Gophers’ Mike Reilly is First Team All-American…Again

MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) – For the second-consecutive year, Gopher Hockey’s Mike Reilly has been selected as a First Team All-American by the American Hockey Coaches Association -- making the two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year just the seventh player in University of Minnesota history to earn multiple All-America accolades.

The Chanhassen, Minn., native played in all 39 games as a junior this season and set new career highs with 42 points and 36 assists to lead all NCAA defensemen in scoring. His 42 points are the most by a Minnesota defenseman since 2001-02 when Jordan Leopold notched 48 points in route to a national championship and the Hobey Baker Award while Reilly is the first Minnesota defenseman to lead the team in scoring since Mike Crowley in 1996-97. The defenseman led the Big Ten and ranked tied for eighth nationally in plus/minus this year at +25 while leading the nation in power-play assists (19) as part of Minnesota’s top-ranked power play. Furthermore, Reilly’s 21 power-play points were tied for third nationally.

In addition to his All-America accolade this season, Reilly was also named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-Big Ten selection for the second-straight year after helping Minnesota to its second-straight Big Ten regular-season championship and fourth-straight overall conference title. The blueliner was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and represented the Gophers on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team after helping Minnesota to the program’s first conference playoff title since 2007.

Reilly was also a First Team All-American as a sophomore in 2013-14 and is now the seventh player in Gopher Hockey history to earn multiple All-America honors, joining Leopold (2001, 2002), Crowley (1996, 1997), Brian Bonin (1995, 1996), Jack McCartan (1957, 1958), Ken Yackel Sr. (1954, 1955, 1956) and John Mayasich (1952, 1953, 1954, 1955). The seven Gophers are tied with two First Team All-America honors each.

The junior defenseman has 89 points (18 goals, 71 assists) in 117 career games with the Maroon & Gold and has helped Minnesota to the NCAA tournament in each of his three years with the program including a national championship appearance in 2013-14.

One of three Reilly brothers on the Gopher Hockey roster and one of five Reilly siblings to play college hockey at Big Ten institutions, Reilly is a second-generation Gopher. His father, also Mike, played for Minnesota from 1979-81.