2011-12 All-Senior Team

This past weekend and this upcoming weekend, ECAC Hockey seniors have been and will be honored on Senior Night. These nights celebrate the great careers of many program and league greats. So, in honor of the Class of 2012, I've decided to make my ECAC Hockey All-Senior team (and honorable mention team). Criteria I've included in this is senior year performance, overall career performance, and impact on their team. Once again, there were some tough decisions to be made, but let me know what you think. Who do you think is the best ECAC Hockey senior?


Forwards:

Brian O'Neill (Yale)
Career Stats: 130GP, 66G, 87A, 153PTS
11-12 Stats: 27GP, 18G, 18A, 36PTS
The Bulldogs' captain has led his team in scoring the past three years, and is one of the main keys to Yale's recent success. O'Neill has also been an All-ECAC selection twice out of his first three seasons in New Haven, and is on his way to earning his third All-ECAC selection. At the end of this weekend, the Pennsylvania native will be third all-time on the Yale games played list. Also, his 66 goals is currently 7th in program history, 87 assists is 4th in program history, and 153 points is 5th in program history (8 points away for being 2nd). At this moment, O'Neill leads all members of the ECAC Hockey Class of 2012 in points. Yale has reached the NCAA tournament in each of O'Neill's first three years, and won the Cleary Cup twice and Whitelaw Cup once. 

Austin Smith (Colgate)
Career Stats: 146GP, 76G, 75A, 151PTS
11-12 Stats: 32GP, 33G, 15A, 48PTS
Smith's senior campaign has been one of the best in ECAC Hockey history. His 33 goals is by far the most in the nation, and 48 points is currently third in all of college hockey. Smith has only been held pointless three times this season. The Dallas, Texas native is just six goals shy of breaking Dan Fridgen's Colgate record of 38 goals in one season. His 151 points is currently 13th in program history, 76 goals is tied for 9th in program history. Smith's great season as spawned the Raiders to their best record in his four years. His 76 goals is the most of any member of the ECAC Hockey Class of 2012.

Kelly Zajac (Union)

Career Stats: 150GP, 37G, 88A, 125PTS
11-12 Stats: 32GP, 8G, 31A, 39PTS
The name Zajac, is one of the most well-known names currently in college hockey with Travis and Darcy in North Dakota, and Nolan joining Denver next season. In some sense, Kelly has been over looked because of this. But, the assistant captain has had one of the most prolific careers in Union College's D-I history, being one of the biggest keys to Union's rise in the league and national prominence. The past two season's have been Union's most successful at the D-I level, and in both of these seasons Zajac has led the team in assists and points. This season, Zajac is just seven points away from breaking Mario Valery-Trabucco's record for most points in a season, and has already broke is own (and volunteer coach Joel Beal's) record for most assists in a season. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native is also just seven points away from breaking Adam Presizniuk's record for points in a career, but has already broken Presizniuk's record for career assists. Zajac has proven to be one of the best playmakers in the league over the past four years. His 88 assists is currently the most of any member of the ECAC Hockey Class of 2012.

Defense:
Keir Ross (Cornell)
Career Stats: 120GP, 7G, 15A, 22PTS, +29
11-12 Stats: 27GP, 2G, 5A, 7PTS, +14
The Big Red captain has been a big part of one of the league's best defenses over his four years. During his tenure in Ithaca, Cornell has allowed only 2.22 goals per game. In Ross' first three years, the Big Red have made the NCAA Tournament twice, and have made the ECAC Championship game each time, winning once (2010). According to my calculations, his +29 career rating is the best of any ECAC Hockey defenseman in the Class of 2012. Ross is also a finalist for this year's Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.

Derrick Pallis (Princeton)

Career Stats: 122GP, 16G, 37A, 53PTS, +6
11-12 Stats: 26GP, 2G, 9A, 11PTS, -3
Pallis has quietly been one of the most productive offensive defensemen in the ECAC over the past four seasons. His 53 points is the most of any current senior defenseman in the league, even though he has never led his team in scoring as a defenseman. The Tigers made the NCAA Tournament in Pallis' first year in New Jersey. His 53 points is currently eighth all-time among Princeton defenders, and 37 assists is tied for 12th all-time.

Goalie:
Paul Karpowich (Clarkson)
Career Stats: 125GP, 2.91GAA, .911SV%
11-12 Stats: 32GP, 2.32GAA, .925SV%

The Golden Knight netminder has by far been the best ECAC Hockey goaltender of the Class of 2012. No one else really comes close. Karpowich has been Clarkson's primary goaltender for all four years in Potsdam, and has definitely saved his best season for last. He has been the rock for a mediocre (15-13-6 overall) team that currently controls their own destiny for a first round bye in the ECAC playoffs, logging 1940:55 minutes (third in the nation) this season. Karpowich has also notched five shutouts this season, which is tied for tops in the league and third in the nation. The Thunder Bay, Ontario native has been Clarkson'sKarpowich holds the Clarkson record for most saves in a season (1,053 in 2011-12), and saves in a period (23 saves in the first period against UNO on 10/8/10).

Honorable Mention (Second Team):

Jack Maclellan (Brown)
Career Stats: 118GP, 46G, 54A, 100PTS
11-12 Stats: 27GP, 15G, 14A, 29PTS

Alex Killorn (Harvard)
Career Stats: 123GP, 48G, 50A, 98PTS
11-12 Stats: 27GP, 18G, 17A, 35PTS

Brown's Jack Maclellan

Doug Jones (Dartmouth)
Career Stats: 121GP, 27G, 75A, 102PTS
11-12 Stats: 25GP, 9G, 11A, 20PTS

Connor Goggin (Dartmouth)
Career Stats: 117GP, 14G, 25A, 39PTS, +6
11-12 Stats: 26GP, 4G, 8A, 12PTS, +4

Kevin Peel (Yale)
Career Stats: 114GP, 15G, 33A, 49PTS, +17
11-12 Stats: 22GP, 4G, 7A, 11PTS, -5

Mike Clemente (Brown)
Career Stats: 103GP, 3.07GAA, .907SV%
11-12 Stats: 23GP, 2.76GAA, .903SV%