Barriball named WCHA Offensive Player of Week

The WCHA news release calls Jay Barriball's start this season one of the best stories in college hockey.

Hard to argue. Barriball missed last 32 games last season after knee surgery. Then, in his first two games against UMass, he has one goal and one assist in the first game and three goals in the second.

And Tuesday, the story got a little better. Barriball was named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week. He is the first Gopher to have a hat trick since Blake Wheeler did so in a 4-2 victory over Wisconsin on March 16, 2007.

Eight other players were nominated for the award by their schools, including senior forward Matt Ambroz of Nebraska Omaha. Ambroz had three goals and two assists as UNO beat Clarkson 8-0 and the Rochester Institute of Technology 5-3 in the Mutual of Omaha Stampede last weekend. Ambroz was named the tournament MVP.

His chances were probably hurt a bit because UNO had two other players who did receive WCHA awards.

Sophomore goalie John Faulkner was named the Defensive Player of the Week. He got his first shutout against Clarkson, stopping 26 shots. He had 23 saves against RIT. He had a .942 save percentage for the tournament.

Faulkner and the Mavs' penalty killers also held their two opponents 0 for 8 on power plays.

Freshman forwards Matt White of UNO and Milos Gordic of Michigan Tech were the co-Rookies of the Week.

White, of Whittier, CA., had two goals and two assists in his first two college games. He had nine shots and was a plus-four.

Gordic, a 6-5, 210-pound right winger from Burnaby, B.C., had two goals and one assist as the Huskies won twice in the Superior Showcase, edging Northern Michigan 4-3 in overtime and beating Lake Superior State 6-2.