York
was a CCHA All-Rookie honoree in 2002, when he scored
26 points and had a +24 plus-minus rating.
Key
Statistics: Had the lowest offensive totals of his
Ferris State career as a junior, scoring four goals and adding
eight assists in 27 games (he missed 10 games in January and
February due to an injury). In 97 games with the Bulldogs,
York has scored 59 points, amassed 295 penalty minutes and
compiled a plus-minus rating of +66.
What
He Does: When York’s not beating you up –
he’s never recorded fewer than 84 PIMs in a season and
generally makes life miserable for opposing players –
he can beat you with his offensive prowess. Coach Bob Daniels
calls York a "free wheeler", saying they recruited
him to be an offensive defenseman.
The
Bigger Picture: Even though Ferris State brings back
five letterwinners on defense, it’s still a callow group
– outside of York, the four returnees have a combined
207 games of experience. Daniels needs York to be a workhorse
this season, so he'll have to cut down on bad penalties. It’s
also imperative that he return to the offensive form he displayed
during his first two seasons in Big Rapids. The graduation
of Simon Mangos, who scored 19 goals from the blue line over
the last two seasons, leaves a void on the point of FSU’s
top power-play unit.
Ferris State coach Bob Daniels on York:
“Matt is an instinct player. He has free reign
to do whatever he wants based on the reads he makes. We don't
try to dampen that at all. We let him do his thing.”
