Frozen Four ‘Skills Challenge’ Finalists Announced

The NCAA has announced the 89 finalists for the 2007 NCAA Frozen Four Skills Challenge.

The finalists were pared down from an original list of 181 student-athletes, nominated by their head coaches.

From this list, the selection committee, consisting of NCAA staff members, members of the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee, representatives from the American Hockey Coaches Association, Nike Bauer Hockey and the six Division I men’s ice hockey conferences, will select the 32 players who will compete in the event.

All college players who will exhaust their eligibility this season were eligible to be nominated.

The Skills Challenge competition will once again be held in an East vs. West format with each team having six male position players, six female position players, two male goaltenders and two female goaltenders. The competitions will include puck-control relay, fastest skater, hardest shot, rapid-fire shooting, accuracy shooting and penalty shot.

The second annual Skills Challenge will be held April 6 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis and will be shown live on ESPNU.

The schedule of events for “Friday Night at the Frozen Four” will include the presentation of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award at 6 p.m., the presentation of the Hockey Humanitarian Award at 6:35 p.m. and the NCAA Frozen Four Skills Challenge at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the event will be available for purchase after the first of the year.

The full list of 89 finalists is below.

Men’s East Squad

Position Players
Mike Alexiou, Merrimack, Hockey East (Pickering, ON)
Brian Boyle, Boston College, Hockey East (Hingham, MA)
Kyle Bozoian, Fredonia State, SUNYAC (State Charles, MO)
Reid Cashman, Quinnipiac, ECACHL (Red Wing, MI)
Scott Champagne, Mercyhurst, Atlantic Hockey (Cornwall, ON)
Kevin Du, Harvard, ECACHL (Spruce Grove, AB)
Marc Fulton, Colgate, ECACHL (Vancouver, BC)
Derek Girouard, St. Michael’s, ECAC East (Methuen, MA)
Tanner Glass, Dartmouth, ECACHL (Craven, SK)
Grant Goeckner-Zoeller, Princeton, ECACHL (Los Angeles, CA)
Bill LeClerc, Yale, ECACHL (Acton, MA)
Kenny Macaulay, Vermont, Hockey East (Baddeck, NS)
Kirk MacDonald, Rensselaer, ECACHL (Victoria, BC)
Mark McCutcheon, Cornell, ECACHL (Pittsford, NY)
Jacob Micflikier, New Hampshire, Hockey East (Winnipeg, MB)
Mike Morris, Northeastern, Hockey East (Braintree, MA)
Pierre-Luc O’Brien, Sacred Heart, Atlantic Hockey (Nicolet, Quebec)
Andrew Ramsey, Air Force, Atlantic Hockey (Nobleville, QC)
James Sixsmith, Holy Cross, Atlantic Hockey (Alexandria, VA)
Joshua Soares, Maine, Hockey East (Hamilton, ON)
Mike Sullivan, Clarkson, ECACHL (Stouffville, ON)
Jason Tejchma, Massachusetts-Lowell, Hockey East (Muskegon, MI)

Goalies
John Curry, Boston U., Hockey East (Shorewood, MN)
Matt Gluck, Connecticut College, NESCAC (Morganville, NJ)
Jason Smith, Sacred Heart, Atlantic Hockey (State Lambert, QC)

Men’s West Squad

Position Players
Sean Bentivoglio, Niagara, CHA (Thorold, ON)
Aaron Clarke, Robert Morris, CHA (Peterborough, ON)
Sean Collins, Ohio State, CCHA (Troy, MI)
Doug Conley, Robert Morris, CHA (Buffalo, NY)
Luke Erickson, Bemidji State, CHA (Roseau, MN)
Justin Fletcher, St. Cloud State, WCHA (Maryville, IL)
Curtis Fraser, Alaska, CCHA (Surrey, BC)
Marty Guerin, Miami, CCHA (Lansing, MI)
Lars Helminen, Michigan Tech, WCHA (Brighton, MI)
T.J. Hensick, Michigan, CCHA (Howell, MI)
Tyler Howells, Michigan State, CCHA (Eden Prairie, MN)
Aaron Johnson, Augsburg, MIAC (Plymouth, MN)
Andrew Joudrey, Wisconsin, WCHA (Bedford, NS)
Bryan McGregor, Minnesota-Duluth, WCHA (Niagara Falls, ON)
Travis Morin, Minnesota State, WCHA (Brooklyn Park, MN)
Scott Parse, Nebraska-Omaha, CCHA (Portage, MI)
Andrew Stearns, Wisconsin-Stout, NCHA (Wadena, MN)
Paul Szczechura, Western Michigan, CCHA (Brantford, ON)
Joe VanCulin, Ferris State, CCHA (Monticello, MN)
Adrian Veideman, Denver, WCHA (Sicamous, BC)

