conference to win both awards in one season — in honors announced Thursday at the conference’s annual awards banquet in St. Paul, Minn.
Bachman, a native of Highlands Ranch, Colo., is third nationally in goals-against average at 1.77, second in save percentage at .934, and tied for second in winning percentage at .783 (23-6-1). He was named to the All-WCHA First Team, was a two-time Hockey Commissioners’ Association National Rookie of the Month and garnered five WCHA weekly awards during the season. He joins former Wisconsin and current NHL goaltender Curtis Joseph (1988-89) as dual Rookie/Player of the Year winners.
Joining Bachman as a major award winner was teammate and senior defenseman Jack Hillen, the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year. Hillen, from Minnetonka, Minn., is the scoring co-leader nationally among defensemen with 33 points in 36 games and leads CC in plus-minus.
Minnesota State head coach Troy Jutting was named WCHA Coach of the Year for the second time. Previously honored in 2002-03, Jutting, a former Maverick player, led his club to a share of fourth place in the regular-season standings with a 12-12-4 league mark after starting the season 3-6-1.
Named as Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year was Minnesota State senior forward Joel Hanson, a team captain who carries a cumulative 3.81 grade-point average as a finance major. From Elk River, Minn., he is a three-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete honoree and All-WCHA Academic Team member.
Also honored at the banquet were St. Cloud State sophomore forward Ryan Lasch as scoring champion and North Dakota senior goaltender Jean-Philippe Lamoureux as goaltending champion.
Colorado College and North Dakota dominated the 2007-08 All-WCHA First Team, with the Tigers landing three players and the Fighting Sioux two. St. Cloud State had one player selected. North Dakota also had three players on the Second Team.
All-WCHA First Team (statistics for league games only)
F Chad Rau, Jr., Colorado College (28 gp, 23-10–33)
F T.J. Oshie, Jr., North Dakota (27 gp, 12-17–29)
F Ryan Lasch, So., St. Cloud State (28 gp, 17-17–34)
D Jack Hillen, Sr., Colorado College (28 gp, 4-19–23)
D Taylor Chorney, Jr., North Dakota (28 gp, 2-14–16)
G Richard Bachman, Fr., Colorado College (19-5-1, 1.75 gaa, .937 sv%).
All-WCHA Second Team
F Andreas Nodl, So., St. Cloud State (28 gp, 15-16–31)
F Ryan Duncan, Jr., North Dakota (28 gp, 9-19–28)
F Garrett Roe, Fr., St. Cloud State (27 gp, 11-17–28)
D Chris Butler, Jr., Denver (28 gp, 2-10–12)
D Chay Genoway, So., North Dakota (23 gp, 5-13–18)
G Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, Sr., North Dakota (18-7-3, 1.74 gaa, .929 sv%).
All-WCHA Third Team
F Tyler Bozak, Fr., Denver (28 gp, 12-12–24)
F Blake Wheeler, Jr., Minnesota (28 gp, 10-13–23)
F Kyle Turris, Fr., Wisconsin (26 gp, 6-13–19)
D Robbie Bina, Sr., North Dakota (28 gp, 1-16–17)
D Jamie McBain, So., Wisconsin (25 gp, 2-14–16)
G Peter Mannino, Sr., Denver (16-11-1, 2.38 gaa, .913 sv%).
All-Rookie Team
F Kyle Turris, Fr., Wisconsin (26 gp, 6-13–19)
F Tyler Bozak, Fr., Denver (28 gp, 12-12–24)
F Garrett Roe, Fr., St. Cloud State (27 gp, 11-17–28)
D Ryan McDonagh, Fr., Wisconsin (28 gp, 3-4–7)
D Cade Fairchild, Fr., Minnesota (28 gp, 2-8–10)
G Richard Bachman, Fr., Colorado College (19-5-1, 1.75 gaa, .937 sv%).
