March 15, 2007
DETROIT, Mich. - After leading the Miami RedHawks to a third-place finish in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, junior Nathan Davis, who earned all-league second-team honors last week, picked up the CCHA's trophy for the Best Defensive Forward tonight at the CCHA Awards Show in Detroit, Mich. Davis is just the second RedHawk to win the award, joining current assistant coach Chris Bergeron who won it in 1992-93.
Davis, who leads Miami with 49 points on 20 goals and 29 assists, played an integral role on the Miami defense, both even strength and on the penalty kill. A key at the point of the RedHawks' penalty-kill unit, Davis helped Miami rank second in the country with a .882 kill percentage (214-of-240), trailing only Notre Dame (.902). While playing tough defense, Davis was always looking to create offense, notching three short-handed goals, which tied him for eighth in the NCAA. His +17 plus-minus rating tied for 10th in the CCHA.
Ranked fourth in the CCHA in overall scoring, Davis set a career high with 49 points, including a team-best 29 assists. A first-team all-league pick last year, his 20 goals, which tie his previous career high, rank him tied for eighth in the league, while his assist total ties him for fifth. Davis has been dominant in Miami's victories this season as he has at least one point in 19 of his team's 23 wins and has multiple points in 13 of those triumphs. Earlier this season, Davis became the 38th member of Miami's 100-Point Club and has 114 career points in 115 games.
