Two Denver players, Wisconsin coach get my WCHA votes

Some other media members reveal who they voted for on their WCHA ballot. Can't remember if I did that my first year -- probably not. DId not get a ballot last year.

Only two Twin Cities media members get a ballot each year. Here are my selections:

WCHA first team

Forwards: Jack Connolly, UMD; Ryan Lasch, St. Cloud State and Rhett Rakhshani, DU

Comments: Rakhshani was top scorer in WCHA in all games with 48, Connolly had 45 and Lasch 40. Rak was a leader on best team in conference, maybe the nation. Connolly led UMD in scoring and played well vs. U. Lasch has been one of top players in WCHA for several years.

Defensemen: Ryan McDonagh and Brendan Smith, Wis.

Comments: Smith has 15 goals, 25 assists for 40 points. Quite a total for a D-man. McDonagh was a plus-19 in league games coming into Gophers series.

Comment; Easy pick. He shut out Gophers twice and if game with 2-1/2 minutes shoter would have shut them out four times. Played great against other teams, too.

Second team

Forwards: Tyler Ruegsegger, DU; Justin Fontaine, UMD; Garrett Roe, St. Cloud State

Comments: All are teammates of first team players and pretty close in statistics and talent to them.

Defensemen: Ben Blood, North Dakota and Garrett Raboin, St. Cloud State

Goalie: Brad Eidsness, North Dakota

Comments: Eidsness has given up two or fewer goals 23 times this season. Gophers coach Don Lucia, who also gets a vote, said after Sunday's 6-1 rout of Wisconsin he had not filled his out yet. But he disclosed who would get his second team vote for goalie: Alex Kangas, his guy.

Third team

Forwards: Kevin Clark, Alaska Anchorage; Bill Sweatt, CC. and Chris VandeVelde, North Dakota

Comments: Three-four other players could just have easily been on third team, Joe Colborne of DU; Blake Geoffrion of Wis, and Mike Connolly of UMD among them.

Comments: Wiercioch gets a lot of publicity, but DU is loaded with a lot of good players and their defensemen all seem good so he doesn't stand out. Fischer looks a bit like a homer pick. But he has played very well of late and become a steady, reliable D-man for Gophers after a rough start.

Goalie; Dan Dunn, St. Cloud State

Comments: Was 12-3-2 overall

All-rookie team

F: Rylan Schwartz, DU; Danny Kristo, North Dakota; Zach Budish, Minnesota

D: Matt Donovan, DU; Nick Leddy, Gophers

Comments: Donovan led Pios in blocks and hits. Leddy has played well ever since Wild traded him to Chicago. Not noticeable because he doesn't make too many mistakes.

G: Joe Howe, CC

Comments: Carried Tigers for first half of season. Struggled of late.

Player of Year: Cheverie ... easy choice

Coach of Year: Mike Eaves, Wisconsin ... Also considered George Gwozdecky, but he had the goalie to make his life easier and talent up front and on the blue line ... Badgers probably overachieved a bit more than DU