COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Western Michigan hockey's Ronnie Attard, Ethen Frank, head coach Pat Ferschweiler, Drew Worrad, Max Sasson and Brandon Bussi have all been named finalist for National Collegiate Hockey Conference yearly awards.
Attard, a First Team All-NCHC selection, is a finalist for the NCHC Player of the Year and NCHC Best Offensive Defenseman awards. The junior blue-liner tallied 21 points in 24 conference games, helping the Broncos finish in third place and record a program-best 14 wins in NCHC play. Attard looks to repeat as the NCHC Best Offensive Defenseman after becoming the first Bronco in program history to win the award last season.
Frank, also a First Team All-NCHC selection, is a finalist for the NCHC Player of the Year and NCHC Forward of the Year. The fifth-year senior leads the nation in goals scored with 25 and led the NCHC with 16 in conference play and had 23 total points in 23 games.
In his first season at the helm, Ferschweiler led the Broncos to a 22-10-1 season, just the 14th in program history and the most wins since the 2016-17 season. Under Ferschweiler the team has been ranked in the nation's top 10 for 13 weeks and tied a program-best ranking at No. 3 earlier in the season.
Worrad, a senior forward and Second Team All-NCHC selection, is a finalist for the NCHC Senior Scholar-Athlete Award. Worrad leads the Broncos with a career-high 40 points, scoring 25 of them in NCHC play. He has a 3.90 GPA in accountancy and is a four-time NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete and a four-time NCHC Academic All-Conference team selection. He's also a finalist for the NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year. Worrad went 320-265 on faceoffs in NCHC play, the third best in the league.
Sasson is a finalist for NCHC Rookie of the Year. The freshman forward posted 18 points in the regular season, with 16 of them coming in conference play. He was a two-time NCHC Rookie of the Week honoree and was named NCHC Co-Rookie of the Month for January.
Bussi is a finalist for the NCHC Three Stars Award. The junior goalie posted a 14-9-1 record in NCHC play, starting and playing in every game and posting three shutouts. This award is presented to the player who accumulates the most 'Stars of the Game' points based on the 3 Stars of the Game chosen in conference games only. The player with the most points, using a 5-3-1 point scale, earns the award.
The winners will be announced next Thursday at the NCHC Awards Celebration.
WMU hosts Omaha this Friday, Saturday and Sunday (if necessary) in the NCHC Quarterfinals. All game times are set for 7:05 p.m. Tickets are available at www.wmubroncos.com/tickets. All games will also be streamed live on NCHC.tv and on the Bronco Media Network.
