UND players earn All-WCHA honors

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota senior forwards Danny Kristo and Corban Knight have been named to the 2012-13 All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Team announced today by the league office. Kristo was named to the first team while Knight earned second-team honors. It was the first All-WCHA honor for both players.

Additionally, freshman forward Rocco Grimaldi was named to the All-WCHA Rookie Team, while 11 UND student-athletes earned All-WCHA Academic Team honors.

Kristo led the team in scoring during league play, collecting 17 goals and 20 assists in 28 games. In 34 games overall this season, the Eden Prairie, Minn., native is tied with Knight for the team scoring lead with 45 points, including a career-high 21 goals. He ranks third nationally in goals per game (0.62) and fourth in goals. A two-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week, Kristo leads the nation with 31 points since Dec. 8 and ranks second with 16 goals during that time. Kristo leads all active NCAA Division I men’s hockey players with 154 career points and ranks second with 63 career goals.

Knight collected 12 goals and 23 assists in 28 WCHA games this season and has a career-high 45 points in 35 overall games this season. The High River, Alberta, native, ranks third nationally in assists and seventh in scoring. He has collected at least one point in 29 different games, more than any other player in the WCHA, and leads the nation with a school-record 525 faceoff wins. Earlier this season, Knight put together a 19-game point streak that was UND’s longest in 25 years, and he also became UND’s first player since Zach Parise (2002-04) to record two seasons of 30-plus assists.

Grimaldi tied for third in the WCHA rookie scoring race with 26 points in 28 games, collecting 10 goals and 16 assists. In 34 games this season, Grimaldi ranks third on the team in points (31) and goals (13). A native of Rossmoor, Calif., Grimaldi is averaging 0.91 points per game, tying him for fourth in the WCHA and ninth nationally.

UND’s 11 selections to the All-WCHA Academic team included four-time selection Tate Maris (Sr., Denver, Colo.), three-time selection Andrew MacWilliam (Sr., Calgary, Alberta), and two-time honorees Derek Rodwell (Jr., Taber, Alberta) and Dillon Simpson (Jr., Edmonton, Alberta). Connor Gaarder (So., Edina, Minn.), Rocco Grimaldi (Fr., Rossmoor, Calif.), Mark MacMillan (So., Penticton, British Columbia), Mitch MacMillan (Jr., Penticton, British Columbia), Nick Mattson (So., Chanhassen, Minn.), Brendan O’Donnell (So., Winnipeg, Manitoba) and Dan Senkbeil (So., Fremont, Calif.) each earned their first selections.

UND has now placed 97 student-athletes on the All-WCHA Academic Team during head coach Dave Hakstol’s nine-year tenure, including a school-record 16 in 2010-11.

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.

hockey polls

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – A sweep to close out the regular season and just five losses in the last 23 games have North Dakota ranked No. 12 in both national polls this week.

After closing out the regular season with a pair of wins over Minnesota State, UND climbed two spots in the USCHO.com poll and three spots in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, and is now ranked 12th in both.

Boston College was the unanimous No. 1 in both polls.

The Sioux will host Bemidji State in the first round of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) playoffs March 9-11 at Ralph Engelstad Arena. UND is 16-5-2 since suffering a 1-0 loss at BSU on Nov. 20.


USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll

Rk. School (1st place) Record Pts. PR
1. Boston College (50) 25-10-1 1000 1
2. Ferris State 22-9-5 904 3
3. Minnesota Duluth 22-8-6 846 2
4. Michigan 21-11-4 821 6
5. Minnesota 24-12-1 792 4
6. Boston University 21-12-1 776 4
7. Massachusetts-Lowell 22-10-1 703 8
8. Union 20-7-7 697 7
9. Denver 21-11-4 591 9
10.Maine 20-11-3 526 10
11.Miami 21-13-2 508 11
12.North Dakota 20-12-3 419 14
13.Cornell 15-7-7 409 13
14.Merrimack 17-10-7 366 12
15.Michigan State 19-13-4 347 15
16.Western Michigan 17-13-6 249 16
17.Notre Dame 19-16-3 171 18
18.Colorado College 18-14-2 155 19
19.Air Force 17-9-7 71 20
20.Lake Superior State 18-15-5 39 NR

Others Receiving Votes: Northern Michigan 37, Harvard 26, Quinnipiac 26, Colgate 11, Ohio State 6, St. Cloud State 2, Nebraska Omaha 1, Robert Morris 1.


USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll

Rk. School (1st place) Record Pts. PR
1. Boston College (34) 25-10-1 510 1
2. Ferris State 22-9-5 443 3
3. Minnesota Duluth 22-8-6 408 2
4. Minnesota 24-12-1 381 5
5. Michigan 21-11-4 374 6
6. Boston University 21-12-1 343 4
7. Union 20-7-7 323 7
8. Massachusetts-Lowell22-10-1 322 8
9. Denver 21-11-4 234 10
10.Maine 20-11-3 177 11
11.Miami 21-13-2 167 9
12.North Dakota 20-12-3 124 15
13.Cornell 15-7-7 13 13
14.Merrimack 17-10-7 75 12
15.Michigan State 19-13-4 67 14

Others Receiving Votes: Western Michigan 9, Colorado College 5, Notre Dame 5, Northern Michigan 3, Air Force 2.

Series ticket packages for WCHA 1st round on sale Tuesday

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Series ticket packages for North Dakota's Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) first-round playoff series will go on sale on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 10 a.m. Central.

Ticket packages for both the general public and UND students go on sale beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Student tickets will be available online only at Ticketmaster.com. General public ticket packages can be purchased by calling 1-800-745-3000, logging on to Ticketmaster.com or by visiting the UND Ticket Office at the Ralph Engelstad Arena. The ticket office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

UND students will receive an e-mail with a keyword needed to purchase a series ticket passage. Student ticket packages will be held for students until the student pre-sale ends on Thursday, March 1 at 5 p.m. All unsold student tickets will then be released to the general public at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 2. Students may purchase up to four reserved seat tickets per UND student ID.

Series ticket packages are $40 for adults, $20 for youth and $14 for UND students.

Single-game WCHA first-round playoff tickets will go one sale on Tuesday, March 6 at 10 a.m. Single-game tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for youth and $7 for UND students. Single-game tickets are subject to availability.

The first round of the WCHA playoffs take place March 9, 10 and 11 (if necessary). Game times are 7:37 p.m. on Friday and 7:07 on Saturday and Sunday. All times Central. UND's first-round opponent has not yet been determined.

UND's Knight named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - University of North Dakota junior center Corban Knight has been named Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in UND's series last weekend against Michigan Tech.

Knight registered three goals and four points while winning more than 62 percent of his faceoffs as the Fighting Sioux took three of four WCHA points from the Huskies. Knight had two goals and an assist in UND's 4-2 win on Friday, then scored the lone Sioux goal in Saturday's 1-1 overtime tie. It was the first 3-goal series of Knight's career.

The 6-foot-2, 193-pound Knight won 15 of 24 (62.5 percent) faceoffs on Friday and 18 of 29 (62.1 percent) on Saturday. A key member of UND's special teams units, Knight helped the Sioux go 3-for-7 (42.9 percent) on the power play and a perfect 6-for-6 on the penalty kill.

In 28 games this season, Knight has 30 points and is tied for the team lead with 19 assists.

Minnesota's Kent Patterson and Kyle Rau were named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week and WCHA Rookie of the Week, respectively.

Knight and the 14th-ranked Sioux travel to Denver on Friday and Saturday for a WCHA series against the ninth-ranked Pioneers.

USCHO.com DI men's hockey poll

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - North Dakota will return from a week off ranked No. 16 in the latest USCHO.com Division I men's hockey poll released today.

UND, which has lost just three times in its last 15 games (11-3-1), climbed one spot from last week's No. 17 ranking. UND will travel to third-ranked Minnesota Duluth on Friday and Saturday. The Bulldogs had been the nation's top-ranked team prior to last weekend's split at Alaska Anchorage.

Boston University, one of six teams to receive first-place votes, was the No. 1 team in this week's poll, followed by No. 2 Minnesota, No. 3 UMD, No. 4 Michigan and No. 5 Boston College.

USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll

Rk. School (1st place) Record Pts. PR
1. Boston University (12) 16-8-1 930 3
2. Minnesota (22) 19-9-1 922 2
3. Minnesota Duluth (10) 18-6-4 899 1
4. Michigan (4) 17-9-4 805 7
5. Boston College 16-10-1 770 5
6. Ferris State (1) 18-8-4 760 6
7. Massachusetts-Lowell (1) 18-7-0 716 9
8. Merrimack 15-6-5 704 4
9. Notre Dame 16-11-3 536 8
10. Colorado College 15-9-2 534 11
11. Union 16-6-7 507 11
12. Maine 16-8-3 445 15
13. Cornell 11-6-6 333 14
14. Denver 15-9-4 319 13
15. Ohio State 14-10-5 289 10
16. North Dakota 15-10-2 253 17
17. Michigan State 15-11-4 218 NR
18. Western Michigan 14-11-5 202 16
19. Northern Michigan 12-10-6 108 19
20. Miami 15-13-2 93 18

Others Receiving Votes: Colgate 87, Lake Superior State 45, Quinnipiac 12, Air Force 4, Harvard 4, St. Cloud State 2, Northeastern 1.

BSU's Andrew Walsh named WCHA Rookie fo the Week

MADISON, Wis. – Goaltender Andrew Walsh, who backstopped his Bemidji State University men’s hockey team to a 2-1 home-ice victory over nationally-ranked Denver last weekend, has been named Red Baron® WCHA Rookie of the Week for Dec. 13.

A 6-2, 190-pound freshman form Dawson Creek, B.C., Walsh turned aside a career-high 36 shots last Saturday to boost Bemidji State to it’s first win over the Pioneers in a series that dates to 1967 (1-9-0). His 36 saves on 37
shots resulted in a .973 saves percentage and he also served as the last line of defense for BSU’s league-leadingpenalty-kill unit that held the Pioneers scoreless

UND goalie Aaron Dell named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota junior goalie Aaron Dell has been named Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA)Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in UND’s series split with Nebraska Omaha last weekend.

Dell stopped 59 of 61 shots (.967 save percentage) in the series,including a 26-save shutout that earned him the game’s No. 1 star in UND’s 1-0 win on Saturday. It was his first shutout of the season and eighth of his career, which ranks fourth all-time at UND behind only Karl Goehring (15), Jordan Parise (10), and Jean-Philippe Lamoureux (10). One night earlier, Dell stopped 33 of 35 shots and was named the No. 2 star in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Mavericks.

Over his last three starts Dell owns a 0.99 goals against average and a .963 save percentage. In 16 games this season (15 starts), the Airdrie, Alberta, native is 6-7-1 with a 2.80 goals against average and an .895 save percentage.

Alaska Anchorage junior forward Mitch Bruijsten and Minnesota sophomore defenseman Mark Alt shared WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors, while Bemidji State freshman goalie Andrew Walsh was named WCHA Rookie of the Week.

UND (9-8-1, 7-7-0 WCHA) closes out the first half of the season on Saturday with an exhibition game against the Russian Red Stars.

The puck drops at 7:07 at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Alaska, Ferris State and Lake Superior State accept WCHA membership invitations

BEMIDJI, Minn. -- Less than 24 hours after receiving formal invitations to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), the University
of Alaska Fairbanks, Ferris State University and Lake Superior State University have made their intentions known. All three teams have
accepted membership offers and will join the Association beginning with the 2013-14 season.

The announcement is a product of a series of discussions between representatives of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) and
WCHA, including an Aug. 23 meeting in Chicago. The two leagues also agreed to continue to hold regular talks to address topics such as
by-laws, scheduling, tournament scenarios, finances and additional membership.

Thursday (Aug. 25), the Association extended invitations to the five remaining CCHA member institutions, on behalf of the six member teams
that would have comprised WCHA membership following the 2012-13 season. The WCHA-member presidents set a 30-day response time
line for acceptance for membership.

“This is an outstanding day for Ferris State Bulldog hockey and college hockey in general. The uncertainty of the past five months has caused
some genuine angst and instability on hockey playing campuses across the country,” Ferris State Athletics Director Perk Weisenburger said.
“Through the vision, leadership and cooperative spirit of the institutions in these two tradition-rich conferences there is a renewed sense of
stability, excitement and a new direction for hockey programs in both the CCHA and WCHA.”

