GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol has been named one of eight finalists for the Spencer Penrose Award, given annually to the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Coach of the Year.
It is the sixth time in his seven seasons at UND that Hakstol has been named a finalist for the Spencer Penrose Award. He was also a finalist in each of his first five years behind the Fighting Sioux bench.
This season, Hakstol has guided the Sioux (32-8-3) to one of the finest seasons in the storied history of the program. The top-ranked team in the nation, UND clinched an appearance in the 2011 NCAA Frozen Four with a 6-1 win over Denver last Saturday in the NCAA Midwest Region championship game. It is UND’s fifth Frozen Four appearance in Hakstol’s seven seasons.
Earlier this month, Hakstol and the Sioux won their second consecutive Broadmoor Trophy as Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) champions, becoming the league’s first team to repeat since 2004. UND also captured the MacNaughton Cup as WCHA regular season champion for the second time in three years.
Several of Hakstol’s players have enjoyed standout performances in 2010-11. Senior forward Matt Frattin, who leads the NCAA with 36 goals and the WCHA with 60 points, is one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player, and was named the WCHA Player of the Year.
Frattin, senior defenseman Chay Genoway, and sophomore goalie Aaron Dell were each named to the All-WCHA First Team, while junior forward Jason Gregoire was an All-WCHA Third Team selection. Genoway was also named the WCHA’s Most Outstanding Student-Athlete, and is a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award.
In the classroom, a school-record Fighting Sioux were named to the WCHA All-Academic team, and five were named WCHA Scholar-Athletes. Genoway became just the third player, and second men’s player, in league history to be named a four-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete.
The other finalists for the 2010-11 Spencer Penrose Award include Michigan’s Red Berenson, Nebraska Omaha’s Dean Blais, Notre Dame’s Jeff Jackson, Union’s Nate Leaman, Holy Cross’ Paul Pearl, Minnesota Duluth’s Scott Sandelin and Boston College’s Jerry York. The nominees represent any coach who won or shared Coach of the Year honors in his conference this past season, along with coaches whose teams have advanced to the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey semifinals.
Hakstol is bidding to become the third different Sioux coach to win the Spencer Penrose Award. Blais (1997, 2001) and John “Gino” Gasparini (1987) were UND’s previous recipients.
The winner will be announced following the NCAA Frozen Four scheduled for April 7 and 9 in St. Paul, Minn.
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