Three Wolverines Claim Top CCHA Honors

The University of Michigan ice hockey team collected three more honors last night when Kevin Porter, Max Pacioretty and Red Berenson collected top conference honors at the CCHA Awards banquet in Detroit last night. Michigan skates at 8:05 tonight in the CCHA Championship semifinal round against the Northern Michigan Wildcats.

The University of Michigan ice hockey team hauled in more honors last night at the CCHA Awards banquet in Detroit, Mich. Senior captain Kevin Porter was named the RBC Financial Group CCHA Player of the Year, freshman Max Pacioretty was named the CCHA Rookie of the Year, and Michigan coach Red Berenson was named the CCHA Coach of the Year.

In leading Michigan to the No. 1 ranking, captain Kevin Porter tallied a line of 22-20-42 in just 28 CCHA games in 2007-08. The unquestioned leader of the nations' top-ranked team, Porter is also considered the front runner for the 2008 Hobey Baker Award.

Freshman Max Pacioretty was named to the CCHA All-Rookie team earlier in the week before claiming the conferences top rookie award last night. Pacioretty finished with a 12-16-28 line in 25 CCHA games. As a result of a game disqualification for fighting last Saturday, Pacioretty will sit out Friday night's CCHA semifinal game against Northern Michigan.

The Wolverines third honor came to coach Red Berenson. In his 24th season as Michigan's coach, Berenson received CCHA Coach of the Year honors for just the second time in his career. Picked to finish fourth by the CCHA coaches at the beginning of the year, the Wolverines shocked college hockey fans across the nation by climbing to the No. 1 slot in both the conference and the national polls.

The No. 1 Wolverines skate against Northern Michigan University at 8:05 p.m. at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit for a spot in tomorrow night's CCHA Tournament title game. FSN Detroit has coverage of both semifinal games.