Taranto named to CCHA All-Conference Second Team

March 14, 2013

University Relations

Jamie Foland
907-474-6807

Fairbanks, Alaska – Alaska Nanooks senior right wing Andy Taranto (Woodridge, Ill./Communication) was named to the 2013 Central Collegiate Hockey Association All-Conference Second Team, as announced Wednesday by the league office.

Taranto led the Nanooks offensively this season with 16 goals and 30 points in 37 games. He had a team-best four game-winning goals and was tied for the team high with four power-play goals as well. In his four-year career he tallied 59 goals and 120 points in 146 appearances, tying him for 17th on the program's all-time scoring leader board with former Nanook center Dion Knelsen (2006-2010).

Seven teams are represented on the 2013 CCHA All-Conference teams, highlighted by Miami's pair of First-Team selections and Western Michigan's three overall honorees. Miami is the only school with two First-Team selections, with sophomore forward Austin Czarnik and freshman forward Riley Barber debuting on the CCHA All-Conference team.

Czarnik, who tied for the most first-place votes with eight, finished the season in fourth place in both conference scoring (8-18-26) and overall scoring (11-22-33), while fellow RedHawks forward Riley Barber led the league in overall scoring as a freshman with 15 goals and 36 points. Rounding out the forwards on the First Team, Notre Dame junior Anders Lee picked up seven first-place votes, the third most among all players. Lee finished with a league-best +18 in conference action while placing second in the goal-scoring race with 14 conference goals and 18 overall tallies.

The First Team's blue line is anchored by Michigan freshman defenseman Jacob Trouba, who tied Czarnik with eight first-place votes. Trouba led all defensemen in scoring in conference play, recording seven goals and 18 points. His defensive partner is Western Michigan junior Dan DeKeyser, who earned six first-place votes. Backstopping the First Team is Ohio State senior goaltender Brady Hjelle, who also picked up six first-place votes. Hjelle posted a league-best four conference shutouts, while his .937 save percentage and 1.89 goals-against average were second best among CCHA netminders, and tops among goalies playing at least 50 percent of his team's minutes.

Joining Taranto on the second team was Western Michigan senior defenseman Luke Witkowski, who scored two power-play goals among his seven conference points, and his teammate and sophomore goaltender Frank Slubowski, who started all 28 conference games and paced all goaltenders with 15 conference wins. Ohio State sophomore forward Tanner Fritz leads the forwards on the Second Team after topping the conference in both assists (23) and scoring with 32 points. Bowing Green also has a pair of Second-Team selections in sophomore forward Ryan Carpenter and senior defenseman Bobby Shea. Carpenter led the Falcons in scoring, potting 12 goals and 21 points in conference action, while Shea led all defensemen with 15 assists and a +14 rating.

The teams were selected by a vote of the league's head coaches and are based on performance in conference games. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.

2012-13 CCHA All-Conference Teams

First Team
Position        Name, Year, School                                    First   Totals
Forward           Austin Czarnik, SO, Miami                           8            46
Forward           Anders Lee, JR, Notre Dame                         7           44
Forward           Riley Barber, FR, Miami                                 5           40
Defense            Jacob Trouba, FR, Michigan                        8           43
Defense            Dan DeKeyser, JR, Western Michigan      6           36
Goaltender      Brady Hjelle, SR, Ohio State                          6           39

Second Team
Position             Name, Year, School                                  First   Totals
Forward            Tanner Fritz, SO, Ohio State                          2             32
Forward            Ryan Carpenter, SO, Bowling Green            1              22
Forward            Andy Taranto, SR, Alaska                               2             20
Defense             Luke Witkowski, SR, Western Michigan    3             26
Defense             Bobby Shea, SR, Bowling Green                    2             25
Goaltender       Frank Slubowski, SO, Western Michigan   4            27

Vote Values: 1st place = 5, 2nd place = 3, 3rd place = 1

Honorable Mention (next six point totals, regardless of position with first team-votes in parentheses): Ryan Dzingel, SO, F, Ohio State, (2) 17; Domenic Monardo, SR, F, Lake Superior, (2) 16; Kyle Bonis, SR, F, Ferris State, (1) 16; Matthew Caito, FR, D, Miami, (1) 15; CJ Motte, SO, G, Ferris State, 14; Bryan Rust, JR, F, Notre Dame, 11.

Others receiving votes:  Forwards - T.J. Tynan, JR, Notre Dame, (1) 8; Chase Balisy, JR, Western Michigan, 8; Cody Kunyk, JR, Alaska, (1) 6; Matt Thurber, SR, Northern Michigan, 4; Dane Walters, SR, Western Michigan, 4; Cristoval Nieves, FR, Michigan, 1; Reed Seckel, SO, Northern Michigan, 1; Garrett Thompson, JR, Ferris State, 1. Defensemen - Robbie Russo, SO, Notre Dame, (1) 9; Mac Bennett, JR, Michigan, (1) 8; Colton Parayko, FR, Alaska, 8; Jason Binkley, SO, Ferris State, 6; Simon Denis, SO, Ferris State, 6; Craig Dalrymple, FR, Ohio State, 4; Steven Spinell, SR, Miami, 4; Trevor Campbell, SO, Alaska, 3; Scott Macaulay, SR, Northern Michigan, 3; Curtis Gedig, JR, Ohio State, 1; CJ Ludwig, JR, Northern Michigan, 1. Goaltenders - Andrew Hammond, SR, Bowling Green, 8; Jared Coreau, JR, Northern Michigan, 6.