Tracy McCann

Minnesota State University’s Tracy McCann, a senior from Lakewood, Ohio, has been named the WCHA Women’s Offensive Player of the Week for Jan. 8, 2014.

McCann rang in 2014 with a hot start for the Mavericks last week in four games at All Seasons Arena in Mankato, scoring three goals and firing 19 shots on goal in a Dec. 31-Jan. 1 (3-0, 3-1) non-conference sweep over Lindenwood and a Jan. 4-5 (2-1, 0-1) two-game split with league rival Bemidji State.

A left winger, McCann’s pair of third-period goals against Lindenwood on Jan. 1 bookended a three-goal period in a 3-1 victory and series sweep. She was named the first star of the game. She backed that up by opening the scoring with a brilliant re-direction in the first period of Minnesota State’s 2-1 victory over Bemidji State on Jan. 4.

McCann’s three goals and 19 shots led all Mavericks last week, while her three points tied for the team-lead and +2 rating was third-best on the squad. She has generated 12 points (7g, 5a) while playing in all 22 games this season and continues to pace the squad with a +6 plus/minus rating while tying for 15th in the conference in goal scoring.

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Tracy McCann had a big weekend for Minnesota State (Photo: WCHA.com)

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) named it’s women’s player’s of the week yesterday and players with Minnesota ties factored into all three awards.

With two goals and two assists, Minnesota State forward, Tracy McCann, had a hand in all four of her team’s goals as the Mavericks tied and beat Minnesota-Duluth last weekend. Her performance earned the junior from Lakewood, Ohio WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors.

McCann registered a goal and two primary assists as MSU rallied from a three-goal deficit to tie UMD 3-3 on Friday and scored the lone goal in Minnesota State’s 1-0 victory on Saturday. In addition, McCann, who now has 11 points (6-5–11) in eight games, potted the shootout winner in the series opener giving the Mavericks five of a possible six points on the weekend.

Minnesota’s Noora Räty punctuated record-tying win with a shutout (Photo: WCHA.com)

Minnesota senior goaltender Noora Räty allowed just two goals on 37 shots to backstop the Gophers to a sweep of Ohio State and share the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week award with North Dakota goalie Jorid Dagfinrud. Räty, a senior from Espoo, Finland, made 15 save’s in Minnesota’s 7-2 win on Friday and shut out the Buckeyes on 20 shots in the Gophers’ 8-0 victory on Saturday.

Räty’s 30th career shutout came in her 83rd career win, tying her with Jody Horak for most wins in program history. Her performance boosts Räty’s overall record to 7-0-0 with a 0.48 goals against average and 0.978 save percentage.

Brandt’s 24 points are second only to teammate Amanda Kessel’s 25 in overall scoring among WCHA players. (Photo: University of Minnesota Athletics)

Hannah Brandt really only had an average weekend but, when applied to the Minnesota forward, average is a relative term. The freshman from Vadnais Heights had six points (2-4–6) in the Gophers’ sweep of Ohio State and was named WCHA Rookie of the Week for the second time already this season.

Brandt, who also racked up a team-best +7 plus/minus rating (+21 overall), now has 24 points (11-13–24) through the season’s first four weeks.

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