The four participating teams in this week’s Frozen Four collectively placed 11 players onto the 2003-04 All-American teams, as announced by the American Hockey Coaches Association Wednesday.
The list of All-Americans consists of 25 players: a First and Second Team from each of the East and West regions.
Boston College and Maine, each NCAA semifinalists, led all teams with four selections apiece. BC placed forward Tony Voce on the First Team, along with defenseman Andrew Alberts, while Patrick Eaves and Ryan Shannon were named to the Second Team as forwards. All four of Maine’s selections were on the Second Team, in goaltender Jim Howard, defenseman Prestin Ryan, and forwards Todd Jackson and Colin Shields.
The other two NCAA semifinalists were represented as well, as Minnesota-Duluth forward and Hobey Baker finalist Junior Lessard was named to the First Team and defenseman Beau Geisler landed on the Second Team. Denver defenseman Ryan Caldwell was named to the First Team.
Only one of the 25 athletes has acheived All-American status in past years, as goaltender Yann Danis from Brown, a Second Team choice in 2002, was chosen as the First Team East goalie. All 10 of this year’s Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalists figured among the All-Americans.
Europeans figured prominently in this year’s selections, with Maine’s Shields from Glasgow, Scotland; Wisconsin goalie First Teamer Bernd Brückler, and Minnesota forward Thomas Vanek from the second team, both from Graz, Austria; and Massachusetts defenseman Thomas Pöck from Klagenfurt, Austria, a First Team selection.
East First Team
G Yann Danis, SR, Brown* (Saint Jerome, QC)
D Andrew Alberts, JR, Boston College (Eden Prairie, MN)
D Thomas Pöck, SR, Massachusetts (Klagenfurt, Austria)
F Steve Saviano, SR, New Hampshire (Reading, MA)
F Lee Stempniak, JR, Dartmouth (West Seneca, NY)
F Tony Voce, SR, Boston College (Philadelphia, PA)
West First Team
G Bernd Brückler, JR, Wisconsin (Graz, Austria)
D Keith Ballard, JR, Minnesota (Baudette, MN)
D Ryan Caldwell, SR, Denver (DeLoraine, MB)
F Brandon Bochenski, JR, North Dakota (Blaine, MN)
F Junior Lessard, SR, Minnesota Duluth (St. Joseph deBeauce, QC)
F Zach Parise, SO, North Dakota (Faribault, MN)
East Second Team
G Jim Howard, SO, Maine (Ogdensburg, NY)
D Prestin Ryan, SR, Maine (Arcola, SK)
D Stephen Wood, SR, Providence (Sudbury, MA)
F Patrick Eaves, SO, Boston College (Faribault, MN)
F Todd Jackson, SR, Maine (Cortland, NY)
F Ryan Shannon, JR, Boston College (Darien, CT)
F Colin Shields, SR, Maine (Glasgow, Scotland)
West Second Team
G Al Montoya, SO, Michigan (Glenview, IL)
D Beau Geisler, SR, Minnesota Duluth (Coleraine, MN)
D A.J. Thelen, FR, Michigan State (Savage, MN)
F Derek Edwardson, SR, Miami (Morton Gove, IL)
F Jim Slater, JR, Michigan State (Detroit, MI)
F Thomas Vanek, SO, Minnesota (Graz, Austria)
* Second Team in 2001-02
