March 20, 2008

DETROIT - Juniors Jeff Lerg (Livonia, Mich.) and Justin Abdelkader (Muskegon, Mich.) were both honored at the annual CCHA Awards banquet on Thursday, March 20. Nine individual awards were handed out at Detroit's historic Fox Theatre, including six determined by a vote of the league's 12 coaches.

Lerg picked up two pieces of hardware. He was named Scholar Athlete of the Year, and was MSU's Perani Cup winner. Lerg, who earlier in the day learned that he was among 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, led the CCHA in victories, shutouts, saves and minutes played. He has a 3.74 cumulative grade-point average as a finance major.

Lerg was MSU's Perani Cup winner for the third straight year. Earned throughout the conference season as one of the "Three Stars of the Game" after league contests, Lerg was the overall CCHA winner in 2007, and finished second this year to Michigan's Kevin Porter, the CCHA Player of the Year.

The eighth annual Mike and Marian Ilitch Humanitarian Award was presented to Michigan State's Justin Abdelkader. The Honorable Mention All-CCHA selection, who has been involved in a multitude of community service activities, was one of two co-founders (along with classmate Dan Sturges) of the "Shoot for a Cure" initiative at home games that raised more than $5,000 for cancer research. The Ilitch Humanitarian Award is given to the league's top citizen based on his contributions off the ice, as well as on, to his team, his program, his school and his community.

Abdelkader's second piece of hardware was earned as the Best Defensive Forward. The junior center scored 27 points in 28 conference games and finished +11. The Spartans finished third in team defense and first in the Net Special Teams category.

Michigan State ailed to advance to Detroit for the CCHA Championship weekend after a hard-fought, yet disappointing, three-game series loss to Northern Michigan (5-1, 1-2, 2-3 (OT)) last weekend. The Spartans now await the selection show for the NCAA Tournament, which will air on Sunday at 11:30 am eastern on ESPN2.

2007-08 CCHA Award Winners Player of the Year: Kevin Porter, UM
Coach of the Year: Red Berenson, UM
Rookie of the Year: Max Pacioretty, UM
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Jeff Lerg, MSU
Terry Flanagan: Dan VeNard, ND
Ilitch Humanitarian: Justin Abdelkader, MSU
Best Offensive Defenseman: Tyler Eckford, UA
Best Defensive Defenseman: Alec Martinez, MIA
Best Defensive Forward: Justin Abdelkader, MSU