Junior Alex Stalock put up some record-breaking numbers for the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2008-09 and at their recent annual awards banquet, the Bulldogs honored the All-American goaltender by bestowing him with the Mike Seiler Award as UMD's Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season.
Stalock, who earlier this month signed a National Hockey League contract with the San Jose Sharks, backstopped the Bullldogs to the finals of the 2009 NCAA West Regional and secured AHCA/Reebok All-America West Team honors in the process. This past winter, he posted a 2.13 goals against average, a .924 save percentage and five shutouts (all single-season club records) in 42 appearances. He also held the title as the WCHA's goals against average leader in 2008-09 -- just the second Bulldog to ever do so -- with a 2.39 mark in league play en route to being selected to the All-WCHA first team. The South St. Paul, Minn. product received the WCHA Final Five Most Valuable Player award after allowing just one goal in three games and posting back-to-back shutouts (a UMD first) against North Dakota and Denver while leading the Bulldogs to their first league playoff championship title in 24 years. In addition, Stalock wound up logging more crease time (2,533:39) than any other netminder in the country as a junior and established a career high for wins by going 21-13-8, just the seventh time in school history the 20-victory plateau has been eclipsed.
A starter in 78 of 79 games over the past two seasons (including all 56 league engagements), Stalock exited the Bulldog program holding down the No. 1 spot on the team's all-time charts for goals against average (2.48), saves percentage (.910) and shutouts (nine). Voted to the WCHA All-Rookie Team three years ago, he played in 101 games -- 100 in a starting role -- during his three seasons at UMD and compiled a 39-44-17 overall record.
Calgary, Alberta native Mike Connolly landed the Jerry Chumola Award as UMD's Rookie of the Year after finishing second among all NCAA freshmen in scoring this season with 13 goals and 29 assists for 42 points -- the most by a UMD newcomer in six seasons. Connolly, who possessed the best plus-minus rating of any Bulldog this winter (plus-11) which earned him the team's Bob Junkert Award, was a 2008-09 WCHA All-Rookie Team pick as well as an insidecollegehockey.com Freshman All-America honoree. One of nine Bulldogs to skate in all 43 games, he put an exclamation point on his sensational debut year by collecting eight points in the final four outings while landing a spot on both the WCHA Final Five All-Tournament and NCAA West Regional All-Tournament teams.
The Mike Sertich Award (Most Improved Player) went to sophomore Mike Montgomery of Lino Lakes, Minn., who was relocated to defense this fall after being deployed as a reserve right winger the previous season. Montgomery responded to his new assignment by racking up 10 points on two goals and eight assists in 42 games while finishing a plus-10 on the year. A pair of senior tri-captains -- Andrew Carroll (Roseville, MInn) and Matt Greer (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) were the co-recipients of the Goldie Wolfe Award (Most Inspirational Player) while Carroll also was honored with the Bulldog Community Service Award.
The Bulldogs closed out 2008-09 with a 22-13-8 overall record -- their best mark since 2003-04 when they went 28-13-4 and advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four -- and were 10-11-7 in the WCHA. UMD, which became the first play-in participant to win the WCHA Final Five championship in the 17-year history of that event, also qualified for NCAA postseason play for the sixth time in school history.
