BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its award honorees for the 2025-26 Men's Hockey season on Wednesday.
Saint Mary's swept the individual player awards, with sophomore forward Joona Juntunen being selected by MIAC coaches as the Offensive Player of the Year, junior defender Cole Mickel being voted Defensive Player of the Year, and first-year goaltender Adam Prokop receiving Rookie of the Year honors. MIAC coaches also voted Saint John's head coach Doug Schueller as the Men's Hockey Coach of the Year.
Leading the way was forward Juntunen, who at one point led the nation in both goals and points per game. The Hyvinkää, Finland, native earned Offensive Player of the Year honors, marking his second postseason recognition after being named honorable mention a year ago. Juntunen played in all 26 games, scoring 21 goals and adding 25 assists for 46 points. His 1.77 points per game ranked second in all of NCAA Division III.
Juntunen also recorded 11 power-play goals and three game-winners during his standout season. His 21 goals led the conference by a wide margin—four more than any other player. He also tied for first in the conference in assists with 25, sharing the top spot with teammate Mickel.
Mickel (Castle Rock, Colo. / Culver Military Academy), a defenseman, produced impressive numbers from the blue line and was named Defensive Player of the Year. He scored three goals and matched Juntunen with a conference-leading 25 assists. Mickel also played a key role defensively, blocking 26 shot attempts throughout the season.
Following the season, Mickel signed his first professional contract with the Knoxville Bears of the SPHL.
When the All-Conference duo shared the ice, the Cardinals thrived. Juntunen finished third in the conference in plus/minus with a plus-17 rating, while Mickel ranked sixth at plus-15.
Goaltender Prokop (Wausau, Wis. / Wausau West)also played a pivotal role in Saint Mary's success, earning Rookie of the Year honors in his first collegiate season. Prokop finished fourth in the conference with a .927 save percentage and recorded the third-most saves in the MIAC with 697, averaging 33.19 saves per game.
His biggest performance came against Gustavus Adolphus on Jan. 9, when he recorded a career-high 47 saves.
Prokop finished the season with 13 wins and one shutout, also earning All-Conference honors.
Joining his teammates on the All-Conference team was Carter Newpower (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park), who enjoyed a breakout season of his own. Newpower totaled 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 points, ranking second on the team in both goals and points behind Juntunen.
He recorded his first career hat trick at Beloit College and set a career high with four assists in a 5–3 win over Bethel. Newpower added two power-play goals and one game-winner during the season. He was also named to the MIAC All-Playoff Team after scoring the lone goal for the Cardinals in their MIAC semifinal matchup.
Team captain Jack Campion (Crystal, Minn./Armstrong-Cooper) earned his first postseason recognition with an Honorable Mention selection after returning from injury in his final season. Campion finished with nine goals and nine assists for 18 points. In the Cardinals' final home game of the season, he recorded his first career hat trick in a 7–3 win over Augsburg, scoring three goals on just four shots.
His nine goals ranked third on the team.
The Cardinals' season came to a close in the MIAC Semifinals at Gustavus Adolphus on Saturday, Feb. 28. Saint Mary's finished the year with a 14-10-2 overall record and a 10-5-1 mark in conference play, earning the No. 3 seed in the MIAC playoffs.