“The WCHA provides a unified group of schools that are committed to Division I hockey. Membership in this conference will provide advantages
for both our fans and our student-athletes,” Alaska Fairbanks Head Coach Dallas Ferguson said, noting that he is thankful the Nanooks
now have a clear path forward for the coming years.

“This will be a great step for our program – to find a league with teams that are similar to ours,” Lake Superior State Director of Athletics
Kris Dunbar said. “We will be in a conference with similar schools and good hockey traditions. This should be appealing to fans, alumni and
recruits. Our fans will continue to see good college hockey played in Taffy Abel Arena for years to come.”

Alaska Fairbanks, Ferris State and Lake Superior State join University of Alaska Anchorage, Bemidji State University, Michigan Technological
University, Minnesota State University, Mankato, St. Cloud State University and Northern Michigan University, which accepted an offer to join the WCHA beginning in 2013-14 on July 20, as member institutions of the WCHA beginning in 2013-14.

Bowling Green State University and Western Michigan University have not formally responded to the invitation.

UND's Frattin named National Player of the Month

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota senior forward Matt Frattin is the Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) National Division I Player of the Month for March/April.

The 6-foot, 206-pound forward helped the Fighting Sioux to an 8-1-0 record in April, and Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) regular season and tournament championships by recording nine goals and nine assists. He tallied one power-play goal, one shorthanded goal and three game-winning goals.

Frattin finished March and April with a +11 rating while averaging 2.00 points per game in nine contests.

The Edmonton, Alberta, native had a pair of four-point games, one three-point game and five multiple-point contests in March and April. Frattin scored both game-winning goals for North Dakota in the WCHA Final Five and was named the tournament’s most valuable player.

Frattin opened the month with a goal and three assists, including the game-winning goal, at Michigan Tech, and added another goal and two more assists the following night. Frattin opened the WCHA playoffs against MTU with a hat trick and an assist, with the hat trick coming off a power-play, short-handed and even-strength goal.

At the WCHA Final Five, Frattin scored the game-winning goal in the semifinal matchup against Colorado College, and the game-winning goal in double overtime of the WCHA Final Five championship game against Denver. He recorded a goal and two assists at the NCAA Midwest Regional in wins over Rensselaer and Denver, advancing the Fighting Sioux to the Frozen Four for the 19th time in school history.

Frattin led the NCAA with 36 goals and ranked second with 60 points this season and was named the College Hockey News’ Player of the Year, a Hobey Hat Trick finalist, and an American Hockey Coaches Association (WCHA) All-America first team selection.

Colorado College forward Jaden Schwartz is the HCA Rookie of the Month.

UND's Gregoire named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - University of North Dakota junior forward Jason Gregoire has been named Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Offensive Player of the Week, announced today by the league office.

Gregoire registered four points and a +3 plus/minus rating in UND's sweep of Alaska Anchorage last weekend, a sweep that enabled the Fighting Sioux to take over first place in the WCHA and clinch home ice for the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Gregoire had a goal and an assist in UND's 6-1 win on Friday, then followed with another goal and an assist in Saturday's 3-1 victory. He also helped the Sioux kill all nine UAA power-plays in the series.

Gregoire is currently enjoying a six-game point streak, with six goals and four assists during that stretch. In eight games since returning from an injury in mid-January, Gregoire has eight goals and four assists.

Gregoire has 25 points in 24 games this season and ranks second on the team with 14 goals.

Nebraska Omaha sophomore goalie John Faulkner was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week, and UNO freshman forward Johnnie Searfoss and St. Cloud State freshman defensemen Nick Jensen were named WCHA co-Rookies of the Week.

Gregoire and the second-ranked Sioux (21-8-2, 16-6-0 WCHA) travel to St. Cloud State for a WCHA series with the Huskies on Friday and Saturday.

Ticket packages for WCHA 1st Round playoff series on sale Wednesday

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Ticket packages for North Dakota’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association first round playoff series will go on sale to UND students and the general public at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 16. Playoff ticket packages include tickets for all three potential games in the series.

