CHRIS KUNITZ RECEIVES POSTSEASON RECOGNITION

Junior left wing Chris Kunitz (Regina, Saskatchewan) of the Ferris State University men’s ice hockey team was recently selected as FSU’s representative for the 2001-02 Michigan College Hockey Online (MiCHO)/OakWood Sports Breakaway Player-of-the-Year as announced by the MiCHO staff.

The post-season honor represents the second consecutive season in which Kunitz has received this award. The MiCHO/OakWood Sports Breakaway Player-of-the-Year Award is presented annually to the player who has exceeded team, coach and fan expectations for the season. The individual must have demonstrated leadership for their team both on and off the ice. This award, which is selected by the writers and editors of MichiganCollegeHockey.com, is presented to one player from each of Michigan’s nine NCAA Division I college hockey programs.

A 2002-03 preseason All-America candidate, Kunitz earned All-Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) First-Team recognition for the 2001-02 season after totaling a personal career-high 38 points with a career-best 28 goals and 10 assists in 35 contests. His 28 goals during the 2001-02 campaign tied him for the fourth highest single-season goal-scoring output in the program’s history. Kunitz also captured the CCHA goal-scoring champion title with 25 tallies (0.89 average) in 28 league games this winter and was twice recognized as the CCHA’s Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 12 and Dec. 10). The Bulldog forward placed tied for third in league points with 33 total (25-8–33) and was Ferris State’s Perani Cup points leader with 35 total. Kunitz ranked fourth among the 2001-02 national leaders in goals per game (0.80 gpg.), tied for fourth in game-winning tallies (six), tied for fifth in short-handed markers (four) and tied for 17th place in power play goals (nine). He compiled a plus 18 plus/minus efficiency rating to go with 11 multi-point games and nine multiple-goal game performances.

Kunitz currently ranks 10th all-time in goals scored with 64 total and is listed tied for 15th place in penalties with 96 for 219 minutes in 110 career contests. For his three-year FSU career, Kunitz has compiled 96 points with 64 goals and 32 assists. He has scored 18 power play goals, four short-handed markers and a school-record 14 game-winning tallies.

Joining Kunitz as 2001-02 MiCHO/OakWood Sports Breakaway Players-of-the-Year were Lake Superior State’s Adam Nightingale, Jon-Michael Liles of Michigan State, Michigan Tech’s Brett Englehardt, Mike Stutzel of Northern Michigan, Michigan’s Charlie Henderson, Dave Cousineau of Western Michigan and Wayne State’s Tyler Kindle. Kelly Zamora was Wayne State’s representative for women’s ice hockey.

Ferris State concluded the 2001-02 season with a 15-20-1 overall record, including a ninth-place 12-15-1 CCHA mark (25 league points).