The toughest task in sports isn't what you'd think it is. Contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to with guarding Kobe Bryant on the perimeter, putting an open-field juke on Brian Urlacher or going yard on an Eric Gagne fastball. As seemingly impossible as these tasks appear, they have been accomplished, albeit rarely.
In fact, the most arduous task in all of sports has nothing to do with physical ability. Rather, it's an exercise of mental acumen.
Specifically, identifying the two most deserving players to represent the forwards on the 2006-07 All-CCHA team. Sounds easy enough right? It is until you actually scour the list of candidates and realize you'd have an easier time cutting a Miss America contestant than giving the axe to all but two CCHA forwards.
Consider the possibilities. Let's start with the candidates right here in Oxford with RedHawks Nate Davis and Ryan Jones. Davis, who sat in pole-position in most Hobey Baker watch lists for the bulk of the season, ranks fifth in the nation with 48 points, courtesy of his 20 goals and 28 assists. But even Davis would have a tough time comparing to teammate Jones, who's been playing at a higher level than any other player in the nation over the past couple weeks. The junior from Ontario has recorded an astounding seven goals over the last four games in catapulting the 'Hawks from being an NCAA Tournament bubble team to a near certainty come tournament time in March.
Up in Ann Arbor, Mich., the decisions become far more muddled. Led by senior T.J. Hensick, the Wolverines boast three guys who rank in the top 19 nationally in points. Only the Air Force's Eric Ehn has registered more points than Hensick, and fellow
forwards Kevin Porter and Andrew Cogliano follow close behind. This triumvirate doesn't even include Michigan's sophomore defenseman Jack Johnson, probably the most NHL-ready player in the league.
In Omaha, Neb., it's reigning CCHA Player of the Year Scott Parse and senior revelation Alex Nikiforuk, who'll both legitimately vie for all-conference honors. Throw in Northern Michigan's Mike Santorelli (second nationally in goals), Western Michigan's Mark Letestu (nation-best five shorthanded goals) and Michigan State's Bryan Lerg, and you've got more offensive firepower coming out of the CCHA than in every other league combined. It's mind-boggling, but the CCHA represents nine of the nations top 21 scorers.
Although the brilliant goaltending of Notre Dame's David Brown and Lake Superior State's Jeff Jakaitis cannot be overlooked, it's been the offensive assault on the net from the front lines of the CCHA that has vaulted the conference to the foreground of the college hockey landscape. Highlighted by the Fighting Irish's No. 1 national ranking, the CCHA is represented by four teams - Notre Dame, Miami, Michigan and Michigan State - all of which are nationally ranked in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll.
The timing for a conference other than the Western Collegiate Hockey Association to assert its identity as the nation's premier league has been long overdue. In a remarkable display of dominance, every national champion and Hobey Baker winner since 2002 has hailed from the WCHA. And while the likes of St. Cloud State, Minnesota, North Dakota and Denver cannot be discounted in any discussion of 2006-07's contenders, the pinnacle of college hockey is no longer located at the peaks of the Rockies, but in the flatlands of the Midwest. And there's more than a few CCHA forwards looking to keep blasting their team to the top.
