WCHA Offensive Player of the Week
Dani Cameranesi – Sophomore, Forward
University of Minnesota

Cameranesi led Minnesota with three points in a home sweep of Minnesota Duluth that clinched the Gophers’ third straight WCHA regular season title. The sophomore from Plymouth, Minn. registered two assists in Friday’s 7-1 win, before scoring the game-winning goal in Saturday’s 2-0, championship-clinching victory. Cameranesi, who has surpassed her freshman year point total, ranks fourth in the nation with 51 points, third with 32 assists and tied for third with six game-winning goals. In WCHA play, she ranks second with 39 points, 15 goals, 24 assists and a +31 on-ice rating in 25 league games.

Also nominated: Danielle Gagne, Sr., F, Ohio State; Josefine Jakobsen, Sr., F, North Dakota; Abby Ness, Sr., F, St. Cloud State; Kaitlyn Tougas, Jr., F, Bemidji State; Blayre Turnbull, Sr., F, Wisconsin

WCHA Defensive Player of the Week
Shelby Amsley-Benzie – Junior, Goaltender
University of North Dakota

Amsley-Benzie recorded her second pair of back-to-back shutouts, blanking St. Cloud State by scores of 4-0 and 2-0 for a weekend sweep that vaulted North Dakota into third place in the WCHA standings. The junior from Warroad, Minn. made a total of 38 saves between the two games and helped UND go a perfect nine-for-nine on the penalty kill. Amsley-Benzie, who has set UND’s records for career wins (47), career shutouts (12) and single-season blankings (7), leads the nation with a .953 save percentage this season. Since Jan. 1, she has been even better, pacing all NCAA netminders with a .972 save mark, 0.72 goals against average and six shutouts.

Also nominated: Ivana Bilic, Jr., D, Bemidji State; Stacy Danczak, Jr., G, Ohio State; Rachel Ramsey, Sr., D, Minnesota

WCHA Rookie of the Week
Alexis Joyce – Freshman, Defenseman
Bemidji State University

Joyce led Bemidji State with three points as the Beavers pulled within one point of fourth place – and home ice for the WCHA playoffs – following a road sweep at Minnesota State. The freshman from Lakeville, Minn. recorded all of her points Friday, recording a trio of assists to spark a 4-0 Bemidji State victory. She also finished the weekend with a team-best five blocked shots. Joyce leads the Beavers’ freshman class – and all WCHA rookie defensemen – with 16 points on four goals and 12 assists. She also ranks second nationally with 106 blocked shots.

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The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced its Bauer NCHC Players of the Week for the week of Jan. 5-11 on Monday with four different NCHC teams taking home awards. The winners for week 12 of the season are St. Cloud State senior forward Joe Rehkamp for Offensive Player of the Week, Minnesota Duluth sophomore blue liner Willie Raskob for Defenseman of the Week, Omaha freshman forward Avery Peterson for Rookie of the Week and North Dakota junior netminder Zane McIntyre for Goaltender of the Week. Peterson has now claimed Rookie of the Week twice while McIntyre is now a three-time Goaltender of the Week this season.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Joe Rehkamp, St. Cloud State
Senior Forward, Plymouth, Minn.

Rehkamp led the Huskies to a sweep of No. 6/5 Miami, totaling three points, including scoring the game-winning goal in both contests, which were his first two goals of the season. In Friday’s 3-1 win, he scored the game-winner 4:09 into the final period, putting SCSU in front 2-1, while earning second star of the game. The next night in a 3-2 win he was again named the game’s second star after a goal and an assist. Rehkamp helped set up SCSU’s first goal early in the game while scoring the game-winner 5:19 into the third period to put the Huskies up 3-1. He posted a +3 rating on the weekend, including +2 on Saturday, while putting six shots on goal in the series, including four in Friday’s win.

DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Willie Raskob, Minnesota Duluth
Sophomore Defenseman, Hastings, Minn.

