Courtesy of Nichols College Sports Information Department

Nichols College men's ice hockey seniors Ryan Gervais (Chicago, Ill.) and Cole Ruwe (Pekin, Ill.) have been named 2008-09 New England Hockey Writers All-Stars, as announced this week. In addition, men's ice hockey head coach Lou Izzi has earned ECAC Northeast Coach of the Year honors from the New England Hockey Writers for the second-straight season.

Gervais led Nichols with 38 points on 13 goals and 25 assists, ranking him sixth in scoring in the ECAC Northeast. The forward led the league with 20 power play points (6-14-20), helping the Bison to nation's seventh-best power play (25.4%). An All-ECAC Northeast Second Team honoree, he wrapped up his career with 130 points on 61 goals and 69 assists, ranking him fourth on the Nichols College all-time scoring charts. His 61 goals place him fifth on the Bison's all-time goal-scoring chart, and he stands seventh on the all-time assists list.

The league's top offensive defenseman, Ruwe netted a career-high 30 points on five goals and 25 assists, ranking him ninth in scoring among the nation's blueliners. An All-ECAC Northeast First Team selection, he anchored the Nichols defense that held opponents to a stingy 24.6 shots per game. Ruwe capped his four-year career with 97 points in 110 games, netting 20 goals to go with 77 assists - just two shy of the Nichols College all-time record for helpers.

In his fifth year at the helm of the program, Izzi guided Nichols to the ECAC Northeast regular-season and championship titles for the first time in program history. Also named the ECAC Northeast Coach of the Year, Izzi led the Bison to the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament, only the second team of any sport at Nichols to do so. He guided the Bison to a program-best 25-4 record, marking the team's fourth-straight winning season.

The New England Hockey Writers All-Star teams will be honored at the annual awards banquet Monday, April 13 at the Prince Restaurant in Saugus, Mass. Coaches, student-athletes, family members and friends can contact John Gruppo at (617) 373-7409 for information on attending the event. Cost is $30 per person.

Full Team Release: http://www.newenglandallstars.com/hockey/release033109.html