Merrill Selected to CCHA All-Rookie Team
3/7/2011 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
March 7, 2011
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. -- Freshman defenseman Jon Merrill (Brighton, Mich.) of the University of Michigan ice hockey team was named to the 2011 CCHA All-Rookie Team, the league announced on Monday (March 7).
Merrill's 19 points (7-12-19) in 28 league games tied for first among all CCHA defensemen. His seven goals were second best among rearguards. Merrill was also tied for fifth in CCHA rookie scoring.
Overall, Merrill leads the Wolverine defense corps with 21 points on seven goals and 14 assists. He is the first U-M rookie defenseman to reach the 20-point plateau since Jack Johnson in 2005-06. Merrill ranks 10th on U-M's freshman defensemen points list and sixth on the freshman defensemen goals chart.
A 2010 draft pick of the New Jersey Devils, Merrill has earned a +8 plus/minus rating and leads U-M with 59 blocked shots. Merrill has 3-6-9 totals on the power play and has one game-winning goal, which came against Michigan State in "The Big Chill at the Big House" on Dec. 11, 2010. Merrill has been paired with senior defenseman Chad Langlais (Spokane, Wash.) for much of the season. In January, Merrill won a bronze medal with Team USA at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Michigan has had a representative on the CCHA All-Rookie Team in four straight seasons and 12 of the last 14 years.
The rest of the 2011 CCHA All-Rookie Team is comprised of: Chase Balisy (forward, Western Michigan), Anders Lee (forward, Notre Dame), T.J. Tynan (forward, Notre Dame), Dan DeKeyser (defenseman, Western Michigan) and Kevin Kapalka (goalie, Lake Superior State).
The CCHA regular-season champion Wolverines return to the ice this weekend (Fri-Sun., March 11-13) for the quarterfinal round of the CCHA Tournament. U-M will face Bowling Green in a best-of-three series at Yost Ice Arena.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
