Head coach Dave Burkholder is one of seven finalists for the Spencer Penrose Award, given annually to the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Coach of the Year, the American Hockey Coaches Association announced this afternoon.
To be a finalist for this prestigious award, a coach must be given his league’s coach of the year award or lead his team to the Frozen Four.
In Burkholder’s 12th year as head coach, Niagara earned its fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament to become the first-ever Atlantic Hockey team to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Burkholder, who reached the 200th win plateau this season, was honored as AHA Coach of the Year after capturing the AHA Hockey regular-season title. The accolade was his first while a member of the AHA, and third overall in his career (CHA Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2007).
Niagara went 23-10-5 overall this year and posted a 20-5-2 record in AHA play. With 20 conference wins and 42 points, Niagara surpassed the program’s single-season record for most league wins and points. The 23 victories overall was only the fifth time in the program’s Division I history that the squad reached the 20-win mark. The Purple Eagles were also the only team in NCAA Division I hockey to go undefeated on home-ice, holding a 15-0-2 record at Dwyer, while extending its home ice unbeaten streak to 22 games. The streak ties the program record and ranks fifth all-time in college hockey.
The team spent a program best 18 consecutive weeks on the USCHO.com Division I Poll, pulling down its highest position on Feb. 25 and March 25 at No. 14. The Purps also earned a spot on the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll for six weeks out of the season, earning a No. 13 ranking for the first time since the 1999-00 season.
He helped mentor junior Carsen Chubak to the AHA Goalie of the Year laurel as well as a place in the top 10 finalists for the 2013 Hobey Baker Award. Burkholder also coached senior Marc Zanette to the AHA Defensive Forward of the Year award.
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 winner will be announced on Wednesday, April 10 in Pittsburgh, Pa. The AHCA Coach of the Year Awards are chosen by members of the American Hockey Coaches Association.
2012-13 AHCA Men’s Ice Hockey Spencer Penrose Award Finalists
• Yale’s Keith Allain, a Frozen Four coach
• UMass Lowell’s Norm Bazin, the Hockey East coach of the year and a Frozen Four coach
• Miami University’s Enrico Blasi, the CCHA coach of the year
• Niagara’s Dave Burkholder, the Atlantic Hockey coach of the year
• Minnesota State’s Mike Hastings, the WCHA coach of the year
• St. Cloud State’s Bob Motzko, a Frozen Four coach
• Quinnipiac’s Rand Pecknold, the ECAC Hockey coach of the year and a Frozen Four coach
