FERRIS STATE AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED AT ANNUAL BANQUET

Bulldogs Recognized For Historic Season; Chris Kunitz Picks Up Three Team Awards

Senior goaltender Matt Swanson was among several individuals recognized at the team's annual awards banquet Friday evening.

Ferris State University men’s ice hockey senior left wing Chris Kunitz (Regina, Saskatchewan), one of three national finalists for the prestigious Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the nation’s top collegiate player, headlined the list of team award recipients as a result of receiving three team awards – Most Valuable Player, Lloyd Earl Leading Scorer and Plus/Minus during the program’s awards banquet Friday (April 4) evening at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center in Big Rapids, Mich. The annual event was sponsored by the FSU Blue Line Club.

Kunitz, who was the Central Collegiate Hockey Association’s (CCHA) 2002-03 Player of the Year, was tops both among the CCHA’s overall and league leaders in points, goals and assists this season. A two-time (2001-02 and 2002-03) All-CCHA First-Team selection, Kunitz was a four-time CCHA Offensive Player of the Week selection this campaign. The assistant captain set a school single-season record with 79 points on 35 goals and 44 assists in 52 contests this season as his 35-goal output ranked second on the school’s single-season leaders charts while his assist total was third best all-time. Kunitz also was tops among the CCHA’s overall plus/minus leaders with a school-best +47 rating and led the league in goal scoring for the second consecutive season. In this season’s 28 league games, Kunitz totaled 51 points with 24 goals and 27 assists to go along with a +31 rating (third in the league). He compiled a career-high 24 multiple-point game performances this season, which included 13 multi-goal single-game efforts.

Kunitz, who was recognized twice (Oct. 29 and Feb. 4) this season as the U.S. College Hockey Online’s (USCHO) Offensive Player of the Week, concluded his career ranked second among FSU’s all-time goal scorers with 99 tallies and was two shy of tying the school record. He posted 175 career points with 99 markers and 76 assists in 152 games to tie for the sixth-highest scoring total in Bulldog history and registered 48 career multiple-point games while scoring a school-record 19 game-winning goals during his career. He inked a two-year contract with the National Hockey League’s Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Tuesday (April 1).

Freshman center/right wing Greg Rallo (Gurnee, Ill.) was the recipient of the Rookie of the Year Award as a result of leading all Bulldog freshmen in scoring with 29 points on 15 goals and 14 assists to go with a +13 plus/minus rating in 41 games. He ranked tied for 35th place in CCHA overall scoring while placing fourth in goals and sixth in points, respectively among the league’s leading freshmen scorers. Rallo, who notched seven multi-point game performances, finished tied for first with teammate Jeremy Scherlinck in the league’s frosh plus/minus performers for overall games.

The Steve Banonis Most Improved Player Award was presented to senior goaltender Matt Swanson (Clinton Township), who compiled a 1-0-0 record with a 1.48 goals against average and a .945 saves percentage in five outings this season. Swanson earned the win with a career-high 33 saves in his first collegiate start as the Bulldogs claimed a 4-3 regular-season finale victory at Bowling Green State (3/8). Junior right wing Derrick McIver (Thunder Bay, Ontario) was honored for the second straight year with the Scholar-Athlete Award for his excellence both in the classroom and on the ice. McIver, a 2002-03 CCHA All-Academic team member, totaled 17 points with seven goals and 10 assists in 42 appearances. The three-time FSU Dean’s and President’s Academic Award recipient holds the honor of having the team’s highest cumulative grade point average.

The Blue Line Competitive Award was presented to both junior center Brett Smith (Guelph, Ontario) and senior defenseman Troy Milam (Lake Orion). Smith established career highs in points (17), goals (eight) and assists (nine) this season in 42 games, which doubled his combined output (6-5–11) in his initial two seasons at FSU. Milam, the team captain, recorded a career-high 32 points on seven goals and 25 assists with a +24 rating in 42 games this season. Bob and Linda Boyce along with Kevin and Julie Courtney were honored with the FSU Blue Line Club Recognition Award for their numerous contributions to the program.

Ferris State concluded the 2002-03 season with a 31-10-1 overall record, which represented the best mark ever in the program’s 25-year NCAA Division I history. The Bulldogs, under 11th-year and 2002-03 CCHA Coach of the Year Bob Daniels, also earned the distinction of being the nation’s first team to reach the 30-win plateau this season. FSU also claimed its first-ever CCHA Regular-Season title with a first-place 22-5-1 league mark and reached the championship game of the NCAA Championship Tournament’s West Regional in its first-ever NCAA Tourney appearance.

Ferris State will graduate seven seniors from this season’s squad – left wing Kevin Caudill (Tustin, Calif.), right wing Nick Field (Jackson), Chris Kunitz, left wing Phil Lewandowski (Naperville, Ill.), defenseman Phil Meyer (Lansing), Troy Milam and Matt Swanson.