ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team has elected its captain and alternate captains for the 2018-19 season, as announced by head coach Mel Pearson on Monday (May 21). Rising senior defenseman Joseph Cecconi will serve as captain, while classmate and fellow blue-liner Nicholas Boka will serve as alternate captain alongside rising juniors Luke Martin, Will Lockwood and Jake Slaker.

Cecconi becomes the 99th captain in the program's history, joining the likes of Al Renfrew, Red Berenson, Mel Wakabayashi, Brendan Morrison, Kevin Porter and JT Compher, to name a few.

Cecconi had a breakout junior season in 2017-18, setting career highs in goals (five), assists (22) and points (27). The Youngstown, New York, native ranked sixth on the team in points, while his 27 points were second best amongst blue-liners, while serving as an alternate captain.  

Boka saw action in 39 games in 2017-18, tallying seven points (one goal, six assists), while ranking tied for second on the team with a plus-16 rating. The Plymouth, Michigan, native recorded his first goal in Michigan's 6-2 win over Boston University (March 25) in the NCAA Northeast Regional Final, which advanced U-M into the 2018 Frozen Four.

Martin appeared in all 40 contests during his sophomore campaign, recording one goal and seven helpers for eight points. The St. Louis, Missouri, native ranked tied for second on the team with a 16 plus-minus rating, while also seeing significant time on the special team units.

Coming off an injury-plagued, albeit, promising rookie year, Lockwood was poised for a breakout sophomore season before suffering a season-ending injury in January while representing USA In the IIHF World Junior Championships. Prior to the injury, the Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, native had recorded 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 16 games with a plus-five rating.

Slaker had a strong sophomore season ranking fifth on the team in points with 27 (15 goals, 22 assists), setting career highs in goals and points, while serving as an alternate captain for the 2017-18 season.