The Hockey Commissioners’ Association announced Friday that St. Cloud State forward Andreas Nodl is the inaugural winner of the HCA National Division I Rookie of the Year award.
Nodl led St. Cloud State in scoring with 18 goals and 28 assists in 40 games. His 46 points set a new Huskies rookie scoring record, eclipsing current New York Ranger Matt Cullen’s mark of 41 points set in the 1995-96 season.
“Andreas made a tremendous offensive impact on our team and in our league this season,” said St. Cloud State coach Bob Motzko. “His talent and consistency were one of the keys to our success this season. To put up the type of numbers Andreas did as a Division I freshman is really something special.”
Nodl, a 20-year old native of Vienna, Austria, became the first player in team history to be named WCHA Rookie of the Year, while also becoming the first SCSU freshman to be selected for All-WCHA honors, earning a berth on the third team.
After spending two seasons with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL, the 6-foot-1, 196-pound Nodl joined the Huskies and ranked first in the WCHA and second in the nation among NCAA Division I rookies with a 1.15 points-per-game average.
Overall, Nodl placed third in the WCHA scoring race. He also ranked second in the WCHA and eighth in the nation with five game-winning goals, which tied a team record in that department. Nodl, Philadelphia’s second choice (39th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, recorded 16 multi-point games.
Nodl helped St. Cloud State to a 22-11-7 overall record, including a 14-7-7 mark in WCHA play. The Huskies placed second in the WCHA regular season, which equals the team’s best finish since joining the WCHA in 1990-91.
The HCA Rookie of the Year was selected in a vote by the assistant coaching staffs of all 59 NCAA Division I hockey teams. Players on the ballot received five points for a first-place vote, three points for second and one for third. Each conference’s top rookie their respective league’s nominee.
