MSU (23-14-2) wasn't an elite hockey team this season, but it wasn't for a lack of elite players.
Two Spartans - senior defensemen John-Michael Liles and Brad Fast - were named to the JOFA All-American teams announced Wednesday by the American Hockey Coaches Association.
Liles made the West First Team, while Fast was named to the West Second Team.
Of the 24 players honored Wednesday, only three were on teams that didn't qualify for the NCAA Tournament - Liles, Fast and Yale forward Chris Higgins.
"In order to have a good individual season, you often need to be on a successful team," Liles said. "Not to say we weren't successful this year, but we fell short of our goals.
"But I think the committee liked the fact that Fastie and I still had good years and helped - with a lot of other guys - turn things around."
Liles, 22, was a second-team All-American last season. This year he lead the nation in points per game by a defenseman (1.28).
Liles paced MSU and finished fourth in the CCHA with 50 points. He also earned CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman honors and was one of 10 semifinalists for the Hobey Baker Award. He is now playing for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, where he has an assist and four penalty minutes in five games.
"I'm thrilled," Liles said. "Any time you have an honor like this bestowed on you, you have no choice but to be thrilled. And I couldn't be happier for Fastie. He easily could have taken my spot on the first team."
Fast, 23, is an All-American for the first time. He finished second on MSU with 46 points (11 goals, 35 assists) and was the Spartans' captain this year.
"I'm really excited," Fast said. "This isn't something I set out for at the start of the year, but it's a nice bonus at the end.
"Liles and I got to play together, and I think that helped us because we played really well off each other. I got to watch him in practice and see what he does and pick up little things from him."
Last month, Fast earned the CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman award and was named to the All-CCHA First Team.
After MSU's season ended, he played three games with the Lowell Lock Monsters of the AHL, recording no points and eight penalty minutes. The Lock Monsters missed the AHL playoffs, thus ending Fast's short rookie season.
