Men's Ice Hockey | March 16, 2017
MINNEAPOLIS – Western Michigan hockey head coach Andy Murray has been voted the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Herb Brooks Coach of the Year, announced at the NCHC Awards Banquet on Thursday evening.
Murray coached the Broncos to the biggest turnaround in college hockey, going from eight wins last season to 22 this season. WMU finished in third place in the NCHC, earning home ice in the playoffs for the first time since joining the league in 2013.
Under Murray the Broncos have put up their best offensive numbers since the 2000-01 season, averaging 3.41 goals per game heading into Friday's NCHC Frozen Faceoff Semifinals against Minnesota-Duluth. This season also saw WMU's second-ever All-NCHC selection when Sheldon Dries was named to the second team. Murray becomes the first WMU head coach since Bill Wilkinson to win a conference Coach of the Year award. Wilkinson was a three-time Central Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year in 1996, 1986 and 1984. No other Bronco head coach has won a conference Coach of the Year award.
Freshman goalie Ben Blacker earned the NCHC Three Stars Award after leading the conference with 30 total points and five First Star selections. The Three Stars Award is handed out to the player who accumulates the most points (based on a 5-3-1 scale) in conference games for being named one of the Three Stars of the Game. Blacker edged out his freshman counterpart at Minnesota-Duluth, goalie Hunter Miska. Miska finished in second with 27 total points and four First Star selections.
Senior forward Aaron Hadley was awarded the NCHC Postgraduate Scholarship award along with Omaha's Kirk Thompson. Hadley will receive a scholarship to put toward expenses for graduate school and will have three years to use the money after he finishes his hockey career.
The Broncos are in action on Friday at 5:08 p.m. against UMD in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Semifinals. The game can be seen live on CBS Sports Network and heard live on the Bronco Radio Network.
