Sandelin should have shot at coach of year award

What's next in the world of college hockey now that an NCAA champion has been crowned?

The American Hockey Coaches Association will have their annual spring meet in Naples, Fla., later this month. And on, April 30, the AHCA's coach of the year will be named.

The front-runner for that award is probably Scott Sandelin of UMD. He guided a team that finished fourth in the WCHA, albeit two points out of a tie for second place, to its first national championship. Sandelin won the award once already, in 2004, when his Bulldogs lost in the Frozen Four semifinals.

Wayne Wilson of Rochester Institute of Technology was the coach of the year in 2010.

THE NATION'S BEST

The American Hockey Coaches Association's All-America teams were announced last Friday. There are 14 plays from the U.S., seven from Canada, two from Sweden and one from France. Half of 24 are seniors. There are also six junios and six sophomores.

The all-americans come from nine states and four Canadian provinces. Four are from Alberta, three from Minnesota and Michigan. Nineteen played in the NCAA tournament, six in the Frozen Four.

Forwards

Jack Connolly, UMD, jr. (Duluth)

Matt Frattin, North Dakota, sr. (Edmonton, Alberta)

Andy Miele, Miami (Ohio), sr. (Grosse Pointe Wood, Mich.)

Defensemen

Justin Schultz, Wisconsin, so. (West Kelowna, British Columbia)

Goalie

Pat Nagle, Ferris St., sr. (Bloomfield, Mich.)

Comments: Four of the six players are from the WCHA and two of them played for North Dakota. Four are seniors, one is a junior and one is a sophomore. Three hail from Canada, two from Michigan and one from Minnesota. Jack Connolly of Duluth moved up from second to first team this year.

West second team

Carter Camper, Miami (Ohio), sr. (Rocky River, Ohio)

Mike Connolly, UMD, jr. (Calgary, Alberta)

Carl Hagelin, Michigan, sr. (Stockholm, Sweden)

Defensemen

Jake Gardiner, Wisconsin, jr. (Minnetonka)

Goalie

Aaron Dell, North Dakota, so. (Airdrie, Alberta)

Comments: Three WCHA players on second team, including one Minnesotan, Gardiner of Wisconsin.

East first team

Forwards

Chase Polacek, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, sr. (Edina)

Paul Thompson, New Hampshire, sr. (Derry, N.H.)

Defensemen

Blake Kessel, New Hampshire, jr. (Verona, Wis.)

Brian Dumoulin, Boston College, so. (Biddeford, Maine)

Keith Kincaid, Union College, so. (Farmingville, N.Y.)

Comment: One Minnesotan, Polacek, the only repeat first team pick. Kessel, whose brother Phil played one season for the Gophers, moved up from second team last year to first this year.

East second team

Forwards

Stephane Da Costa, Merrimack, so. (Paris)

Paul Zanette, Niagara, sr. (Nobleton, Ontario)

Defensemen

Nick Bailen, RPI, so. (Fredonia, N.Y.)

Taylor Fedun, Princeton, sr. (Edmonton)

Goalie