Goalies
David Brown, Notre Dame, CCHA (Stoney Creek, ON)
Matt Burzon, MSOE, MCHA (Danby, VT)
Brian Elliott, Wisconsin, WCHA (Newmarket, ON)
Jeff Jakaitis, Lake Superior State, CCHA (Rochester, MN)
Layne Sedevie, Bemidji State, CHA (Bismarck, ND)

Women’s East Squad

Position Players
Julie Chu, Harvard, ECACHL (Fairfield, CT)
Crystal Connors, St. Lawrence, ECACHL (Belford, NJ)
Tara French, Colgate, ECACHL (Truro, NS)
Kristin Gigliotti, Providence, Hockey East (Sauquoit, NY)
Nicole Hekle, New Hampshire, Hockey East (Winnipeg, MB)
Cara Hendry, Boston U., Hockey East (Calgary, AB)
Michelle Panella, Sacred Heart, Independent (Morganville, NJ)
Cherie Piper, Dartmouth, ECACHL (Scarborough, ON)
Jennifer Sifers, Harvard, ECACHL (Stratford, CT)
Natalie Vibert, Connecticut, Hockey East (Thunder Bay, ON)
Laura Watt, Princeton, ECACHL (Ajax, ON)
Katie Weatherston, Dartmouth, ECACHL (Thunder Bay, ON)
Lindsay Williams, Clarkson, ECACHL (Mississauga, ON)
Sheila Zingler, Yale, ECACHL (Wausau, WI)

Goalies
Beth Baronick, Cornell, ECACHL (Liverpool, NY)
Melissa Bourdon, New Hampshire, Hockey East (Ile Bizard, QC)
Laura Brennan, Quinnipiac, ECACHL (White Bear Lake, MN)
Jana Bugden, Providence, Hockey East (Corner Brook, NL)

Women’s West Squad

Position Players
Aynsley Allen, North Dakota, WCHA (St. Andrews, MB)
Sara Bauer, Wisconsin, WCHA (State Catherines, ON)
Stefanie Bourbeau, Mercyhurst, CHA (Charlesbourg, QC)
Amber Bowman, Ohio State, WCHA (Innisfil, ON)
Hailey Clarkson, St. Cloud State, WCHA (Winnipegosis, MB)
Julia Colizza, Mercyhurst, CHA (Sault Ste. Marie, ON)
Nikki Eckebrecht, Bemidji State, WCHA (Hamilton, ON)
Alexia Gagnon Laplante, North Dakota, WCHA (Montreal, QC)
Kelly Hart, Bemidji State, WCHA (Ajax, ON)
Jessica Koizumi, Minnesota-Duluth, WCHA (Simi Valley, CA)
Denelle Maguet, St. Cloud State, WCHA (State Rose, MB)
Noemie Marin, Minnesota-Duluth, WCHA (Acton-Vale, QC)
Sammy Miller, Minnesota State, WCHA (South St. Paul, MN)
Andrea Nichols, Minnesota, WCHA (Hibbing, MN)
Bobbi-Jo Slusar, Wisconsin, WCHA (Swift Current, SK)
Maggie Souba, Minnesota, WCHA (Moorhead, MN)
Becky Wacker, Minnesota, WCHA (York, ME)

Goalies
Allison Rutledge, Niagara, CHA (London, ON)
Riitta Schaublin, Minnesota-Duluth, WCHA (Basel, CH)
Lauri State Jacques, St. Cloud State, WCHA (Sturgeon Falls, ON)
Erika Vanderveer, Ohio State, WCHA (Bradford, ON)