The best-of-three series will be played at Ralph Engelstad Arena on March 11, 12 and 13 (if necessary). Game times are 7:37 p.m. Central on Friday, and 7:07 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday (if necessary).

Ticket packages for the series are $40 for adults, $20 for youth and $14 for UND students with a valid UND student identification card.

Public playoff ticket packages can be purchased at the UND box office at Ralph Engelstad Arena, all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at (800) 745.3000 or online at Ticketmaster.com. Fighting Sioux men’s hockey season-ticket holders already have first round playoff series tickets included in their season ticket package.

Student playoff ticket packages must be purchased online at Tickemaster.com and will be held exclusively for UND students until the pre-sale ends on Monday, Feb. 28 at 10 p.m. Students are allowed to purchase up to four reserved seat tickets per UND student ID, and must present their UND student ID at the gate. Because UND spring break coincides with the first round of the playoffs, all unsold student tickets will be opened to the public at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 1.

Single-game tickets will not go on sale until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 1, subject to availability.

UND’s opponent for the first round of the WCHA playoffs has not yet been determined.

Sweep of Seawolves vaults North Dakota to No. 2 in national polls

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Following a convincing two-game sweep of Alaska Anchorage, North Dakota has jumped from fifth to second in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls released today.

UND climbed past Yale, Minnesota Duluth and Denver and now sits behind only top-ranked Boston College, which was the unanimous No. 1 in each of this week’s polls.

The Sioux defeated UAA 6-1 on Friday and 3-1 on Saturday to take over first place in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings. UND also became the first WCHA team this season to secure home ice for the first round of the league’s playoffs.

UND has faced seven of the top 20 teams in this week’s USCHO poll, as well as two others which received votes.

The Sioux (21-8-2, 16-6-0 WCHA) take to the road next weekend for a WCHA series at St. Cloud State. UND owns a one-point lead over Denver in the WCHA standings, and a two-point lead over third-place Minnesota Duluth and Nebraska Omaha.

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll
Rk. School (1st place) Record Pts.

1. Boston College (50) 21-6-0 1000
2. North Dakota 21-8-2 956
3. Yale 20-5-0 889
4. Denver 18-7-5 814
5. Minnesota Duluth 18-6-5 774
6. Merrimack 19-5-4 739
7. Union 22-7-3 714
8. New Hampshire 17-7-4 606
9. Notre Dame 18-9-5 599
10. Miami 17-9-6 525
11. Michigan 19-9-4 517
12. Wisconsin 19-10-3 440
13. Nebraska Omaha 18-10-2 412
14. Rensselaer 18-8-4 387
15. Boston University 14-8-7 290
16. Dartmouth 15-7-3 250
17. Western Michigan 15-7-10 236
18. Colorado College 17-14-1 102
19. Maine 12-10-6 92
20. Ferris State 16-12-4 61

Others Receiving Votes: RIT 36, Princeton 35, Minnesota 15, Cornell 5, Robert Morris 5, Ohio State 1

21 Bemidji State scholar athletes selected for WCHA award

Madison , Wis. -- The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) today announced recipients of its sixth annual WCHA Scholar-Athlete
Award. Student-athletes from Bemidji State University comprised 21 of the 90 recipients in 2010-11.

With 21 student-athletes recognized, BSU not only set the pace for all member institutions, none of its WCHA counterparts received more
than 12 selections.

The prestigious WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award was developed through Association member Faculty Representatives and approved by the
conference membership beginning with the 2005-06 season.

To earn recognition as a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, conference-member student-athletes must have completed at least one year of residency
at their present institution prior to the current academic year and must also have a grade-point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.0 scale for the
previous two semesters or three quarters, or may qualify if his or her overall GPA is at least 3.50 for all terms at his or her present institution.

Annie Bauerfeld** (Sr., F, Woodbury, Minn.) and Eric Cody** (Sr., F, Roseville, Minn.), who are both three-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award selections, headline a contingent of six repeat recipients. Bemidji State’s 10 picks was tops among the eight WCHA institutions that make up
the women’s league.

