MIAC Men's Hockey All-MIAC Teams

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's hockey team turned more than a few heads during its memorable 2014-15 season—finishing second in the final regular-season conference standings and reaching the MIAC Playoff Championship game for the first time in two decades.
 
And when the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference handed out its post-season awards on Tuesday, it was obvious that the Cardinals' efforts had not gone unnoticed.
 
Seven members of the Cardinal team—not to mention head coach Bill Moore—were honored by the MIAC, including a league-high five First-Team All-MIAC selections.
 
The Cardinals boasted five players on the 20-man All-MIAC First-Team—Martin Gruse (Trenton, Mich.), Bob Kinne (St. Paul, Minn.), Bob Marx (Sioux City, Iowa), Mike Mezzano (Woodbury, Minn.), and Phil Heinle (York, Pa.)—not to mention an honorable-mention All-MIAC selection in Jed McGlasson (Kenai, Alaska) and an MIAC All-Rookie Team member in Chad Cesarz (Jackson, Mich.).
 
St. Thomas goalie Drew Fielding was named the MIAC's Player of the Year, while Moore—who guided Saint Mary's to its first MIAC Playoff appearance in 11 years—took home MIAC Coach of the Year honors.
 
There certainly was no sophomore slump for Gruse, who was among the conference—and national—leaders in all three offensive categories this season. The sophomore finished with 11 goals and eight assists for 19 points in 16 conference games. His 11 goals ranked second in MIAC play, while his 19 points were tied for third.
 
Overall, Gruse's numbers were even more impressive, as he totaled 19 goals and 19 assists for 38 points. Gruse's 19 goals—including four-game winners—are the most by a Cardinal since the 2002-03 season, when Al Schumacher scored 19, while his 38 points are the most since Frank Savino, Nate DeMars, and Randy Gallatin finished with 62, 61, and 40 points, respectively, during the 1996-97 season. Gruse closed out the year by recording 10 multiple-point games in Saint Mary's 27 contests.
 
Kinne, who transferred in at the start of second semester, made his presence felt in the offensive zone tallying 17 points—seven goals and 10 assists—in just 12 MIAC contests. Like Gruse, Kinne's overall numbers were equally as impressive, as the sophomore recorded at least one point in each of the Cardinals' last nine games—owning 17 points (8 G, 9 A) during that stretch—and finished with nine goals and 13 assists for 22 points in 17 contests.
 
Marx and Mezzano were mainstays on the blue line for the Cardinals, and while their efforts in the defensive zone made life a bit easier for Heinle between the pipes, the duo were also among the conference's best when it came to offense. Mezzano led all MIAC defensemen in goals (4) and points (16), while Marx chipped in a goal and five assists for six points. The duo were also the Cardinals' top defensive point-getters in all games, with Mezzano—winner of the MIAC's Elite 22 Award—totaling 22 points (4 G, 18 A) and Marx adding 18 points (5 G, 13 A).
 
Heinle was a workhorse in goal for the Cardinals, as the sophomore netminder led the league in saves with 484, while compiling a 2.64 goals-against-average and a .920 save percentage in starting all 16 MIAC games. Heinle appeared in 24 of the Cardinals' 27 games this season, compiling a 2.61 GAA and a .919 save percentage. He finished with 711 saves and recorded his first three collegiate shutouts.
 
McGlasson closed out his final conference season with five goals and seven assists for 12 points, while capping a career year with career highs in goals (10), assists (10), and points (20) in his final season in a Cardinal uniform.
 
Cesarz, meanwhile, made the most of his first year as a Cardinal, leading all conference rookies with eight goals, while finishing second to fellow MIAC All-Rookie Team member Conor Deal of Gustavus in points with 13. Cesarz closed out his freshman campaign scoring nine goals, while finishing second on the team in both assists (13) and points (22).
 
As part of the conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC also announced the eighth annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for men's hockey, which included Saint Mary's Christian Gaffy (Scandia, Minn.).