Michigan State University Athletics
Hockey Leads CCHA With Four All-Conference Selections
3/8/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 8, 2000
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Senior center Shawn Horcoff (Castlegar, B.C.) and senior defenseman Mike Weaver (Bramalea, Ont.) have been named first-team All-CCHA, the conference office announced today. Sophomore right wing Adam Hall (Kalamazoo, Mich.) and freshman goaltender Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich.) were named second-team All-CCHA, while freshman defenseman John-Michael Liles (Zionsville, Ind.) earned honorable mention.
Weaver, a first-team pick last year, is the lone repeat selection from last year's first or second teams. He is just the fifth two-time first-team All-CCHA player in Michigan State history (joining Anson Carter, three-time selection Don McSween, Kip Miller and Ron Scott) and the first since Carter (1993-94 and '94-95). Weaver was honorable mention All-CCHA in 1997-98.
Michigan State is the only team in the conference with two players on the first team and the only team with four players on the top two teams.
"With Shawn Horcoff and Mike Weaver, you have two senior leaders who really deserve that kind of honor," head coach Ron Mason said of his first-team honorees. "One was the leading scorer in the league and one of the best all-around players in the country, and the other is probably the best defensive player and penalty killer in college hockey. They belong in an elite group like this one and we are very proud of their accomplishments."
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 had a hand in 52 percent of Michigan State's conference goals this season (48.7 percent overall). Also a candidate for CCHA Player of the Year and CCHA Best Defensive Forward, Horcoff leads the team with a +20 plus/minus rating.
Weaver, a second-team All-America and the CCHA's Best Defensive Defenseman a year ago, leads MSU defensemen and is third on the team with a +15 plus/minus rating. He is the anchor of the conference's best penalty killing unit (91.1 percent in CCHA games, 88.7 percent overall).
Hall, a CCHA All-Rookie Team selection last year, led the CCHA in goals (19 in 28 conference games) and was eighth in the conference in points (29). He has 23 goals and 12 assists (35 points) in all games, good for second on the Spartans in scoring. He is second in the nation with six game-winning goals, while his +16 rating is second on the team to Horcoff.
Miller, who made this year's CCHA All-Rookie Team, is the lone freshman on either All-CCHA team and the first rookie to make the team since Western Michigan goaltender Marc Magliarditi in 1995-96. Miller set the CCHA record for goals-against average (1.34) and save percentage (.941) in conference games this season. He leads the nation with a 1.48 GAA overall and is fourth in the nation with a .933 save percentage. He has posted a 12-4-3 record while splitting time in net with junior goaltender Joe Blackburn (Livonia, Mich.). Miller's six shutouts this season tied the school record set by Chad Alban in 1997-98 and his five shutouts in CCHA play tied the conference record set by Magliarditi in 1995-96.
"Being the leading goal scorer in the conference really sets Adam apart, and it's an impressive accomplishment for a sophomore," Mason said. "Ryan, with the year he had and the numbers he put up, couldn't be overlooked even as just a freshman."
Liles was among three defensemen to earn honorable mention. Liles, who leads MSU defensemen in scoring with 24 points and quarterbacks the Spartans' top-ranked power play, was the only freshman among the six players to earn honorable mention. He received more votes than either of the defensemen who beat him out for CCHA All-Rookie Team honors. Between Miller and Liles, MSU had the top two freshman point-getters in the All-CCHA voting.
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 at the MSU Athletic Ticket Office or by calling 800-GO STATE.
1999-2000 ALL-CCHA TEAM (first-place votes in parentheses, followed by points in voting)
First Team PositionMike Comrie, Michigan (10), 53 FORWARDSHAWN HORCOFF, MSU (9), 51 FORWARDRoger Trudeau, NMU (8), 46 FORWARDJeff Jillson, Michigan (10), 53 DEFENSEMIKE WEAVER, MSU (9), 51 DEFENSEJayme Platt, LSSU (10), 53 GOALIE
Second Team PositionBrian McCullough, Ferris State (5), 38 FORWARDADAM HALL, MSU (2), 30 FORWARDDavid Gove, Western Mich. (1), 23 FORWARDDave Huntzicker, Michigan (1), 23 DEFENSEKevin Schmidt, Northern Mich. (1), 19 DEFENSERYAN MILLER, MSU (1), 19 GOALIE
Honorable mention (next six point totals,regardless of position): Dustin Whitecotton,Sr., F, Miami (0), 18, Ryan Knox, Jr., D,Lake Superior (2), 17, Dwayne Zinger,Sr., D, Alaska Fairbanks (1), 16,Dan Ragusett, Jr., G, Northern Michigan (0) 14,JOHN-MICHAEL LILES, Fr., D, MSU (0), 13,J.P. Vigier, Sr., F, Northern Michigan (0), 12.
Vote values: 1st team=5, 2nd team=3, 3rd team=1