Other BSU players joining Bauerfeld and Cody as 2010-11 WCHA Scholar Athletes are: Molly Arola (So., F, Walker, Minn.); Emily Erickson*(So., F, Coleraine, Minn.); Sadie Lundquist (So., F, Cloquet, Minn.); Alana McElhinney* (Jr., G, Calgary, Alberta); Zuzana Tomcikova (Jr., G,
Bratislava, Slovakia); Montana Vichorek* (Jr., D, Moose Lake, Minn.); Marlee Wheelhouse* (Jr., D, Crookston, Minn.) and Abby Williams(So., F, Alexandria, Minn.).

The Bemidji State men’s team built a culture of excellence in the classroom as members of College Hockey America (CHA) and that tradition
continues in the team’s first season in the WCHA. Eleven members of the team’s 26-man roster were selected as recipients of the 2010-11 award nearly doubling the total of any other Association institution. Ryan Adams (Sr., D, Deloraine, Manitoba) and Emil Billberg (Sr., F,Stockholm, Sweden) represent BSU’s senior class on the list of recipients and are joined by: Jake Areshenko (So., D, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia); Dan Bakala (Jr., G, Calgary, Alberta); Mathieu Dugas (So., G, L’Assomption, Quebec); Darcy Findlay (Jr., F, Bristol, Quebec); Drew Fisher (Jr., F, International Falls, Minn.); Jamie MacQueen (Jr., F, London, Ontario); Aar

Six UND women's hockey players earn WCHA honors

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Six Fighting Sioux have been named recipients of the 2010-11 Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Scholar-Athlete Award, the most in UND women's hockey history.

UND honorees included Jocelyne Lamoureux (So., Grand Forks, N.D.), Monique Lamoureux-Kolls (So., Grand Forks, N.D.), Mary Loken (So., Roseau, Minn.), Allison Parizek (So., Minot, N.D.), Margot Miller (Jr., West Bloomfield, Mich.) and Jordan Slavin (So., Erie, Colo.).

All six are first-time recipients of the award.

Both Lamoureux and Lamoureux-Kolls are majoring in physical education, exercise science and wellness. Loken is a physical therapy major, Parizek is a pre-nursing major, Miller is a nursing major and Slavin is an elementary education major.

The prestigious WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award was developed through Association member team Faculty Representatives and approved by the conference membership beginning with the 2005-06 season.

To earn recognition as a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, conference-member student-athletes must have completed at least one year of residency at their present institution prior to the current academic
year and must also have a grade-point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.0 scale for the previous two semesters or three quarters, or may qualify if his or her overall GPA is at least 3.50 for all terms at his or her present institution.

UND's women's hockey team has boasted 19 recipients of the WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award since its inception in 2005-06. UND's six recipients this season surpasses the previous team record of five set in 2006-07 and 2007-08.

Five UND men's hockey players earn WCHA honors

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Senior defenseman Chay Genoway was named a four-time recipient of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Scholar-Athlete Award today, highlighting North Dakota's five recipients of the league's highest academic honor.

UND's other honorees included two-time recipients Brad Eidsness (Jr., Chestermere, Alberta) and Derrick LaPoint (Sr., Eau Claire, Wis.) and first-time recipients Brett Bruneteau (So., Omaha, Neb.) and Tate Maris (So., Denver, Colo.).

Genoway, a native of Morden, Manitoba, is only the second four-time recipient in men's WCHA history, joining Scott McCulloch of Colorado College (2005-09). Genoway is a management major and a three-time All-WCHA Academic selection.

In each of the previous three seasons, Genoway has received UND's Archie Krum Memorial Athletic Scholarship for leadership qualities, high academic standards and athletics excellence. He was named an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American as a junior in 2008-09.

Eidsness is an entrepreneurship major who was named to the All-WCHA Academic team last season as a sophomore. LaPoint, a geography major, earned his first WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award last season while also earning his second straight All-WCHA Academic team selection.

Bruneteau majors in pre-entrepreneurship and Maris majors in accounting. Maris was an All-WCHA Academic selection last season.

The prestigious WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award was developed through Association member team Faculty Representatives and approved by the conference membership beginning with the 2005-06 season. To earn recognition as a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, conference-member student-athletes must have completed at least one year of residency at their present institution prior to the current academic year and must also have a grade-point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.0 scale for the previous two semesters or three quarters, or may qualify if his or her overall GPA is at least 3.50 for all terms at his or her present institution.

