Former Tri-City Storm goaltender and current sophomore at the University of Minnesota Adam Wilcox was named the first ever Big Ten Player of the Year on Monday afternoon.

From the Big Ten release:

The Big Ten Conference announced the hockey All-Conference teams and individual award winners on Monday as selected by the conference’s coaches and a media panel. Minnesota’s Adam Wilcox was named Big Ten Player and Goaltender of the Year. Fellow Gopher Mike Reilly earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, awarded to a defenseman or forward, while Minnesota head coach Don Lucia was tabbed Coach of the Year. Michigan’s JT Compher collected Freshman of the Year laurels.

Wilcox led the conference in every goaltending category en route to Big Ten Player and Goaltender of the Year honors. The sophomore allowed just 30 goals in 18 conference games, for a goals-against average of 1.64. No other Big Ten goaltender posted a goals against average of less than 2.00. Wilcox recorded 479 saves and a .941 save percentage en route to a 13-2-3 conference record.

While with Tri-City during the 2011-12 season, Wilcox played in 34 games and had an overall record of 16-17-1. The goaltender finished with a goals against average of 2.77 and a save percentage of .916. Wilcox’s play down the stretch helped Tri-City secure a playoff berth, finishing in sixth place in the USHL’s Western Conference with 53 points.

The Storm are back in action this weekend when they host the Green Bay Gamblers for a weekend series.Friday night’s game gets underway at 7:30 p.m., while Saturday’s action starts at 7:05.