Colorado College sniper Peter Sejna of Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia and Maine netminder Jim Howard of Ogdensburg, N.Y. earned the inaugural Commissioners’ Choice awards as Division I men’s college hockey’s top player and top rookie for the month of November the Ice Hockey Collegiate Commissioners’ Association (IHCCA) announced today.
A 5-11, 198-pound junior, Sejna has been an offensive catalyst for the red-hot Tigers, who currently own the nation’s longest unbeaten streak at 12 games (10-0-2). Over eight games this past month, Sejna scored six goals and assisted on 11 others for 17 points as Colorado College went 7-0-1. He had at least one point in all eight games last month, owns a 15-game point scoring streak overall, and shares the Division I points lead with 13 goals, 16 assists and 29 points in 14 games played.
Two of Sejna’s six goals in November were game-winners, coming in a 7-3 road win at Minnesota and in a 10-2 triumph over Mercyhurst on Nov. 30, and he also assisted on the decisive goal in a 4-1 home victory over Alaska Anchorage. He was named both the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Offensive Player of the Week and USCHO.com National Offensive Player of the Week on November 18th after producing five points on three goals and two assists in the Tigers’ win and tie at Minnesota during a Nov. 15-16 league series.
A two-time All-WCHA Third Team choice and former WCHA Rookie of the Year, Sejna has already produced 68 goals, 69 assists and 137 points in two-and-a-half seasons at Colorado College.
Howard, a freshman netminder for Maine is the Commissioners’ Choice Rookie-of-the-Month. He finished November with a 1.28 goals against average and a .956 save percentage, yielding a perfect 5-0-0 record, including four wins that came against tough Hockey East competition. He recorded a career-high 36 saves in 7-3 win at Boston University (ranked No. 7 at the time) and followed that up with 35 saves in a 2-1 overtime victory over second-ranked New Hampshire.
Howard set the Maine record for consecutive scoreless minutes when he blanked opponents for 193:45 during a string of three straight shutouts spanning October and November. He also tied the Maine record for shutouts in a season by a goaltender when he posted his third shutout on Nov. 9 vs. the Massachusetts Minutemen, who have gone 6-1 since being humbled by Howard. His three shutouts put him in a tie for the national lead this season.
Howard was recently honored by Hockey East as both Rookie of the Month and Goaltender of the Month. He is 7-1-0 overall this season with a 1.33 goals against average (third best in the nation) and a .949 save percentage (second best in the nation).
The IHCCA, with a mandate to address common issues and concerns at a national level, is comprised of the six commissioners of NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey conferences; the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), College Hockey America (CHA), the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC), Hockey East Association (HEA), the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).
IHCCA Commissioners’ Choice Awards
November 2002
National Player-of-the-Month
Peter Sejna, LW, Colorado College, WCHA
National Rookie-of-the-Month
Jim Howard, G, Maine, Hockey East
Honorable Mention Player-of-the-Month
Lanny Gare, F, New Hampshire, Hockey East
Brian Herbert, F, Quinnipiac, MAAC
Grady Hunt, G, Bemidji State, CHA
Mike Kompon, F, Miami, OH, CCHA
David LeNeveu, G, Cornell, ECAC
Honorable Mention Rookie-of-the-Month
Hugh Jessiman, F, Dartmouth, ECAC
Myles Kuharski, F, Bemidji State, CHA
Al Montoya, G, Michigan, CCHA
Tony Quesada, G, Holy Cross, MAAC
Thomas Vanek, F, Minnesota, WCHA
