Erik Cooper, St. Norbert's senior captain from Anchorage, on Thursday was named an NCAA Division III All-American First-Team forward by the American Hockey Coaches Association.
Cooper has led the Green Knights (man, I dig that nickname) to the national semis finals, which open Friday in Lake Placid, New York. All he's done in lead his club in assists and points -- 12-21--32 in 29 games -- and deliver a school-record, 19-game point streak. Cooper has at least one point in 27 of 29 games this season.
Prior to be voted All-American, he was voted the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association's Player of the Year.
All this got us to thinking: Why do we not have a list of Alaskans who have been All-Americans. So we poured over the info from the last 30-plus years and put together a list (Please advise at dwoody@alaskadispatch if you think we missed someone -- always a possibility. And remember, Alaskans only, players who developed here and lived here, not just players who played in Alaska. For instance, UAF's Colton Parayko, now with the St. Louis Blues, doesn't qualify for our list -- he's a cool kid who is also Canadian).
Alaska's men's NCAA Division I All-Americans
2006 -- Matt Carle, Anchorage, Denver, 1st Team D
2005 -- Matt Carle, Anchorage, Denver, 1st Team D
2001 -- Ty Conklin, Anchorage, New Hampshire, 1st Team G
2000 -- Ty Conklin, Anchorage, New Hampshire, 2nd Team D
1999 -- Brian Swanson, Eagle River, Colorado College, 1st Team F
1998 -- Brian Swanson, Eagle River, Colorado College, 2nd Team F
1990 -- Kord Cernich, Anchorage, Lake Superior State, 2nd Team D
1989 -- Kord Cernich, Anchorage, Lake Superior State, 1st Team D
Alaska's women's NCAA Division I All-Americans
2002 -- Kerry Weiland, Palmer, Wisconsin, 1st Team D
Alaska's men's NCAA Division III All-Americans
2016 -- Erik Cooper, Anchorage, St. Norbert, 1st Team F
2015 -- Ryan Cole, Anchorage, Trinity, 1st Team F
2009 -- Jack Wolgemuth, Anchorage, Wisconsin-Stout, 2nd Team D
2008 -- Jack Wolgemuth, Anchorage, Wisconsin-Stout, 2nd Team D
1998 -- Forrest Gore, Palmer, Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 2nd Team F
1997 -- Forrest Gore, Palmer Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 1st Team F
1984 -- Ron Benton, Anchorage, UAA, 2nd Team G
1983 -- Ron Benton, Anchorage, UAA, 2nd Team G
Alaska's women's NCAA Division III All-Americans
2013 -- Kayla Parsons, Fairbanks, Norwich, 2nd Team D
2001 -- Genna Allegrezza, Anchorage, Manhattanville, 2nd Team D