(WIAC) – The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) has announced its men’s ice hockey awards for the 2026 season, based on voting by the conference coaches.
UW-River Falls’ Keenan Ingram was tabbed the Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, while UW-Stout’s Mike MacDonald claimed Coach of the Year accolades.
Ingram is the second player in program history to receive the player of the year distinction, joining Christian Hausinger (2020). Ingram is the first player in conference history to win both awards in the same season (the newcomer honor has been given since 2020). He leads the WIAC with 26 goals and 43 points, while tying for fourth with 17 assists. Ingram scored at least one goal in 18 games and recorded three hat tricks – Oct. 31 vs. Lawrence University (Wis.), and Feb. 13-14 vs. Beloit College (Wis.). Against Beloit on Feb. 13, he tallied six points, the most by a UW-River Falls player since Rob Novak had six points against College of Saint Scholastica (Minn.) in 2023. A newcomer is defined as a student-athlete who used his first season of participation in men’s ice hockey this season. Transfers are not eligible unless they didn’t participate in men’s ice hockey at their previous institution.
Repeat selections on the first team from a year ago include: UW-Stevens Point’s Nico Chmelevski and UW-Superior’s Tyler Ryder. In 2024, UW-Eau Claire’s Leo Bacallao, Max Gutjahr and Trenten Heyde were first team picks with Gutjahr being named Player of the Year.
MacDonald claimed the coaching award for the first time in his career. He has directed the Blue Devils to a 21-5-1 record – the most wins since the 2009 season, their first WIAC regular-season championship since 2011 and the first ever WIAC Tournament/Commissioner’s Cup title. UW-Stout will participate in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship on March 14.
An All-Sportsmanship Team was announced for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. It included one member from each institution as selected by that team.
2026 All-WIAC Men’s Ice Hockey Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (Last Team)
Leo Bacallao, Eau Claire, Senior, Forward, Madison, Wis. (Springfield-NAHL)
Nico Chmelevski, Stevens Point, Junior, Forward, Northville, Mich. (Bismark-NAHL)
Max Gutjahr, Eau Claire, Senior, Goalie, Kimberly, Wis. (Amarillo-NAHL)
Trenten Heyde, Eau Claire, Senior, Defenseman, Atlanta, Ga. (UW-Stout)
Keenan Ingram, River Falls, Freshman, Forward, Calgary, Alberta (Langley-BCHL)
Luke Margenau, River Falls, Freshman, Defenseman, Maple Grove, Minn. (Minnesota-NAHL)
Gavin Middendorf, River Falls, Freshman, Forward, Wyoming, Minn. (Minot-NAHL)
Sebastian Monaco, Stout, Freshman, Goalie, Caledon, Ontario (Toronto-OJHL)
Daniel Roszival, Superior, Junior, Forward, Chicago, Ill. (Calgary-AJHL)
Max Ruoho, Eau Claire, Senior, Defenseman, Madison, Wis. (Niagara Univ.)
Tyler Ryder, Superior, Senior, Defenseman, Byron Center, Mich. (Austin-NAHL)
Hayden Stocks, Stout, Sophomore, Forward, Edmonton, Alberta (Neepawa-MJHL)
Honorable Mention
Alex Atwill, River Falls, Sophomore, Forward, Thunder Bay, Ontario (Grande Prairie-AJHL)
Brennan Boynton, River Falls, Senior, Goalie, Champlin, Minn. (Fargo-USHL)
Sean Bunting, Stevens Point, Senior, Forward, Phoenix, Ariz. (Shreveport-NAHL)
Nolan Grier, Eau Claire, Sophomore, Forward, Fond du Lac, Wis. (North Iowa-NAHL)
Ryan Hintz, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Defenseman, Rockford, Ill. (Austin-NAHL)
Gunner Moore, Stout, Senior, Defenseman, Las Vegas, Nev. (Shreveport-NAHL)
Nicolas Pigeon, Stout, Junior, Forward, Gatineau, Quebec (Timmons-NOJHL)
Ben Portner, River Falls, Freshman, Forward, Lakeville, Minn. (Langley-BCHL)
Alex Proctor, Stevens Point, Senior, Goalie, Allen, Texas (Odessa-NAHL)
Cole Teleki, River Falls, Sophomore, Defenseman, Argyle, Texas (Oklahoma-NAHL)
Andrew Yocum, Beloit, Junior, Goalie, St. Louis, Mo. (Northland College)
All-Sportsmanship Team
Nick Bobroski, Beloit, Senior, Defenseman, Fuquay-Varina, N.C. (Northland College)
Max Collette, River Falls, Senior, Forward, St. Malo, Minn. (Wichita Falls-NAHL)
Owen Dean, Stevens Point, Junior, Forward, Calgary, Alberta (Camrose-AJHL)
Tyler Herzberg, Eau Claire, Junior, Forward, Germantown, Wis. (Fairbanks-NAHL)
Tristian Therrien, Stout, Senior, Forward, Prevost, Quebec (UW-Superior)
Roope Tuomioksa, Superior, Freshman, Forward, Tuusula, Finland (Mäkelänrinne Sports High)
Player of the Year: Keenan Ingram – River Falls
Newcomer of the Year: Keenan Ingram – River Falls
Coach of the Year: Mike MacDonald – Stout
Max Sparger Scholar Athlete: Trenten Heyde – Eau Claire
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