FAIRBANKS, AK - For the first time in Alaska Nanook hockey history, a player has been named to the Lowe's Senior Class Award All-Senior All-America First Team. Senior center Dion Knelsen (Three Hills, AB, Drumheller (AJHL)) became the second Nanook in the past two years and the third in the award's four-year history to garner a spot on one of the Lowe's All-Senior All-America teams.
Knelsen follows in the footsteps of his former teammate Trevor Hyatt (2005-09), who was a second team selection last season, and his current teammate with the ECHL's Alaska Aces in center Curtis Fraser (2003-07), who also garnered second team honors in 2006-2007.
The 5-9 center adds another notch to his already impressive list of 2009-10 accolades. Knelsen is one of just seven finalists for the 2010 BNY Mellon Wealth Hockey Humanitarian Award and collected six awards at the team's end of season banquet last Saturday, including Steve Moria Most Valuable Player.
In his four-year career with the Blue and Gold, Knelsen led the team in scoring for three consecutive seasons. This year he achieved a single-season career best with 19 goals and 24 assists good for 43 points, bringing his career totals to 45-75-120 in 148 career outings. His 120 points rank 17th among Alaska's all-time career scoring leaders.
The 2010 CCHA Scholar Athlete of the Year and winner of the 2010 Mike and Mariam Ilitch Humanitarian Award, Knelsen maintains a 3.94 grade-point average in his academic studies and is a finalist for the University of Alaska Fairbanks Joel Weigert award that honors UAF's Outstanding Graduating Senior Male.
Knelsen, who is with the Aces in Stockton, California, where they are playing the Stockton Thunder in a best of five playoff series, will graduate from UAF with a degree in business administration next month.
