WCHA Honors

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota’s Brad Eidsness was named Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Most Outstanding Student-Athlete and Ben Blood and Brock Nelson were selected to the All-WCHA Third Team, highlighting the league’s awards announced earlier today.

Additionally, 11 Fighting Sioux were named to the All-WCHA Academic Team.

Eidsness, a senior goalie, is the second straight Sioux and the fifth in the history of the program to receive the WCHA Most Outstanding Student-Athlete Award, joining Chay Genoway (2010-11), Karl Goehring (2000-01), Mitch Vig (1997-98) and Steve Johnson (1987-88).

A native of Chestermere, Alberta, Eidsness completed his bachelor’s degree in business administration following his junior season and will receive his master’s degree in business administration in May. Last year, Eidsness received the 2011 NCAA Elite 88 Award for men’s hockey at the NCAA Frozen Four for owning the highest grade point average among all participants at the championship. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a 3.779 cumulative grade point average as an undergraduate and boasts a 3.625 cumulative GPA in graduate school.

On the ice this season, Eidsness finished second in the WCHA during league games in goals against average (2.19) and save percentage (.919), while going 6-3-1. Overall this season, Eidsness is 7-3-1 with a 2.09 GAA and a .923 save percentage while moving into third place on UND’s career wins list (57).

Blood, a senior defenseman, has appeared in all 35 games this season and has amassed a career-high 17 points, with both of his goals counting as game-winners. A native of Plymouth, Minn., Blood averages approximately nearly 30 minutes of ice time per game and has appeared in 135 consecutive games, having not missed a game since his freshman season.

Nelson, a sophomore forward, led all WCHA players with 20 goals during league play and is tied for the league’s overall goal-scoring lead with 23. The Warroad, Minn., native, UND’s youngest 20-goal scorer since Jonathan Toews in 2005-06, leads the Sioux in game-winning goals (4), is tied for the team lead in power-play goals (9) and ranks second with a career-high 39 points.

Eidsness, Blood and Nelson were also among UND’s 11 All-WCHA Academic Team selections, with Eidsness and Blood joining Mario Lamoureux (Sr., Grand Forks, N.D.) and Tate Maris (Jr., Denver, Colo.) as three-time selections.

UND’s other All-WCHA honorees included two-time selections Andrew MacWilliam (Jr., Calgary, Alberta) and Carter Rowney (Jr., Sexsmith, Alberta), as well as first-time recipients Nelson, Taylor Dickin (So., Winnipeg, Manitoba), Derek Forbort (So., Duluth, Minn.), Derek Rodwell (So., Taber, Alberta) and Dillon Simpson (So., Edmonton, Alberta).
The 12th-ranked Sioux host Bemidji State in the opening round of the WCHA playoffs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (if necessary). The winner of the best-of-three series advances to the Red Baron WCHA Final Five March 15-17 in St. Paul.