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Contact: Kevin Wey ([email protected])
Helanto, Cooper, and Uglem Earn All-CSCHL Honors
Helanto leads Iowa State’s awards haul with three all-league honors
March 27, 2015 – Ames, Iowa – Cyclone Hockey is pleased to announce that senior defenseman Antti Helanto
(Turku, Finland – Owatonna Express/NAHL), senior goaltender Matt Cooper (Duluth, Minn. – Duluth East
Greyhounds/MnHSHL), and freshman defenseman Jake Uglem (Moorhead, Minn. – Winkler Flyers/MJHL)
have received all-league recognition from the Central States Collegiate Hockey League (CSCHL) following the
2014-15 season.
Helanto led all Cyclones in CSCHL awards with three, starting with his receipt of the league’s Sportsmanship
Award. In 16 CSCHL regular season games, Helanto had no penalties called against him, despite being one of Iowa
State’s leaders in ice time every game, and, in fact, had only one penalty assessed against him the entire season,
which was a hooking minor against the North Iowa Bulls on Sept. 17.
To Cyclone Hockey Head Coach and General Manager Jason Fairman, Helanto’s receipt of the Sportsmanship
Award was extremely fitting.
“The award really is representative of his character and just represents who he is,” said Fairman of Helanto. “He
plays by the rules and does what’s right and Antti shows that you can play the game at a high level and play within
the rules.”
On top of being named the CSCHL’s most sportsmanlike player, Helanto was also named Second Team All-League
and named to the All-Defensive Team. The senior defenseman tied for the team lead amongst all Cyclones in
CSCHL scoring with 10 points (2-8-10) in 16 games and led Iowa State in overall scoring with 35 points (7-28-35)
in 44 games in 2014-15. Helanto was one of only two defensemen to lead his ACHA Men’s Division 1 team in
scoring in 2014-15, and the only one on a team ranked in the ACHA Men’s Division 1 Final Rankings, and clearly
established himself as one of the very best two-way defensemen in the ACHA this past season.
Fairman would have like to have seen Helanto pick up top honors in the CSCHL, however, but is hopeful that the
player with the inside track to being named Cyclone Hockey’s Most Valuable Player for the 2014-15 season picks
up similar recognition from the ACHA, too.
“It’d have been nice to see Antti get recognized on the First Team, but at least he was on the Second Team and
certainly on the All-Defensive Team, which was a no-brainer,” said Fairman. “I’m just glad to see he’s picking up
recognition he’s deserving of and hopefully he’ll be recognized nationally as well later this spring.”
While Fairman remains optimistic that Helanto will earn All-ACHA honors, there is now little doubt that Matt
Cooper will be named to either the All-ACHA First, Second, or Third Team after being named to First Team AllLeague by the CSCHL for the second straight season. Cooper’s record in CSCHL play this season doesn’t look
strong at 3-7-1-2, but the league’s coaches took particular notice of Cooper’s exemplary 2.30 goals-against average
and .926 save percentage in 782:26 over 13 CSCHL regular season games in, effectively, naming him the top goalie
in the league. The fact Cooper was also Team’s USA number one netminder at the 2015 World University Games
also likely factored into the voting.
“When you have that recognition from USA Hockey, and you play well in an international tournament, you’re in the
minds of the coaches and I’m sure that helped solidify Matt’s selection on the First Team in the CSCHL,” said
Fairman. “It’s a fitting honor for Matt and it’s one I’m not surprised by.”
Last season, Cooper split time in net with Minot State’s Wyatt Waselenchuk for Team USA at the 2013 World
University Games, was named First Team All-CSCHL, was the goaltender selected to the ACHA Men’s Division1
All-First Team, and finished the 2013-14 season with a 25-8-3-0 record, 4 shutouts, a 2.06 goals against average,
and a .933 save percentage in 2158:46 played over 37 games. This season, although his record of 11-11-3-2 is
nowhere close to last season’s, his more personally reflective statistics of a 2.06 goals-against average and .933 save
percentage (in 1585:12 played over 27 games) are identical to last season’s, when he was the most decorated ACHA
Men’s Division 1 goaltender and was also tabbed to play in his second straight ACHA Men’s Division 1 All-Star
Game.
Of course, Cooper’s standout numbers aren’t achieved all alone, as the forwards and defensemen in front of him do
play a significant factor in how many dangerous scoring chances they do or do not allow each game, and one of top
thwarters of the opponents’ offense this season was freshman blueliner Jake Uglem, whose solid two-way play
earned him selection to the CSCHL All-Rookie Team.
