The 2012-2013 men’s hockey season came to an abrupt end when St. Thomas lost to Gustavus Adolphus College 1-0 in the semifinal round of the conference playoffs; but defenseman Mike Krieg, who was a sophomore at the time, received national recognition.

Head coach Jeff Boeser said he was proud of Krieg making the CCM Division-III All-American team.

“I’m just really happy for him,” Boeser said. “It just shows what other coaches think of Mike as a player.”

The All-American junior said the team struggled last year, but hopes the 2013-2014 season brings more success.

“We had kind of a rough year last year, so we weren’t really putting pucks in the net,” Krieg said. “I was lucky to contribute a little bit and put up some decent points I’d say.”

Krieg had six goals and nine assists during his sophomore year, and he hopes to springboard off last year’s success.

“For this season, I’d like to contribute offensively and still be reliable in the defensive zone and step into a more leadership role for our team,” Krieg said.

Boeser said Krieg is “a coach’s dream” because of his humility and work ethic.

“Mike is just probably the quietest, humblest young man that I have ever coached. He’s just so gifted and talented, and he doesn’t let anything go to his head,” Boeser said. “He just comes to work, works hard every day, and he just loves to play hockey.”

Molly Sigler can be reached at sigl1215@stthomas.edu.