Michigan State University Athletics
Horcoff, Blackburn Earn CCHA All-Academic Honors
3/7/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 7, 2000
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Senior center Shawn Horcoff (Castlegar, B.C.) and junior goaltender Joe Blackburn (Livonia, Mich.) have been named to the 1999-2000 CCHA All-Academic Team, the conference office announced today. Michigan State and Ferris State were the only schools with two honorees among the eight selections.
Horcoff, who also earned CCHA All-Academic honors last season, carries a 3.41 grade-point average and is a marketing major. He is the ninth Michigan State player to earn CCHA All-Academic honors twice in his career. Blackburn, an honorable mention choice on the team a year ago, has a 3.45 GPA while majoring in special education. Both Horcoff and Blackburn have been nominated for Academic All-America honors.
"In Shawn and Joe we have two elite players who also excel off the ice and in the classroom," head coach Ron Mason said. "They are really the epitome of a team which through the most recent term had an overall grade-point average of over 3.0."
On the ice, Horcoff captured the CCHA scoring title (44 points in 28 conference games) and currently stands third in the nation with 56 points in 37 games overall. He has had a hand in 48.7 percent of Michigan State's goals this season, the highest percentage of any player in the nation. (For more on Horcoff, visit www.msuspartans.com/shawnhorcoff) Blackburn, a first-team All-America selection last year, is 11th nationally with a 2.16 goals-against average. He has an 11-6-1 record, a .907 save percentage and his 1.98 conference GAA was second in the CCHA.
Joining Horcoff and Blackburn on the 1999-2000 CCHA All-Academic Team were: Jim Dube (Ferris State), Zach Ham (Bowling Green), Andy Jurkowski (Notre Dame), Jason Redenius (Western Michigan), Gary Ricciardi (Ferris State) and Dustin Whitecotton (Miami). Eight players were named to the team this year because there was a three-way tie for the sixth and final position.
Five Spartans earned Special Mention for being nominated to the team: junior center Andrew Bogle (Calgary, Alta.), sophomore center Joe Goodenow (Toronto, Ont.), senior goaltender Mike Gresl (Amherst Junction, Wis.), sophomore right wing Adam Hall (Kalamazoo, Mich.) and junior left wing Damon Whitten (Brighton, Mich.)
Only projected letterwinners in at least their sophomore year with GPAs of 3.0 or better are eligible for the CCHA All-Academic Team, which is voted on by the Faculty Athletic Representatives at each of the conference's 12 schools.
The Spartans (23-10-4 overall, 18-8-2 CCHA) finished second in the conference and open the CCHA Tournament this Friday, Saturday and (if necessary) Sunday against ninth-seeded Miami. Tickets ($14 public, $6 students) are available for all three games at the MSU Athletic Ticket Office or by calling 800-GO STATE.
