Two North Dakota players receive WCHA weekly awards

TWO DAYS UNTIL SIOUX HIT TOWN ...

A slightly edited WCHA release on the Players of the Week:

Offensive Players of the Week:
Mike Connolly, so., F, Minnesota Duluth
Jason Gregoire, so., F, North Dakota

A pair of sophomore forwards who led their respective teams to weekend sweeps in conference play – Connolly and Gregoire – were honored.

Connolly, a 5-9, 190-pound left winger from Calgary, Alberta, had a team-high five points while helping host UMD to a pair of victories over then No. 3-ranked Colorado College.

He figured in on three of UMD's five goals in a 5-2 win last Friday, scoring the game-winning goal at 6:04 of the second period and assisting on two others. He then had a two-point night last Saturday, scoring one goal and assisting on the game-winner as Minnesota Duluth won 4-1 over the Tigers. In the series, Connolly was also an integral part of a power-play unit that scored on five of 11 opportunities.

Connolly (8g, 16a) has 24 points in 20 games this season.

Gregoire, a 5-11, 196-pound left winger from Winnipeg, Manitoba and a draft choice of the NHL's New York Islanders, scored four goals in North Dakota's 4-1 and 3-2 conference victories over visiting Minnesota State, including both game-winners.

In Friday's 4-1 win, Gregoire's first period tally held as the eventual winner. In last Saturday's 3-2 win, his power-play goal midway through the period gave the Sioux a 3-1 lead.

Gregoire now has points in 10 of his last 11 games and has taken over the team lead in goals with 12 and points with 19. He is tied for the WCHA lead in game-winner with four.

Gophers sophomore forward Nick Larson, who had two goals in a 3-1 victory over Harvard on Saturday, was also nominated for this award.

Rookie of the Week:
Corban Knight, fr., F, North Dakota

Corban Knight, a first-year forward at the University of North Dakota, has been honored as the Rookie of the Week.

The 6-1, 180-pound freshman left winger from High River, Alberta, Knight helped the Fighting Sioux to a 4-1 victory over WCHA-rival Minnesota State in Grand Forks.

A draftee of the NHL's Florida Panthers, Knight scored the game's first goal at 2:07 of the first period, then gave the Sioux a 3-1 advantage with his second goal of the game midway through the second period.

Knight, who suffered an injury late in Friday's game and was unable to play the following night. He has three goals in his first 20 college games, but is expected to be out four to six weeks.

Defensive Player of the Week:
Garrett Raboin, sr., D, St. Cloud State

The 5-11, 175-pound senior from Detroit Lakes, Minn., was a force at the blueline for the Huskies in theor sweep over Michigan Tech at the National Hockey Center. Last Friday Raboin helped SCSU gain a 4-2 win with his defensive efforts. Tech had just 23 shots on goal and only one even-strength goal.

Raboin then ignited the Huskies in a 5-1 victory over MTU last Saturday. He scored the game-winner at 13:05 of the second period with the first shorthanded goal of his collegiate career, had a first period assist, and also scored on a power-play goal in the third.

On special teams, Raboin helped SCSU score five power-play goals on 12 man-advantage opportunities and limit Tech with a 6-of-7 effort on the penalty-kill. Raboin now has three goals and nine assists for 12 points from the blueline.