Atlantic Hockey has announced the 2017-18 All-Conference Teams. The three teams are made up of 18 players from nine of the 11 league institutions. Regular season champions Mercyhurst had the most representatives, placing five across the three teams.
All-Conference First Team
F – Dylan McLaughlin, Junior, Canisius
F – Erik Brown, Junior, RIT
F – Brady Ferguson, Senior, Robert Morris
D – Alex Wilkinson, Sophomore, Army
D – Cameron Heath, Junior, Canisius
G – Paul Berrafato, Senior, Holy Cross
Canisius is the only team with more than one player selected to the first team. McLaughlin, who led the league in scoring with 38 points, was named to the All-Conference Third Team last year while Heath was a member of the Second Team. Robert Morris’s Brady Ferguson is the only returning First Team selection from last year. RIT’s Erik Brown led the league in goals scored with 24 and his 29 overall ranked second in the nation.
Alex Wilkinson led an Army defense that finished with league’s best penalty kill (88%) and the second best scoring defense. Personally, he finished in a tie for second with 14 power play points. Cameron Heath was the top-scoring defenseman for Canisius and featured on the top power play unit in Atlantic Hockey. He was a member of the All-Conference second team in 2016-17.
Paul Berrafato had a phenomenal second half of the season in net for Holy Cross and ended the regular season with a .922% save percentage and five shutouts, both tops in the league.
All-Conference Second Team
F – Adam Barach, Junior, Mercyhurst
F – Jack Riley, Senior, Mercyhurst
F – Michael Wilson, Sophomore, Army
D – Les Lancaster, Junior, Mercyhurst
D – Joseph Duszak, Sophomore, Mercyhurst
G – Brandon Wildung, Senior, Mercyhurst
Mercyhurst dominated the All-Conference Second Team with four of the five selections. Derek Barach makes his second consecutive appearance on the team after leading the Lakers in scoring with 30 points. He’s followed by teammate and fellow second-teamer Jack Riley in that category. Wilson who was one of the most clutch players in Atlantic Hockey this season. He scored the most game-winning goals (5) and power play goals (9) in the league.
After making the first team his first two years in the league, Mercyhurst’s Les Lancaster finds himself on the second team’s defense with teammate Joseph Duszak. Duszak led the league in defenseman scoring with 22 points on eight goals and 14 assists.
Brandon Wildung was key in the Lakers’ regular season triumph, making a number of key performances. His .680 winning percentage in 25 games started was tops of all goalies.
All-Conference Third Team
F – Ryan Schmelzer, Senior, Canisius
F – Derian Plouffe, Senior, Niagara
F – Alex Tonge, Junior, Robert Morris
D – Chase Norrish, Senior, RIT
D – Janis Jaks, Sophomore, AIC
G – Billy Christopoulos, Junior, Air Force
Ryan Schmelzer gets his second straight All-Conference honor after making the second team last year. The junior contributed heavily on the Griffs’ AHC top scoring offense and top power play unit. He and fellow third-teamer Derian Plouffe of Niagara, bagged an impressive four game-winning goals. Plouffe finished fourth in the league with 14 goals.
Robert Morris’s Alex Tonge was another player who had a red hot second half of the year. He finished with an identical point tally of 33 on 11 goals and 22 assists with teammate Brady Ferguson. He finished top three in points, assists and power play points.
At defense, Chase Norrish also gets his second straight All-Conference nod after making the second team with Schmelzer last year. Norrish was a stalwart defenseman and provided an impressive 13 assists offensively. AIC’s Janis Jaks joins him on the blue line. Jaks had 17 points and led the Yellow Jackets’ much improved defense that finished fourth in scoring.
Finally, in goal is Billy Christopoulos. The Junior netminder was arguably Air Force’s best player this year. The Falcons leaned on him heavily due to the high volume of injuries the team suffered to their forward corps throughout the year. He finishes with a league-best goals against average (2.14) and three shutouts.
All but three of these All-Conference honorees will be in action this weekend in the Atlantic Hockey Tournament Quarterfinals. The four series winners will advance to the semifinal round held at Rochester, New York’s Blue Cross Arena March 16th.