UND's men's hockey team has boasted 19 recipients of the WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award since its inception in 2005-06, including a team-record six in each of the last two seasons.

Bemidji State goalie Bakala earns WCHA Defensive Player of the Week honor

Madison , Wis. -- The Western Collegiate Hockey Conference (WCHA) announced today that Bemidji State University goaltender Dan Bakala (Jr., Calgary, Alberta) has been selected WCHA Co-Defensive Player of the Week after stopping 81 of 84 shots on net in a series at Minnesota State University, Mankato Feb. 4-5.

Bakala posted back-to-back 40-save performances as the Beavers salvaged a road series split at Minnesota State. The junior turned away a career-high 41 shots in Friday’s 2-1 overtime loss before again hitting the 40-save plateau, stopping 40-of-41 shots to lead the Beavers to a 4-1 victory Saturday. In addition, the goaltender backstopped a penalty-kill unit that held the Mavericks scoreless on 10 power-play opportunities, which included a five-minute major and seven minutes in the third period alone Friday and a 70-second 5-on-3 chance Saturday.

Bakala finished the weekend 1-1-0 in 12:32 between the pipes with 81 saves and a .964 save percentage, allowing just three goals for a 1.47 goals against average.

The goaltender of record in 19 of the Beavers’ 26 games this season, Bakala is 9-9-1 with a 2.23 GAA and .925 save percentage. He is 5-3-1
since the first of the year posting a 2.03 GAA and .937 save percentage.
The WCHA laurel marks the third time the league has selected Bakala for the weekly honor. He also earned WCHA Defensive Player of the week nods Dec. 7 and Jan. 5.

The Calgary, Alberta native along with senior defenseman Ryan Adams (Deloraine, Manitoba), who was selected WCHA Defensive Player of the Week Jan. 18, and sophomore Jordan George (F, Madison, Wis.), who garnered individual honors Nov. 9, remain the only Beavers to gain league honors in the team’s inaugural season in the WCHA.

Bakala shares the league’s defensive honor with University of Alaska Anchorage defenseman Curtis Leinweber, while Mike Connolly of the
University of Minnesota Duluth was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week and the University of Denver’s Nick Shore was selected WCHA Rookie of the Week.

Bakala, University of Nebraska Omaha defender John Kalkner and University of Denver goaltender are the only WCHA players that have been honored by receiving the league’s player of the week honor three times in 2010-11.
Bemidji State, now 10-14-2 overall and 6-12-2 in league play, completes its current four-game road swing this weekend (Feb. 11-12) with a trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for its first WCHA meeting versus Michigan Tech. The series gets underway Friday at 6:07 p.m. at John MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton, Mich. The Beavers and Huskies wrap up the series with a 4:07 p.m. matinee Saturday.

UND's Dell named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - A near-perfect goaltending performance in North Dakota's sweep of Robert Morris last weekend has landed sophomore goalie Aaron Dell another conference honor.

Dell, a native of Airdrie, Alberta, has been named Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season after stopping 62 of 63 RMU shots and taking a run at one of the oldest records in UND hockey history.

Dell stopped all 32 shots he faced in Friday's 8-0 win to earn his second straight shutout. The following night, Dell stopped the first 30 shots he faced before RMU scored their lone goal of the weekend with 20 seconds left in the third period. The goal ended Dell's shutout streak at 224 minutes and 31 seconds, making it the second-longest such streak in school history. He came within just over one period of Gerald "Spike" Schultz's school record of 249:41 set in 1953-54.

The sweep over RMU gave Dell an NCAA-leading 15 victories, while also running his personal winning streak to seven games and his unbeaten streak to nine (8-0-1).

In 20 games this season, Dell is 15-4-1 with a 1.92 goals against average and a .922 save percentage.

Wisconsin sophomore forward Craig Smith was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week, and St. Cloud State freshman forward Nic Dowd was named WCHA Rookie of the Week.