Raskob had possibly the best weekend of his young career, having a hand in three of UMD’s six goals in its split at No. 1/1 North Dakota. In Friday’s 4-1 win, he dished out the primary assist on the game-winning goal midway through the third period to break a 1-1 tie as he used a nifty move to beat a UND defenseman and set up the score. He also had a +1 rating in the win. The next night, Raskob opened the scoring with a goal in the first period, his second of the season, knocking in a rebound. He then had the primary assist on a power play goal in the third period as he had a hand in both UMD goals Saturday. Raskob blocked a shot Friday, as well, and helped the Bulldogs go 4-for-4 on the penalty kill in the series at UND, including 3-for-3 Saturday.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Avery Peterson, Omaha
Freshman Forward, Grand Rapids, Minn.

Peterson captured his second Rookie of the Week honor after tallying three points to help lead Omaha to a sweep of No. 10/10 Denver. In Friday’s 5-4 comeback win, he notched all three of his points, tying a career high. After UNO fell behind 3-0, he scored the Mavs’ first goal of the game unassisted in the second period to spark a rally. The Minnesota Wild prospect then set up Omaha’s third goal with a primary assist, which tied the game late in the second stanza, while again tallying the primary assist on a goal that tied the game 4-4 late in the third period. Peterson was named the game’s second star for his three-point outing. The next night in a 1-0 win, he put two shots on goal and finished with six shots on goal in the series, while going 9-for-16 in the faceoff circle.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Zane McIntyre, North Dakota
Junior Goaltender, Thief River Falls, Minn.

McIntyre claimed his third Goaltender of the Week award after backstopping UND to a split with No. 7/7 Minnesota Duluth. The Boston Bruins prospect posted a .937 save percentage in the series, stopping 74 of 79 shots against him, while going 1-1 in net. McIntyre posted season highs for saves on back-to-back nights, starting with 33 saves in a 4-1 loss to UMD Friday when he was named the third star of the game. The next night, he was even better, notching a season-best 41 saves, which marked a regular-season career high, in a 5-2 win. Of his 41 saves, 17 came in the third period as he was named the game’s second star. McIntyre also earned his first assist of the season in Saturday’s win on UND’s second goal. He helped kill seven of eight UMD power plays on the weekend, including all three Friday, and had a 2.55 goals-against average in the series.

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EDINA, Minn. – Jan. 13, 2015 – One helped her team capture five of six points in a showdown of league leaders, one spurred her squad to a third consecutive road series sweep and one led her school to its first victories of the season. For their efforts, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) women’s Players of the Week for games of Jan. 7-11, 2015 are: Minnesota junior forward Hannah Brandt (Offensive Player of the Week), Ohio State senior defenseman Kari Schmitt (Defensive Player of the Week), and Minnesota State freshman forward Nicole Schammel (Rookie of the Week).

WCHA Offensive Player of the Week

Hannah Brandt, Jr., F, Minnesota (Vadnais Heights, Minn.)

Brandt led No. 2 Minnesota with four points (3g, 1a) as the Gophers captured five of six points from third-ranked Wisconsin last weekend at Ridder Arena. The junior from Vadnais Heights, Minn. scored the game-winning goal with a tie-breaking strike late in the second period on Saturday, before adding an assist and a second goal in the third period of Minnesota’s 4-1 victory. Brandt then scored the game-tying goal at the 13:28 mark of the third period Sunday and potted the lone goal in the Gophers’ 1-0 shootout win. She finished the weekend with a +3 rating, 13 shots on goal and a .767 faceoff winning percentage (33-of-43). A reigning All-American and Patty Kazmaier Award top-three finalist, Brandt ranks second nationally and leads the WCHA with 45 points (21g, 24a).

Also nominated: Zoe Hickel, Sr., F, Minnesota Duluth; Layla Marvin, Jr., F, North Dakota; Julia McKinnon, Jr., F, Ohio State; Kaitlyn Tougas, Sr., F, Bemidji State

WCHA Defensive Player of the Week
Kari Schmitt, Sr., D, Ohio State (Canton, Mich.)

