Blue left out of all-CCHA honors

The CCHA All-Conference Team, which was released yesterday, is composed of players from almost all of the league's best teams - Michigan State, Ohio State and Notre Dame, among others.

But representatives from one team were notably absent from the award roster - Michigan.

Not one Wolverine made the first or second team, and only defenseman Mike Van Ryn was selected for honorable mention, the third tier of awards.

Van Ryn, a sophomore, re-established himself as one of the better two-way players in the conference, notching 10 goals and 10 assists while helping to anchor Michigan's blue line.

Despite the naming of Van Ryn to the honorable mention list, Michigan coach Red Berenson was surprised by the lack of his teammates selected to join him.

"I like to see our players get recognition when they deserve it," Berenson said. "Bubba Berenzweig has to be one of the premier defensemen in the league, and to see him not be recognized is really disappointing."

Berenzweig missed honorable mention by just one point in the coaches' poll, earning 14 points, one behind Michigan State's Bryan Adams and Notre Dame's Brian Urick.

The senior captain's seven goals and 22 assists this season were a secondary accomplishment to the patient way he has handled a young Michigan team, but in a postseason award that is based largely on statistics, Berenzweig's intangibles fell by the wayside.

Josh Langfeld was also looked over, as other, more prolific forwards outshadowed the sophomore. Langfeld, Michigan's leading goal-scorer, has 21 goals and 13 assists to date.

Freshman Mike Comrie got on the voting scoreboard, but wasn't a serious contender for honorable mention with just six votes.

The final outcome of Comrie's candidacy for CCHA Rookie of the Year will be determined on Thursday at the league awards banquet.

The lack of individual recognition is a sign of a Michigan team that has done without superstar goal-scorers this season, and have been able to pull together and take second place in the CCHA.

"We've got a lot of guys playing well that just don't have the numbers or the publicity," Berenson said.

Both All-Conference teams are selected by a coaches' vote, with coaches unable to vote for their own players. Last week, Comrie, Jeff Jillson, and Josh Blackburn were named to the CCHA All-Rookie Team.

03-16-99