Gophers defenseman Nick Leddy is the WCHA's Rookie of the Week.

Leddy had his first career three-point game with the game-winning goal and two assists in the Gophers beat Colorado College 7-4 on Saturday. On Friday, he helped the Gophers shut out CC 3-0 as the Gophers limited Colorado College to 13 through the first two periods, 26 total.

He also was on the penalty kill unit that held Colorado College to 1-for-11 on the power play with just 10 shots on net. He had a team-high plus-four rating for the series and leads the team at plus-10 for the season. Leddy has two goals and seven assists for nine points for the season with eight of his points coming in the last 12 games. His goal on Saturday late in the second period gave the Gophers a 5-2 lead. Leddy was asked if he felt that lead was safe. "With that team no," he said. "CC is a really skilled team. I knew they would come back in the third and that's exactly what they did." Leddy said the Gophers held the Tigers to three goals by doing all the little things. "We got shots when we needed to," Leddy said, "We got the puck out when we needed to. And it helped us create offense." The Gophers play at UMD next. "Duluth has a good power play, too," Leddy said. "We got to be tight on the power play and shut their power play down." This is the first career WCHA weekly award for Leddy and the third time the Gophers have had the league's Rookie of the Week in their last five series. Zach Budish won the award following games against North Dakota on Jan. 15-16 and Alaska Anchorage on Jan. 29-30. Just a comment, ever since the Wild traded Leddy and assistant general manager Tom Thompson said he was disappointed watching the Gophers, Lucia seems to be going out of his way to praise Leddy every chance he gets. And Leddy is giving Lucia reasons to single him out with his play. Two North Dakota players earned the league's other two weekly awards. Brett Hextall was named the league's Offensive Player of the Week and Brad Eidsness the Defensive Player of the Week. Offensive Player of the Week: Brett Hextall, so., F, North Dakota

North Dakota left winger Brett Hextall, a 5-10, 186-pound sophomore from Manhattan Beach, Calif., was the offensive catalyst in UND's convincing WCHA sweep of No. 6 UMD last weekend in Grand Forks. The Phoenix Coyotes' (NHL) draftee had a four-point weekend, including the first three-point game of his collegiate career, as UND moved into a share of fifth place in the WCHA.
Last Friday (Feb. 19), Hextall scored two goals and had an assist and earned a +2 plus/minus rating. His first goal came on the power-play, while his second was not only the first short-handed tally of his career, but also was the game-winner. With UND killing a 5-on-3 power-play, Hextall (serving the first minor) stepped out of the box, was sprung on a breakaway and beat the UMD goaltender five-hole to give UND a 3-0 lead early in the second period of an eventual 5-2 win.
The next night, Hextall opened the scoring 4:16 into the game with his 12th goal of the season in an eventual 5-1 North Dakota win. He finished the series a +3.
Hextall is now riding a career-best seven-game point streak with eight goals and three assists during that stretch. He ranks fifth on the UND club in scoring with 12 goals, 6 assists for 18 points in 23 games.
Defensive Player of the Week: Brad Eidsness, so., G, North Dakota

Eidsness, a 6-0, 175-pound sophomore from Chestermere, Alberta and a draftee of the NHL's Buffalo Sabres, was named the No. 2 star in both games while stopping 53 of 56 shots on goal (.946 saves percentage) and yielding just two even-strength goals.
In last Friday's 5-2 North Dakota win, Eidsness made a season-high 33 saves and blanked the visiting Bulldogs on all seven of their power-play chances.
He had 22 saves on Saturday night in a 5-1 Sioux victory. In the series, he posted four shutout periods and held UMD to just one power-play goal in 11 opportunities.
Eidsness has moved into second place in the WCHA goaltending race (10th nationally) with a 2.22 goals-against average. Over his last three games Eidsness is 3-0-0 with a 1.34 goals-against average and a .951 saves percentage.
Leddy also was nominated for this award by the Gophers hockey assistant director of athletic communications.