Fairman, while glad to see Helanto and Cooper pick up awards, may have been the most excited to see Uglem
garner all-league recognition.
“I was very pleased to see Jake selected for the all-rookie team,” said Fairman. “It’s something we see day-in and
day-out in practice and in games and I’m just glad other coaches recognized that he’s one of these players, like Antti
Helanto, who just makes things look simple and just goes about his business on a daily basis.
“He’s not a flashy player, but he does all the right things.”
On top of being one of Iowa State’s top players defensively as a rookie, Uglem was also one of Iowa State’s top
forces offensively in CSCHL play. Scott Antonsen (Calgary, Alberta – Old Grizzlys/AJHL) led all Cyclones in
goals scored in CSCHL regular season play with five in 14 games played, but second behind the junior forward was
Uglem, who tallied 4 goals in 14 games and proved he could “bring it” against the ACHA’s best.
“I think we’re clearly the top league in the nation, so every night in league play we’re playing top teams and to be
able to play well against these top teams is what’s going to help win championships and Jake certainly did that in
those big-pressure games this season,” said Fairman.
In 41 games overall, Uglem tallied 11 points (5-6-11), which was good for third amongst all Cyclone defensemen
and third amongst all Iowa State freshmen, behind Joseph DeLuca (Naperville, Ill. – New Jersey Hitmen/USPHL
Elite), who had 12 points (5-7-12) in 38 games and Zack Johnson (Rochester, Minn. – Wisconsin
Whalers/NA3HL), who compiled 22 points (13-9-22) in 33 games.
Fairman feels Johnson would have had a strong chance at joining Uglem on the All-Rookie Team had the freshman
forward not suffered a season-ending injury January 30 at home against Central Oklahoma.
“I certainly think Zack Johnson had an opportunity to be on the All-Rookie Team, but suffering that injury and
losing those games probably hurt his chances,” said Fairman. “I’d put him up there with the three forwards who
were named to the All-Rookie Team and we already look forward to getting Zack back in the line-up next season.”
Below is a full listing of CSCHL award winners following the 2014-15 season:
TOURNAMENT MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
G - Michael Hails
Lindenwood University
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
F - Michael Harris
Ohio University
COACH OF THE YEAR
Rick Zombo
Lindenwood University
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
D - Antti Helanto
Iowa State University
ROOKIE OF THE YAR
G - Michael Hails
Lindenwood University
FIRST TEAM ALL-LEAGUE
G - Matt Cooper
Iowa State University
D - Derek Diaz
Robert Morris University
D - Brandon Rumble
Lindenwood University
F - John Olen
University of Illinois
F - Joey Breslin
Ohio University
F - Michael Harris
Ohio University
SECOND TEAM ALL-LEAGUE
G - Michael Hails
Lindenwood University
D - Antti Helanto
Iowa State University
D - Tyler Benson
Ohio University
F - Nathan Chasteen
Robert Morris University
F - Gavin Burbach
Robert Morris University
F - Mike Lozano
Lindenwood University
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
G - Michael Hails
D - Jake Uglem
D - Connor McGovern
F - Gavin Burbach
F - Nathan Chasteen
F - Eric Cruickshank
Lindenwood University
Iowa State University
Robert Morris University
Robert Morris University
Robert Morris University
University of Illinois
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
D - Brandon Rumble
F - Derek Winkler
D - Tyler Benson
D - Mike Kretz
D - Antti Helanto
F - Jon Langan
Lindenwood University
Robert Morris University
Ohio University
Ohio University
Iowa State University
University of Illinois
Cyclone Hockey congratulates all the players listed above for their standout performances for their respective teams
during the 2014-15 season and also extends its highest venerations to Lindenwood Head Coach Rick Zombo for his
re-making of the Lions and leading Lindenwood to the 2015 CSCHL Tournament championship and to a position of
seventh in the ACHA Men’s Division1 Final Rankings following the 2015 ACHA Men’s Division 1 National
Tournament.
The organization also thanks all of its fans around the world for a great 2014-15 season and their tremendous
support from the Cyclones’ exhibition games against the Huntsville Havoc in September to start the season through
the 2015 ACHA Men’s Division 1 National Tournament. Fans, family, and friends can continue to follow Cyclone
Hockey during the “off season” at www.cyclonehockey.com and on Facebook at /CycloneHockey and on Twitter at
@CycloneHockey. Cyclone Hockey…Welcome to the New Age!
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