Bakala named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week

Madison, Wis. -- Western Collegiate Hockey Conference (WCHA) announced
today that Bemidji State University goaltender Dan Bakala (Jr., Calgary,
Alberta) has been selected WCHA Defensive Player of the Week after
leading the Beavers to the Mariucci Classic championship, Dec. 31 and
Jan. 1, with victories over Ferris State University and then-No. 14
Union College.

Bakala led the Beavers to the holiday tournament title with a pair of
wins. In 119:42 between the pipes, the junior recorded a 1.50 goals
against average, while turning away 65 of 68 shots for a .965 save
percentage. In addition, he backstopped a BSU penalty-kill unit that
conceded just one power-play goal in six opponent opportunities.

In the classic-opener, Bakala recorded 35 saves, including 17 in the
third period alone to hold off a late charge by Ferris State and
preserve the 3-2 victory. Saturday versus Union, the junior held the
nation’s fourth-ranked scoring offense and power-play unit ranked No.
1 in the country scoring on 34 percent of it chances this season, to
just one goal improving his record at 6-6-0 on the season in the
process.

The goaltender of record in 12 of the Beavers’ 18 games this season,
Bakala is 6-6-0 with a 2.31 GAA and .918 save percentage. He has won
five of his last seven appearances posting a 1.30 GAA and .956 save
percentage with a pair of shutouts during the streak.

The WCHA laurel marks the second time the league has selected Bakala
for the weekly honor after being picked as co-defensive player of the
week Dec. 7 after posting a pair of wins over then-No. 4 University of
Nebraska Omaha.

The Calgary, Alberta native and sophomore Jordan George (F, Madison,
Wis.), who garnered individual honors Nov. 9, remain the only Beavers to
gain league honors in the team’s inaugural season in the WCHA.

Bakala shares the conference honor Minnesota State University,
Mankato’s Michael Dorr, who was named WCHA Offensive Player of the
Week and the league’s rookie of the week Nic Dowd of St. Cloud State
University.

Bemidji State, which has won five of its last seven contests and is
6-10-1 on the season, rekindles one of its most storied rivalries this
weekend with a trip to Huntsville, Ala. to face the Chargers of the
University of Ala.-Huntsville. The two-game set featuring former
College Hockey America (CHA) foes is set to get underway at 7:05 p.m.
Friday and will conclude with a 3:05 p.m. affair Saturday at the Von
Braun Center.

WCHA names Bakala Co-Defensive Player of the Week

Madison, Wis. -- Western Collegiate Hockey Conference (WCHA) officials
today announced that Bemidji State University goaltender Dan Bakala
(Jr., Calgary, Alberta) has been selected WCHA Co-Defensive Player of
the Week after leading the Beavers to a sweep of then-No. 4 University
of Nebraska Omaha.

Bakala, a native Calgary, Alberta, was the backbone of a BSU defense
that held a nationally-ranked Nebraska Omaha offensive attack, averaging
more than four goals per game, to a single goal on the weekend, while
BSU posted its first WCHA series sweep. Bakala stopped 64-of-65
Maverick shots on, while allowing just one goal and finished the weekend
with a 0.50 goals against average and .985 save percentage. He improved
to 4-4-0 on the season.

In addition, Bakala served as the last line of defense on a BSU
penalty-kill unit that held UNO’s power-play unit scoreless on nine
man advantage opportunities (0-for-9).

Friday, the junior turned away 26 shots for his second consecutive and
fifth career shutout, 3-0, before making a career-best 39 saves Saturday
en route to leading the Beavers to a 3-1 victory. Saturday’s
first-period goal by UNO snapped a 134:09 shutout streak by Bakala that
stretched back to Nov. 12.

The WCHA honor is a first for Bakala, while it stands as the second for
a member of the BSU men’s hockey team during its inaugural season in
the league. He follows sophomore Jordan George (F, Madison, Wis.) who
garnered individual honors Nov. 9 following a series at St. Cloud State
University.

BSU, 5-8-1 overall and 4-7-1 in WCHA play, is back on the road Dec.
10-11 to close out the first half of the season with a trip to Madison,
Wis. to battle the University of Wisconsin. The Beavers and Badgers are
set for a 7:07 p.m. opening face-off from the Kohl Center Friday and
Saturday.