Ex-Roseau goalie Lee named Rookie of Week, Birkholz nominated too

The slightly edited WCHA news release on the conference's three weekly award winners:

Rookie of the Week: Mike Lee, Fr., G, St. Cloud State

St. Cloud State University goaltender Mike Lee, who backstopped his team to a two-game conference road sweep at Alaska Anchorage last weekend, is the WCHA Rookie of the Week. He also earned the weekly honor on Nov. 24.

A 6-0, 190-pound freshman from Roseau, Minn., Lee allowed just one even-strength goal last weekend, posting three shutout periods, stopping 42 of 45 shots on goal for a .933 saves percentage, and limiting the Seawolves to one power-play goal in eight man-advantage opportunities.

The four point series enabled the Huskies to move into a share of third place in the current WCHA standings.

Lee had 27 saves in St. Cloud State's 3-2 victory at UAA on Saturday while allowing just one even-strength goal. In Friday's 3-1 win over the host Seawolves, Lee yielded just one shorthanded goal in the second period.

This season Lee owns a 4-4-2 overall record with a 2.38 goals-against average and a .915 saves percentage. He is a draftee of the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes.

St. Cloud State, 8-6-2 overall, plays host to Colorado College at the National Hockey Center this weekend.

Offensive Player of the Week: Rhett Rakhshani, Sr., F, Denver

Rhett Rakhshani, a senior forward at Denver, has been named the Offensive Player of the Week.

A 5-10, 180-pound senior from Huntington Beach, Calif., and a draftee of the NHL's New York Islanders, Rakhshani scored three goals and set up another for four points as Denver took over sole possession of first place in the WCHA by taking three of four points in a home-and-home series with CC.

In a 2-1 road victory for DU over Colorado College on Friday, Rakhshani netted the game-winning goal on a power-play tally at 2:59 of the second period.

Last Saturday in the Mile High City, Rakhshani factored in on three of his team's four goals in a 4-4 overtime tie against the Tigers, scoring twice – including a shorthander – and setting up another.

In addition to his four points in the series, Rakhshani fired nine shots on goal, had six hits and earned a +1 plus/minus rating.

Denver, 10-4-2, plays at Minnesota Duluth this weekend.

Defensive Player of the Week: Brendan Smith, Jr., D, Wisconsin

For the third time this season, Wisconsin defenseman Brendan Smith has been named the Defensive Player of the Week. He also earned the weekly honor on Nov. 3 and Dec. 1.

A 6-2, 190-pound junior from Mimico, Ontario and a draftee of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, Smith helped the host Badgers limit visiting league opponent Michigan Tech to just two power-play goals and 37 shots on goal in a two-game series that resulted in 8-2 and 6-0 victories for Wisconsin.

Smith earned a +3 plus/minus rating in the series and also produced seven scoring points with two goals and five assists to extend his point-scoring streak to a career-high seven games. He took over the WCHA scoring lead both overall (7-17=24) and for league games only (5-11=16).

Smith equalled a collegiate career-high with four assists last Friday at the Kohl Center, including one on the game-winning goal, and then had two goals and an assist on Saturday. One of his two scores in game two was the eventual game-winner.

Smith's 1.60 points-per-game rank second in the country (men's Division 1) among all players and also leads all defensemen.