March 27, 2012

Minnesota's Don Lucia and Michigan Tech's Mel Pearson

Seven coaches who have enjoyed on-ice success in 2011-12 have been named finalists for the Spencer Penrose Award, given annually to the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Coach of the Year. Voting will be conducted prior to this year's Frozen Four and the winner will be announced on Friday, April 6 in Tampa, Fla.

The nominees represent any coach who won or shared Coach of the Year honors in his conference this past season, along with coaches whose teams have advanced to the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey semifinals. Of this year's finalists, three were past recipients and two of those were honored at an institution other than their current home. Boston College coach Jerry York won in 1977 while at Clarkson; Minnesota coach Don Lucia won in 1994 while at Colorado College; and Ferris State's Bob Daniels won in 2003 while at FSU.

The Spencer Penrose Award is named in memory of the Colorado Springs benefactor who built the Broadmoor Hotel Complex, site of the first ten NCAA championship hockey tournaments. The actual award will be presented at the AHCA Coach of the Year Banquet in Naples, Florida, on Saturday evening, April 28. The AHCA Coach of the Year Awards are chosen by members of the American Hockey Coaches Association and sponsored by FlexxCoach, a leader in the creation and distribution of drills and general hockey instruction to coaches across the country.

2011-12 AHCA Men's Ice Hockey Spencer Penrose Award Finalists
(AHCA/FlexxCoach Division I Coach of the Year)

Norm Bazin, UMass-Lowell – Hockey East Coach of the Year
Rick Bennett, Union – ECAC Coach of the Year and NCAA Semifinalist
Bob Daniels, Ferris State – CCHA Coach of the Year and NCAA Semifinalist*
Don Lucia, Minnesota – NCAA Semifinalist*
Mel Pearson, Michigan Tech – WCHA Coach of the Year
Ryan Soderquist, Bentley College – Atlantic Hockey Coach of the Year
Jerry York, Boston College – NCAA Semifinalist*
* Past Spencer Penrose Award Winner