Bjugstad earns weekly WCHA honor

Nick Bjugstad was named WCHA offensive player of the week based on his five-point weekend in a split with St. Cloud State. The Gophers sophomore center had a hat trick in Saturday's 5-0 victory at Mariucci Arena after getting a goal and assist in Friday's 4-3 loss at St. Cloud State.

His hat trick on Saturday was the first by a Gophers players since Jay Barriball scored three goals against Massachusetts on Oct. 9, 2010.

Bjugstad. a Florida Panthers' first-round NHL draft pick in 2010, is second in the nation in goals with 13 and is tied for the point scoring lead with 21.

Austin Smith of Colgate has 15 goals. UMD's Jack Connolly and Notre Dame's T.J. Tynan also have 21 points.

CC, UMD PLAYERS ALSO RECOGNIZED

Josh Thorimbert of Colorado College was named the defensive player of the week. The sophomore goalie stopped 55 of 58 shots in the Tigers' sweep of Wisconsin.

Thorimbert, 5-11, 195-pound, is from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He had 31 saves as CC won 4-2 against the Badgers at Colorado Springs World Arena on Friday and 24 in the Tigers' 4-1 win the next night.

Gophers goalie Kent Patterson also was nominated for this award. Patterson stopped 30 shots against the Huskies on Saturday in his sixth shutout of the season. That's a program single-season record.

UMD's Caleb Herbert was selected the rookie of the week. He had three goals and an assist as the Bulldogs swept Minnesota State Mankato 5-2, 7-3.

Herbert, a 5-11, 195-pound forward from Bloomington, had the game-winning goal and was a plus-4 in the first game.

Herbert, a Washington Capitals fifth-round draft pick in 2010, is the second-leading scorer among rookies in the WCHA. He has six goals and eight assists for 14 points and has at least one point in his past five games.

Gophers freshman Kyle Rau is the leading freshman scorer in the conference -- and the nation -- with nine goals and eight assists for 17 points. Herbert is tied for second nationally.