UND’s Jordan Kawaguchi named USCHO Player of the Year

Kawaguchi is a an all NCHC First-team selection and a Hobey Baker Award finalist

GRAND FORKS,  N.D.– The University of North Dakota hockey team continued to be recognized for its stellar season with more national honors Friday. Head coach Brad Berry was named the national coach of the year by both USCHO.com and College Hockey News while junior forward Jordan Kawaguchi was dubbed the USCHO.com Player of the Year.

Berry, in his fifth year, guided North Dakota to a 26-5-4 overall record this season, including the Penrose Cup as the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s regular season champions. It marked the second NCHC championship for Berry and third for UND in the past six seasons. Berry was also the national coach of the year in 2015-16, his first season as head man at UND, a year that delivered North Dakota’s eighth NCAA national title.

Kawaguchi has supplanted himself squarely in the mix for the Hobey Baker Award after a campaign that had the associate captain rack-up 45 points, second-most in the NCAA. He was clutch in crucial situations, leading the country with 13 game-winning points while scoring five game-winning goals among his 15 for the year. He was an All-NCHC First Teamer and is up for the conference’s player of the year and forward of the year honors. The Abbotsford, B.C., native was selected among the top 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award earlier this week.

AWARDS FOR NORTH DAKOTA in 2019-20
Head Coach Brad Berry
*College Hockey News National Coach of the Year
*USCHO.com National Coach of the Year
*NCHC Herb Brooks Coach of the Year finalist (announced Mar. 26)

Jordan Kawaguchi
*Hobey Baker Award finalist (winner announced April 10)
*USCHO Player of the Year
*USCHO.com All-America First Team
*All-NCHC FIrst Team
*NCHC Forward of the Year finalist (announced Mar. 25)
*NCHC Player of the Year finalist (announced Mar. 26)

Matt Kiersted
*NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year finalist (announced Mar. 24)
*All-NCHC Second Team

Westin Michaud
*All-NCHC Honorable Mention

Shane Pinto
*NCHC Rookie of the Year finalist (announced Mar. 25)
*NCHC All-Rookie Team

Colton Poolman
*NCHC Defensive Defenseman of the Year finalist (announced Mar. 24)
*NCHC Senior Scholar-Athlete finalist
*All-NCHC Honorable Mention (three-time honoree)

Adam Scheel
*All-NCHC Honorable Mention

Cole Smith
*NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year finalist (Mar. 25)