October 1, 2007

DETROIT - Bemidji State University senior goaltender Matt Climie (Leduc, Alberta) and junior forward Travis Winter (St. Cloud, Minn.) have been selected as members of the 2007-08 Preseason All-College Hockey America Team. The announcement came today from the CHA after the polling of its coaches. In the same poll, the Beavers were projected to finish third in the CHA standings in 2007-08.

The preseason laurel is the second of Climie's career while Winter makes his first appearance on the list.

Climie, a First-team All-CHA performer a year ago, led the league with 1,607 minutes in goal en route to a 11-9-5 record, a 2.88 goals-against average and .903 save percentage. His 2.88 GAA was tops among CHA goaltenders while his winning percentage (.540) placed him second and his save percentage was third in the league.

In 2006-07, Climie posted his sixth and seventh career shutouts and served as BSU backstop 83-percent of the Beavers' ice time marking the first time since the program started play in NCAA Division I that a Beaver netminder has played in more than 80-percent of the team's games during any one season.

In addition to his 2007 CHA accolades, Climie was a CHA All-Rookie Team selection in 2005 and was the first sophomore to be named CHA Preseason Player of the Year when he garnered the award prior to the 2005-06 campaign.

Winter, who appeared in just 16 games with 1-4=5 points as a freshman in 2005-06, burst on to the scene in 2006-07 tying Rob Sirianni for the team lead in point with 10-17=29--11th-most in College Hockey America. Winter’s 10 goals matched three others for 16th in CHA, while his 17 assists had him in 10th on the league leaderboard. Winter also scored five power-play goals and tied for third in the league with 2-1=3 short-handed points and two short-handed goals.

Winter had six multiple-point games this season, including a career-high 2-3=5 points in BSU’s 7-5 victory over Wayne State on Jan. 6. He was the Feb. 5, 2007 CHA Co-Player of the Week after scoring 1-3=4 points in BSU’s Feb. 2-3 series against Alabama-Huntsville. Winter had 1-2=3 points in a 5-5 Game 1 draw and had an assist in Game 2.

For his play, Winter became just the second BSU sophomore since 1999 to be named first-team all-conference.

In addition to Climie and Winter being recognized in the preseason release, Bemidji State earned a third-place billing a tightly contested preseason poll. With just two points separating first place from third, CHA coaches tabbed BSU behind 2006-07 regular-season champion Niagara University and 2007 CHA Tournament Championship game participant Robert Morris University with 12 points and one first-place vote. Niagara, reeled in a total of 14 points and two first-place nods to hold down the top spot while RMU garnered the final two first place ballots and 13 points to finish second.

Wayne State University grabbed six points to grab fifth in the vote while 2007 CHA Tournament Champion and NCAA Tournament participant University of Alabama-Huntsville rounded out the poll picking up the remaining five points.

Bemidji State is coming off of a 2006-07 season in which it went 14-14-5 to place second in the CHA standings (9-6-5) and mark its fifth consecutive season under head coach Tom Serratore with a record of at least .500. The Beavers return 19 players from 2006-07 for the coming season including Climie and Winter.

The Beavers open the 2007-08 campaign, their 52nd as an intercollegiate program and its ninth at the NCAA Division I level, Oct. 12-13 when they hosts Army for a two-game non-conference series at the John S. Glas Fieldhouse. Friday's opener is slated for a 7:35 p.m. start while the puck will drop at 7:05 Saturday.

2007-08 Preseason All-CHA Team
Ted Cook, Niagara, Jr., F, Hogansburg, N.Y.
Les Reaney, Niagara, Jr., F, Ceylon, Saskatchewan
Travis Winter, Bemidji State, Jr., F, St. Cloud, Minn.
Ryan Cruthers, Robert Morris, Sr., F, Farmingdale, N.Y.
Chris Kaufman, Robert Morris, Sr., D, Gig Harbor, Wash.
Scott Kalinchuk, Alabama-Huntsville, Jr., D, Bozeman, Mont.
Matt Climie, Bemidji State, Sr., G, Leduc, Alberta

--bsu--