EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – Three UW-Eau Claire men's hockey players and head coach Matt Loen were honored recently with USCHO.com recognition.
Wednesday (March 20), USCHO.com announced that Blugold head coach Matt Loen, who led the Blugolds to their best season in school history and finished with their first NCAA national championship in their first D-III Frozen Four, has been voted as the USCHO D-III Coach of the Year. Loen coached the Blugolds to a 24-5-2 overall record and 14-3-1 NCHA record as the team claimed the NCHA regular season title
View USCHO.com Coach of the Year Announcement
Friday (March 22), three Blugolds were selected to the All-USCHO team. Goalie Brandon Stephenson (Sr.-Saline, Mich.) and defenseman Jack Callahan (So.-Red Bank, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) were named to the second team while forward Jordan Singer (Sr.-Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) was selected to the third team.
On April 9, D3hockey.com also named all three players to their All-Region and All-American teams while coach Matt Loen was named national Coach of the Year.
View D3hockey.com All-Region Team
View D3hockey.com All-American Team
Callahan, a defenseman in his first year with the Blugolds, played in all 31 games this year. He had two goals and 18 assists, second most on the team. He was part of a defense that gave up just 68 goals and 935 shots while the Blugolds compiled 125 goals and 1,040 shots.
Singer, a forward, led the Blugolds with 22 goals and 36 points. He tied for sixth on the team with 14 assists. His 22 goals is a league-high. He ended his career 15th in program history for career points with 100 and eighth with 55 goals. He is first in school history in game-winning goals with 11.
Stephenson, a goalie, led the conference in winning percentage (.821) and ranked first in total saves (790). He was one of the busiest goalies in the NCHA and still managed to lead his team to victory on most nights. Stephenson led the NCHA in conference minutes played (1087:12) and save percentage (.930). He went undefeated from October 26 through December 1. In program archives, Stephenson ranks first in both career wins with 48 and season wins with 22. He finished his career with 2,126 saves, fourth most in school history, and had a career save percentage of .919, also first in school history. He is also first in career goals-against-average with a mark of 2.27.
-KM-