Two Gophers second-team All-Americans

Published Apr. 6, 2012 7:22 p.m. ET

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MINNEAPOLIS — It's not the honor University of Minnesota hockey players Kent Patterson and Nick Bjugstad wanted to earn this week, but the two were named second-team All-Americans on Friday.

Patterson, a senior goaltender, started every game for the Gophers this season and finished with a 28-14-1 record, a 2.36 goals-against average, a .966 save percentage and a nation-best seven shutouts. Bjugstad, a sophomore forward, was second on the team in scoring with 42 points (25 goals, 17 assists).

They are the first Gophers to be named All-Americans since Ryan Stoa earned first-team honors in 2009. This is the first season two Minnesota players were All-Americans since 2004, when Keith Ballard (first-team) and Thomas Vanek (second-team) were recognized.

The Gophers lost in the Frozen Four semifinals on Thursday night, 6-1, to top-overall seed Boston College. The Eagles will face Ferris State in Saturday's national championship game.

Patterson is the first Gophers goaltender to be named an All-American since Robb Stauber in 1988. Stauber won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award that season, given to the best player in college hockey. Minnesota Duluth forward Jack Connolly was named this year's Hobey Baker winner on Friday.

Patterson, whose NHL rights are owned by the Colorado Avalanche, was named to the All-WCHA first-team and won the league's goaltending award in March. He finished his career first in school history in save percentage (.913), tied for first in goals-against average (2.45) and third in shutouts (seven), while starting the final 64 games of his career. He had a streak of 3,414:13 minutes played in goal this season before sitting out the final 20 minutes against Wisconsin on March 2.

Bjugstad, who was a first-round pick of the Florida Panthers in 2010 NHL draft, was fifth nationally with 25 goals -- the most by a Gopher since Ryan Potulny scored 38 in 2005-06. An All-WCHA first-team member, Bjugstad ahad a plus-21 rating in 40 games and played for the U.S. team in the World Junior Championships in December.

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