Western Collegiate Hockey Association

Bruce M. McLeod Commissioner Sara R. Martin Associate Commissioner Carol LaBelle-Ehrhardt ™ Assistant Commissioner of Operations Greg Shepherd February 16, 2010/For Immediate Release Supervisor of Officials Administrative Office Western Collegiate Hockey Association UW’s Geoffrion, UND’s VandeVelde and Knight, DU’s MSC 8302 University of Denver Cheverie named Red Baron® WCHA Players of the Week 2211 S. Josephine Street Denver, CO 80208-8302 MADISON, Wis. – The Western Collegiate Hockey Association today announced the players of the week for February p: 303 871-4491. f: 303 871-4770 16, 2010. They are forwards Blake Geoffrion of the University of Wisconsin and Chris VandeVelde of the University email: [email protected] of North Dakota on offense, University of Denver goaltenderMarc Cheverie on defense, and North Dakota forward Corban Knight as rookie. Doug Spencer Associate Commissioner for Red Baron® WCHA Offensive VandeVelde, a 6-2, 207-pound cen- WCHA race. Public Relations PlayerS of the Week ter from Moorhead, Minn., and draftee He stopped 76 of 78 shots on goal Public Relations Office of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, enjoyed in the two-game series for a .974 saves Western Collegiate Hockey Association Blake Geoffrion a six-point weekend, including the first percentage with four shutout periods. 559 D’Onofrio Drive, Ste. 103 Sr., F, Wisconsin four-point game of his career, while The only two goals he allowed were Madison, WI 53719-2096 leading the Sioux to a WCHA split at 6-on-5 and 5-on-4, and he lost both p: 608 829-0100. f: 608 829-0200 Chris VandeVelde No. 4 St. Cloud State. shutouts in the last 1:38 of each con- email: [email protected] Sr., F, North Dakota In last Saturday’s 8-1 Sioux win test. In four games vs UM this season, over the host Huskies – UND’s big- Cheverie has posted a 4-0 mark with gest offensive output of the season a 0.50 GAA and .986 Sv% with two Home of a Record 36 Men’s A pair of senior forwards who com- – VandeVelde registered a goal and shutouts as DU swept the four games bined for 13 scoring points over the National Championship three assists, all on the power-play and for the first time in school history. weekend – Blake Geoffrion of the all in the second period. It was UND’s Cheverie leads the WCHA overall Teams Since 1951 University of Wisconsin and Chris first six-goal period in nearly a decade. in goals-against average (1.88), saves 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, VandeVelde of the University of North He also helped the Sioux kill all seven percentage (.939) and shutouts (6). 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, Dakota – have been named the Red SCSU power-play chances. During He also leads the nation in saves per- 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1974, Baron® WCHA co-Offensive Players of Saturday’s game, he also reached the centage and shutouts and is second 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, the Week for Feb. 16. 100-point milestone for his career. in goals-against average. 1982, 1983, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1997, Geoffrion, a 6-2, 188-pound center In last Friday’s 4-3 loss, VandeVelde Also nominated: Jake Marto, D, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 from Brentwood, Tenn., and a draftee had a goal and assist and was a +1. UND. of the NHL’s Nashville Predators, Over his last three games now, posted a career-high seven points to men’s Member teams VandeVelde has eight points (4g, 4a) lead the Badgers to a home sweep Red Baron® WCHA University of Alaska Anchorage and he is averaging nearly a point per over WCHA-rival Minnesota State. Rookie of the Week Colorado College game this season with 27 points (11g, Geoffrion scored a goal and three University of Denver 16a) in 29 games. assists for his season-high four point Corban Knight Michigan Tech University Also nominated: Joe Colborne, F, game, collecting a point on all four Fr., F, North DAKOTA University of Minnesota DU. University of Minnesota Duluth Badger goals in last Friday’s (Feb. 12) Minnesota State University 4-3 victory. One of his assists came on Corban Knight, a first-year forward a shorthanded game-winning goal in at the University of North Dakota, University of North Dakota Red Baron® WCHA Defensive St. Cloud State University the third period. has been honored as the Red Baron® University of Wisconsin Last Saturday (Feb. 13), Geoffrion Player of the Week WCHA Rookie of the Week for Feb. 16 then added two goals and an assist as a result of his efforts in a conference to finish off his seven-point weekend Marc Cheverie road series at St. Cloud State. 2010 Red Baron™ in a 8-4 win over MSU. His first goal of Jr., G, Denver A 6-1, 180-pound right winger WCHA Final Five the game was his 20th of the season from High River, Alberta, Knight had March 18, 19, 20 to give the UW its first lead at 2-1. He For the fourth time this season, a breakout weekend while helping lift Xcel Energy Center • St. Paul, MN later secured his second shorthanded goaltender Marc Cheverie of the the Sioux to a series split at No. 4 St. primary assist of the weekend on what University of Denver is the Red Baron Cloud State last weekend. visit us on the web at: again proved to be the game-winning WCHA Defensive Player of the Week, Knight enjoyed the first four-point goal at 14:43 of the second period. He this time for his outstanding play in a (1g, 3a) series of his career on Feb. 12- wcha.com finished the series with five shots and Feb. 12-13 conference sweep of visit- 13, picking up two points each night. a +2 rating. ing Minnesota. Cheverie also earned In last Saturday’s 8-1 UND win, Knight Geoffrion leads the WCHA with 21 the weekly honor on Oct. 27, Nov. 24 had a power-play goal and set up an goals overall and 19 goals in league and Feb. 2. even-strength tally. In last Friday’s 4-3 play. His 32 league points pace all scor- A 6-3, 180-pound junior from Cole loss, Knight had a pair of assists, the ers, as does his 1.52 points-per-game Harbour, Nova Scotia and a draftee of first of his collegiate career. in conference action and his 11 PPGs. the NHL’s Florida Panthers, Cheverie Knight, who led the Sioux with a +3 Overall, his 35 points are tied for fifth led the Pioneers to 3-1 and 5-1 wins rating vs SCSU, now has six points (3g, in the league. His next point will mark over the Gophers last weekend as 3a) in his last five games after picking the 100th of his UW career. Denver moved into first place in the up one assist in his first 19 outings.