Schmitt, a senior defenseman from Canton, Mich., sparked the Ohio State offense with three goals in a WCHA series sweep at St. Cloud State. She jump-started a 3-1 win on Friday with the Buckeyes’ first goal, a power-play strike in the first period. Schmitt then recorded a two-goal performance, including the game-winning score, in Saturday’s 4-0 triumph – Ohio State’s sixth consecutive win. Schmitt is tied for ninth among all NCAA defenseman (fifth in the WCHA) with 15 points (4g, 11a).

Also nominated: Gracen Hirschy, So., D, North Dakota; Erin Krichiver, Jr., G, Minnesota State; Amanda Leveille, Jr.,G, Minnesota; Brittni Mowat, So., Bemidji State

WCHA Rookie of the Week
Nicole Schammel, F, Minnesota State (Red Wing, Minn.)

Schammel picked up four assists in two games to help Minnesota State to its first wins of the season – a pair of road victories at Lindenwood. The freshman from Red Wing, Minn. recorded two helpers in a 4-1 triumph last Wednesday in the Mavericks’ first win. Two nights later, she recorded assists on the game-tying and game-winning goals to lead the Mavs to a 3-2, comeback victory. Schammel leads the team in points (11) and assists (7), and is tied for the team lead with four goals during her rookie campaign.

Also nominated: Alexis Joyce, D, Bemidji State; Kassidy Sauve, G, Ohio State

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EDINA, Minn. – Jan. 12, 2015 – For their efforts in leading their teams to a pair of league sweeps this past weekend, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) men’s Players of the Week for games of Jan. 8-10, 2015 are: Ferris State senior forward Justin Buzzeo (Offensive Player of the Week), Bemidji State freshman goaltender Michael Bitzer (Defensive Player of the Week) and Bemidji State freshman forward Kyle Bauman (Rookie of the Week).

WCHA Offensive Player of the Week

Justin Buzzeo, Sr., F, Ferris State (Windsor, Ontario)

Buzzeo had a big weekend in leading Ferris State to a WCHA road sweep at Alaska Anchorage, finishing with three goals (on five shots), two assists and a team-best +5 rating. The senior from Windsor, Ontario picked up an assist on the game-winning goal in FSU’s 4-1, Thursday night victory, before adding his own score in the third period. Buzzeo factored in all three Bulldog goals in a 3-2 triumph Saturday, assisting on the first before netting a pair of strikes in the third period – including the game-winner. His efforts helped lift Ferris State into sole possession of fourth place in the WCHA standings.

Also nominated: Alex Globke, So., F, Lake Superior State; Ben Murphy, Jr., F, Bowling Green; Alex Petan, Jr., F, Michigan Tech

WCHA Defensive Player of the Week

Michael Bitzer, Fr., G, Bemidji State (Moorhead, MN)

Bitzer recorded 119:55 of scoreless hockey and posted consecutive shutouts to lead Bemidji State to a WCHA series sweep over rival Alabama Huntsville. The freshman from Moorhead, Minn. turned aside all 42 shots faced over the weekend in a pair of 4-0 victories, his first two collegiate shutouts. Bitzer, who made 18 saves Friday and 14 on Saturday, backstopped a BSU penalty-kill unit that held the Chargers scoreless on seven power-play opportunities. He is now riding a scoreless streak of 179 minutes and 23 seconds, dating back to the first period of the Beavers’ Dec. 13 contest.

Also nominated: Brock Maschmeyer, So., D, Northern Michigan; CJ Motte, Sr., G, Ferris State; Ryan Renz, Fr., D, Lake Superior State; Sean Walker, So., D, Bowling Green

WCHA Rookie of the Week

Kyle Bauman, F, Bemidji State (Apopka, Fla.)

Baumann helped Bemidji State to a sweep of WCHA rival Alabama Huntsville by factoring in both game-winning goals, tallying three points (tied for tops among all league rookies) and finishing with a +3 rating (best among WCHA freshmen last weekend). The rookie from Apopka, Fla. assisted on the game-winning score Friday evening and then scored his first collegiate goal with a second-period strike. On Saturday, Baumann’s first period goal served as the deciding score in the Beavers’ second consecutive 4-0 win. Baumann’s two goals came on five shots, while he also added a block.

Also nominated: C.J. Franklin, F, Minnesota State; Matt Roy, D, Michigan Tech

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