RIT hockey announces its 2009-10 award winners

Award winners announced at team banquet on May 8

By: Joe Venniro - Director of Sports Information

RIT coaches (left to right) Dave Insalaco, Wayne Wilson, Brian Hills, and Mike Germain flank Dan Ringwald (center), who won three awards at 2010 men's hockey banquet on May 8.

Men's Hockey | 5/13/2010 12:29:32 PM

ROCHESTER, NY - Senior defenseman Dan Ringwald (Oakville, Ontario/) garnered three individual honors, as the RIT men's hockey team announced its 2009-10 team award winners on Saturday, May 8 at the RITz Sports Zone. In all, six members of the RIT men's hockey organization won awards.

Ringwald won the Dan Barrows Fan's Choice, Art Thomas Teammate, and Tim Cordick Best Defenseman awards. He was a key leader for the Tigers this season, earning 2009-10 All-USCHO second team honors. Ringwald, who was named the 2010 Atlantic Hockey Association Best Defenseman and earned AHA first team honors for the third straight season, tallied a career-best 37 points on 11 goals and 26 assists. In addition, he was a plus-22. He was third nationally among all defensemen in Division I with 37 points. Ringwald was named to the AHA Championship and NCAA East Regional All-Tournament teams. A two-year captain, Ringwald finished his storied career with 21 goals and 104 assists for 125 points in 145 career games. He is RIT's all-time leader in assists, games played, points by a defenseman, and is second overall all-time in points at the Division I level.

Senior Jared DeMichiel (Avon, CT/) won the the Louis Spiotti Coaches Award as a player who embodies RIT hockey. DeMichiel enjoyed quite possibly the best season by a Tiger netminder in the history of the program. He was the AHA Regular Season Goaltender of the Year and NCAA East Regional Most Outstanding Player. DeMichiel led the nation with 27 wins, was fourth nationally with a .724 winning percentage, seventh with a 2.09 goals against average, and 10th in save percentage (.921). DeMichiel holds RIT Division I team records with 41 wins, goals against average (2.46), and shutouts (7). In AHA play, he led the league with a 21-4-1 mark, 1.78 goals against average, .932 save percentage, and five solo shutouts. He also was part of two shared shutouts.

The Craig Lauzon award for the top newcomer was awarded to freshman defenseman Chris Tanev (Toronto, Ontario/) . Tanev was named the Atlantic Hockey Association Rookie of the Year and earned third team honors after recording 28 points on 10 goals and 18 assists to go along with a plus-33 rating, second best in all of Division I. He was also named to the AHA Championship All-Tournament Team. Tanev, who played in all 41 games, took just two minor penalties all season, and was a main reason why RIT allowed the fewest goals in AHA play and was fourth nationally in scoring defense. Tanev was a two-time AHA Rookie of the Week.

Sophomore forward Mark Cornacchia (Unionville, Ontario/) won The Green B. Williams award for academic excellence. Last month, Cornacchia was named the winner of the 2010 NCAA Elite 88 Award, given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 88 championships. Cornacchia, a finance major, has a stellar 3.85 grade-point average. In addition, Cornacchia emerged as a top penalty-killer, leading the squad with three shorthanded goals, while adding 14 points.

Sophomore forward Taylor McReynolds (Sherwood Park, Alberta/) was awarded the Greg Moss Hard Hat Award. The award is given in honor of Senior Associate Director of Athletics and Recreation, Greg Moss. The award is given to a player who performs at a high level and does it with very little fanfare. McReynolds enjoyed a tremendous season in 2009-10, as a ferocious hitter, strong penalty killer, and two-way forward. He chipped in with six points on three goals and three assists and added 62 penalty minutes in 38 games.

Former RIT alum Jim Goff won the Dr. Albert J. Simone Distinguished Service Award. The award honors a person that made a positive impact on the RIT Hockey program. Goff, the President of Landsman Development in Rochester is a major supporter of both the men's and women's hockey programs. His company installed the stalls for the hockey locker rooms in 2006.

RIT finished the 2009-10 season with a team record 28 wins. The Tigers were 28-12-1, won its first Atlantic Hockey Association postseason and advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four in just its fifth season as a Division I program.