Eleven players competing for an NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship in Boston this weekend have been honored as JOFA ALL-AMERICANS for 2003-04. NCAA semifinalists Boston College and Maine led all teams with four players each, while the other semifinalists, Minnesota Duluth and Denver, had two and one, respectively. Also with multiple honorees: Michigan State, Minnesota, and North Dakota, each with a pair.

Noteworthy among the selections:

• The only player who was previously honored was Brown University goaltender Yann Danis, a Second Team choice in 2001-2002 and a First Team choice this year.

• Four honorees hail from Europe: Bernd Brückler of Wisconsin and Thomas Vanek of Minnesota are both from Graz, Austria; Thomas Pöck of Massachusetts is from Klagenfurt, Austria; and Colin Shields of Maine is from Glasgow, Scotland.

• The team includes 12 seniors, seven juniors, five sophomores, and a lone freshman (defenseman A.J. Thelen of Michigan State.)

• While injuries prevented Boston College forward Ben Eaves from repeat recognition (First Team last year; Second Team in 2001-02), his brother Patrick earned Second Team honors. The standard for brother acts would be the five First Team selections of Harvard’s Mark (three) and Scott (two) from 1981 to 1986 (none in 1984.)

The JOFA ALL-AMERICAN ICE HOCKEY TEAMS are sponsored by JOFA, an international leader in hockey equipment, and chosen by members of the AMERICAN HOCKEY COACHES ASSOCIATION.