Mann Named Big Ten Goaltender of the Year
5/11/2020 11:10:00 AM | Ice Hockey
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- University of Michigan ice hockey sophomore Strauss Mann was named the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year on Monday (May 11) as part of the conference's annual awards announcement.
The awards, voted on by a panel of Big Ten coaches and media, come nearly two months after the remainder of the 2019-20 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 12.
Mann is the first Michigan player to earn Big Ten Goaltender of the Year honors and the fourth Wolverine to be named all-conference goalie, joining program assistant Steve Shields (1993), Marty Turco (1997) and Shawn Hunwick (2011), all who earned the honor while Michigan competed in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA).
Senior Jake Slaker was named second team All-Big Ten while senior Will Lockwood, sophomore Nick Blankenburg and freshman Cam York earned honorable mention honors. Johnny Beecher and York were named to the all-rookie team.
Mann was a finalist for the Mike Richter Award, presented to the nation's top goaltender, and also was a finalist for the league's player of the year. Michigan's recipient of the Hal Downes Award as the team MVP, Mann was third in the nation in save percentage at .939 and sixth in goals-against average at 1.85. With six shutouts this season, Mann tied the Michigan single-season record and holds the single-season marks for save percentage and goals-against average in program history. During the season, Mann was named a Big Ten Star of the Week four times.
Slaker earned his first all-conference honor after leading the Wolverines in points with 31 on team bests in goals (14) and assists (17) over 33 games. He helped the Wolverines to a 10-1 record when he scored at least one goal. He tallied three game-winning goals, set up four other game winners, and also scored a shootout goal that gave Michigan the extra B1G point at Minnesota on Feb. 28. Slaker had a seven-game point streak of four goals and eight assists from Jan. 31-Feb. 21 as Michigan went 5-2 in the league.
Lockwood is an honorable mention selection for the second consecutive season. In 33 games, Lockwood finished second in scoring with 23 points, collecting nine goals and 14 assists. Fifteen of Lockwood's points came in Big Ten contests, including a three-point game against Michigan State at the Duel in the D. In his final games as a Wolverine during thee opening round of the Big Ten Tournament, Lockwood set up the game-winning goal in Game 1 vs. Michigan State and scored the game-winner in Game 2 to advance Michigan to the semifinals. Lockwood signed with the Vancouver Canucks in March.
Blankenburg and York tied as the Wolverines' top-scoring defensemen with 23 points apiece. In 35 games, Blankenburg scored four goals and collected 12 assists, while adding 43 blocked shots. York had five goals and 11 assists in 30 games and blocked 54 shots. The pair was part of the seventh-best scoring defense in the nation, as Michigan limited opponents to 2.00 goals per game and held six opponents scoreless.
A first-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, York was one of just two unanimous selections to the All-Big Ten rookie team and also was a finalist for Rookie of the Year.
Beecher also earned all-rookie honors. A first-round draft pick of the Boston Bruins, he had 16 points in his freshman campaign and was Michigan's second-leading goal scorer (nine), while he added seven helpers and won 52 percent of his draws. The last time Michigan had two freshmen on the all-rookie team was 2015 when Detroit's Dylan Larkin and Columbus' Zach Werenski earned the honors.
The Big Ten Sportsmanship Award was given to senior Luke Martin. Martin was second in the nation in block shots with 85 and added nine points in 36 games. He finished plus-10 as a member of Michigan's stingy defense.
Additionally, Wolverine head coach Mel Pearson was a finalist for Coach of the Year.
Michigan, ranked No. 17 in the nation and in the No. 14 position in the Pairwise rankings with an 18-14-4 record, was headed to the Big Ten semifinals to face Ohio State when the remainder of the schedule was canceled.
2019-20 All-Big Ten Hockey Team and Individual Awards
As selected by Big Ten coaches and Media Voting Panel
FIRST TEAM
Patrick Khodorenko, F, Michigan State
Nate Sucese, F, Penn State
Cole Caufield, F, Wisconsin
Cole Hults, D, Penn State
Wyatt Kalynuk, D, Wisconsin
Strauss Mann, G, Michigan
SECOND TEAM
Jake Slaker, F, Michigan
Tanner Laczynski, F, Ohio State
Evan Barratt, F, Penn State
Dennis Cesana, D, Michigan State
Jerad Rosburg, D, Michigan State
John Lethemon, G, Michigan State
HONORABLE MENTION
Will Lockwood, F, Michigan
Mitchell Lewandowski, F, Michigan State
Brannon McManus, F, Minnesota
Sammy Walker, F, Minnesota
Alex Limoges, F, Penn State
Roman Ahcan, F, Wisconsin
Nick Blankenburg, D, Michigan
Cam York, D, Michigan
Matt Hellickson, D, Notre Dame
Wyatt Ege, D, Ohio State
Gordi Myer, D, Ohio State
K'Andre Miller, D, Wisconsin
Cale Morris, G, Notre Dame
Tommy Nappier, G, Ohio State
Peyton Jones, G, Penn State
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Johnny Beecher, F, Michigan
Ben Meyers, F, Minnesota
Cole Caufield, F, Wisconsin
CAM YORK, D, MICHIGAN
Jackson LaCombe, D, Minnesota
JARED MOE, G, MINNESOTA
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Cole Hults, D, Penn State
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR (Defenseman or Forward): Cole Hults, D, Penn State
GOALTENDER OF THE YEAR: Strauss Mann, G, Michigan
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Cole Caufield, F, Wisconsin
COACH OF THE YEAR: Bob Motzko, Minnesota
SCORING CHAMPION: Cole Caufield, F, Wisconsin
UNANIMOUS SELECTIONS IN ALL CAPS
Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honorees: Luke Martin (Michigan), Sam Saliba (Michigan State), Tyler Nanne (Minnesota), Cal Burke (Notre Dame), Gordi Myer (Ohio State), Aarne Talvitie (Penn State), Wyatt Kalynuk (Wisconsin).
