March 17, 2006

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. - Lake Superior senior forward Steve McJannet (Kanata, Ont.) was presented with the Terry Flanagan Memorial Award in recognition of his perseverance, dedication and courage in his battle with Crohn's Disease. The Lakers' captain was a team best +5 this season and led his squad to a sixth-place finish in the standings, their best season since 1999-2000.

McJannet was among eight individual award winners honored at the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Banquet on Thursday at Detroit's Fox Theater.

Nebraska-Omaha junior forward Scott Parse (Portage, Mich.) became the first Maverick to be named the RBC Financial Group CCHA Player of the Year at the annual CCHA Awards banquet on Thursday, March 16.

Parse was the first player in the nation to top both the 50 and 60-point plateaus, finishing his junior year with 61 points and a 1.52 points-per game average. He is the first Maverick to be named player of the year since Nebraska-Omaha joined the CCHA in 1999.

LSSU junior goaltender Jeff Jakaitis was one of the three finalists for player of the year, was the Lakers' CCHA Scholar-Athlete nominee and was recognized for being the Perani Cup points champion.

Michigan State netminder Jeff Lerg (Livonia, Mich.) was selected the CCHA Rookie of the Year after ranking second among CCHA goaltenders in conference action with a .926 save percentage and a 2.03 goals-against average. Lerg, who was named HCA National Rookie of the Month for January, appeared in 24 contests for the Spartans, notching a 12-4-6 record.

Enrico Blasi was recognized as the CCHA Coach of the Year after leading Miami to a 16-point improvement in the standings over last season and their first regular-season CCHA Championship since 1992-93. Blasi, who took over the RedHawks in 1999, has won CCHA Coach of the Year honors twice previously and became the all-time leader in coaching wins at his alma mater this season. LSSU rookie coach Jim Roque was among the coach of the year finalists.

Miami senior defenseman Andy Greene (Trenton, Mich.) became the first player in CCHA history to garner both the Offensive and Defensive Defenseman of the Year awards. Greene's nine goals and 18 assists rank him fourth in the CCHA among defensemen in scoring. He also produced a +17 rating as the RedHawks, on average, gave up just 1.91 goals-per game, making them the top defensive team in both the CCHA and the nation. Greene was named Defenseman of the Week four times this season and was honored as the Offensive Defenseman of the Year last season.

The sixth-annual Mike and Marian Ilitch Humanitarian award was presented to Michigan State junior forward Drew Miller (East Lansing, Mich.). Miller, involved in several Lansing-area programs, was a major force behind the creation of the Spartan Buddy Program. The program involves MSU student-athletes becoming buddies with pediatric patients at Sparrow Hospital. The Ilitch Humanitarian Award is given to the league's top citizen based on his contributions off the ice, as well as on, to his team, his program, his school and his community. Miller also earned the Best Defensive Forward award. The sixth-round NHL draft pick by Anaheim in 2003 was voted by CCHA captains as the Smartest Player in the CCHA and excelled as a penalty killer. He joins former MSU forwards John Nail, Shawn Horcoff and Mike York to become the fourth Spartan to win the award.

The Silver Anniversary of the CCHA Championship begins today at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena with the tournament semifinal action. The No. 1-seed Miami RedHawks battle No. 4 Northern Michigan in the 4:35 p.m. game and No. 2-seed Michigan State will face off against No. 3 Michigan at 8:05 p.m. The semifinal winners will vie for the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night in the CCHA Championship Game at 7:05 p.m., while the two semifinal non-qualifiers will skate in the third-place game at 3:35 p.m. Saturday.