TWO FERRIS STATE SKATERS CHOSEN TO INCH ALL-AMERICA TEAM

Chris Kunitz Receives First-Team Honors; Troy Milam Named To Third Team

Kunitz was among six individuals to attain first-team honors while Milam joined five others in garnering third-team laurels. The selections were made by Inside College Hockey editors and staff, with input from the media and coaches from around the country. Joining Kunitz on the first team were junior forward Ben Eaves of Boston College, Colorado College’s junior forward Peter Sejna and senior defenseman Tom Preissing, senior defenseman John-Michael Liles of Michigan State, and Cornell sophomore goaltender Dave LeNeveu.

Hobey Baker Award Finalist Chris Kunitz Picks Up Another Postseason Honor.

Kunitz, currently among three national finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the nation’s top collegiate player, has been honored as the 2002-03 Central Collegiate Hockey Association’s (CCHA) Player of the Year and became the first Ferris skater to ever receive the award. A two-time (2001-02 and 2002-03) All-CCHA First-Team honoree, Kunitz was both the CCHA’s overall and league leader in points, goals and assists this season. The left winger presently ranks second nationally in both points (1.88) and goals (0.83) per game while being listed third in assists (1.05) an outing. A four-time CCHA Offensive Player of the Week selection (Oct. 21 & 28, Feb. 3 and March 3) and a Detroit Free Press CCHA First-Teamer, Kunitz set a school single-season record with 79 points on 35 goals and 44 assists in 52 contests this campaign. His 35-goal output ranked second on the school’s single-season leaders charts while his assist total represents the third best all-time production for a single campaign. The FSU assistant captain 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 collegiate career ranked second among FSU’s all-time goal scorers with 99 career tallies and was two shy of tying the school record. He accumulated 175 career points with 99 markers and 76 assists in 152 career games to tie for the sixth-highest scoring total in Bulldog history. The 6-0, 186-pound forward registered 48 career multiple-point games while scoring a school-record 19 game-winning goals during his four-year career. Kunitz, who inked a two-year contract with the National Hockey League’s Anaheim Mighty Ducks last week, was the award recipient of Ferris State’s Most Valuable Player, Lloyd Earl Leading Scorer and Plus/Minus.

Troy Milam Recognized For His Best Season Ever. (Mark Hicks/Westside Photo)

Milam, a 2002-03 All-CCHA Second-Team selection, recorded his most productive season in a Ferris State uniform with career bests in points (32), goals (seven), assists (25), and plus/minus (+24) in 42 contests this campaign. In his previous two seasons (2001-02 and 2002-03), Milam totaled 28 points on eight goals and 20 assists in a combined 74 games. Among the school’s all-time leading defensemen, Milam tied for top honors in career games played (155), placed seventh in points (79), finished eighth in goals (21), ninth in assists (58), seventh in penalties (103) and ninth in penalty minutes (217).

Milam, who was a co-recipient of FSU’s Blue line Competitive Award this season for the second consecutive year, concluded his four-year career with a +37 plus/minus rating to go with 13 power-play goals and two game winners. He also was recognized as a second-team all-league performer by the Detroit Free Press this campaign and was a finalist for the CCHA’s Best “Offensive” Defenseman Award.

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 also earned the distinction of being the 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.