Trio of RedHawks Win CCHA Weekly Awards
2/27/2012 12:00:00 AM | Hockey
Feb. 27, 2012
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. - For the second time this season, Miami players captured three of four weekly honors from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association in the same week as junior forward Reilly Smith, senior goalie Connor Knapp and freshman forward Jimmy Mullin were all recognized, the league office announced Monday. Smith earned Postgame Offensive Player of the Week, Knapp captured Goaltender of the Week and Mullin won Gongshow Rookie of the Week. The RedHawks are the only team this season to have won three of four CCHA weekly awards in the same week, also doing it Jan. 23 when Smith, Knapp and freshman forward Austin Czarnik claimed the accolades.
Smith (Mimico, Ont.) totaled six points in a weekend sweep of No. 17 Ohio State, scoring three goals and adding three assists. Friday, he scored a pair of goals, his fifth multi-goal game this year, scoring the first two goals in a 3-0 win. His first goal was the game-winner as he tied the Miami single-season record of eight, which also leads the country. Saturday at OSU, Smith tied a career high with four points, including a career-high-tying three assists, as he had a hand in four of Miami's five goals in a 5-1 victory. He had an assist on Miami's first goal, scored the third goal, and assisted on each of the final two goals, with the fifth goal coming short-handed.
Smith ended the regular season with 26 goals, which led the CCHA and ranks second nationally, while his 38 points were second in the CCHA. In league play only, he won the goal scoring title with 18 while his 28 points were third, one point behind the two leaders. Smith has now won the CCHA goal-scoring title each of the last two years. He had a +6 rating on the weekend, including a season-best +4 in Saturday's game. By scoring in both games he is now on a career-long-tying four-game goal streak and a season-long six-game point streak. He was the No. 1 star in both games last weekend, as well.
Smith has been named CCHA Postgame Offensive Player of the Week four times this year, the most of any player, while equaling the most by any team (Ferris State and Michigan) this season.
Knapp (York, N.Y.) continued his stellar play in the second half of the season, allowing just one goal in the sweep of the Buckeyes while posting a 0.50 GAA and .980 save percentage on the weekend, stopping 50 of 51 shots. Friday on Senior Night, he pitched his fourth shutout of the season and 12th of his career as he stopped all 28 shots that came his way, including four on OSU's five power plays helping Miami kill all five. His four shutouts this season tie a career high while the 12 career shutouts tied Miami's career record for shutouts, joining classmate Cody Reichard and David Burleigh ('03). It was his second whitewash in three games as he earned the No. 2 star of the game. Saturday he made 22 saves, allowing just one goal, which came on an OSU 5-on-3 power play.
Knapp has now won five straight starts and 12 of his last 15. His 1.53 GAA is first in the country and his .939 save percentage is second while both lead the CCHA. In league play only, he finished first with both a 1.41 GAA and a .945 save percentage. He has allowed just three goals in his last five starts, all of which have come on the power play (two 5-on-3), last giving up an even strength goal Feb. 4 at Michigan.
Knapp won CCHA Goaltender of the Week for the second straight week and the fourth time in the last eight weeks. His four awards are the most of any CCHA goalie while no other team has more than three Goaltender of the Week awards this year.
Mullin (Cincinnati, Ohio) posted a career-best five point weekend against OSU with multiple points in both games. In Friday's win, he handed out a pair of assists, coming on Miami's first two goals. The first goal was the game-winner while he had the primary assist on Miami's second goal, causing a turnover the led to a goal. The two assists tied a career high. Saturday at Ohio State, he tallied a career-best three points on a goal and two helpers, again matching his career high. His goal came just 43 seconds into the game, Miami's fastest this year, while adding the primary assist on Miami's fourth goal as the RedHawks cruised to the win. He posted a+5 rating on the weekend, including a career-best +3 in Saturday's game, and was the No. 3 star in both games. He now has six career multi-point games and three career multi-assist games.
The Gongshow Rookie of the Week award is the first of Mullin's career. For the season, he has nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points, which ties for third on the team and ranks fifth among freshmen in the CCHA.
As a team, the RedHawks have claimed 17 CCHA weekly awards, four more than any other team. In addition to Smith and Knapp's four awards each, Miami has won six Rookie of the Week honors, as Mullin is the fourth different `Hawk to win the award, and three CCHA Gladiator Defenseman of the Week accolades.
Miami earned the No. 4 seed in the CCHA Tournament, which comes with a first-round bye, as the RedHawks are off this weekend before hosting fifth-seeded Michigan State in a best-of-three quarterfinal series March 9-11 at Steve Cady Arena.
--MURedHawks.com--
