Contact: Todd Bell, Marketing & Communications Manager /O: 952-681-7668 / C: 972-825-6686 / Email: [email protected] Web: wcha.com / Twitter: @wcha_mhockey / IG: @wcha_mhockey / FB: facebook.com/wchamenshockey / Watch on FloHockey.tv

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WCHA ANNOUNCES 2010s ALL-DECADE TEAM PRESENTED BY ANDERSON’S PURE MAPLE SYRUP AND SPIRE CREDIT UNION Connolly, Michaelis, Leitner, Schultz, Rauhauser and McKay honored

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – March 16, 2021 – Six players representing four schools have been named to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s All-Decade Team for the 2010s, the WCHA announced Tuesday.

Named to the 2010s squad were forwards Jack Connolly of Minnesota Duluth and Marc Michaelis and Matt Leiter of Minnesota State; defensemen of Wisconsin and Alec Rauhauser of Bowling Green and goaltender Dryden McKay of Minnesota State.

The five skaters combined for 255 goals, 501 assists and 756 points during their collegiate careers while McKay is rewriting the WCHA record book, having set new league standards for career shutouts (22), season shutouts (10), league season shutouts (eight), single-season goals-against average (.946) and save percentage in league play (1.07).

The 2010s team is the seventh and final squad to be announced by the WCHA during the 2020-21 season. The WCHA is also honoring an outstanding head coach and player from each decade as the league celebrates 70 Years of Excellence.

For more on the 2010s and the rest of the WCHA’s history, visit wcha.com.

WCHA 2010s All-Decade Team Name Pos. School Years Hometown By The Numbers Jack Connolly F Minnesota Duluth 2008-12 Duluth, Minn. 66 G/131 A/197 Pts Marc Michaelis F Minnesota State 2016-20 Mannheim, Germany 71 G/91 A/162 Pts Matt Leitner F Minnesota State 2011-15 Los Alamitos, Calif. 49 G/113 A/162 Pts Justin Schultz D Wisconsin 2009-12 Kelowna, B.C. 40 G/73 A/113 Pts Alec Rauhauser D Bowling Green 2016-20 Bismarck, N.D. 29 G/93 A/122 Pts Dryden McKay G Minnesota State 2019-present Downers Grove, Ill. 93 Gms/.935 Sv. Pct./1.46 GAA *- Thru 3/13/21

Forwards Jack Connolly, Minnesota Duluth (Duluth, Minn.), 2008-12 Hobey Baker Award winner in 2011-12 … Captained Minnesota Duluth’s first NCAA championship squad in 2010-11 … WCA Scoring Champion in 2011-12 with 43 points on 16 goals and 27 assists in 28 league games … Three-time All-WCHA honoree (2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12) … Three-time All-American (2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12) … Three-time WCHA All- Academic Team (2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12) … Hobey Baker Award finalist in 2010-11 … Finished his Bulldog career with 197 points on 66 goals and 131 assists … Tied for 24th on the WCHA career assists list … Did not miss a contest in his 166- game UMD career … His 197 career points ranks No. 8 in Bulldog history … In his ninth professional season in Sweden, currently in his third campaign with Lulea HF.

- MORE –

Marc Michaelis, Minnesota State (Mannheim, Germany), 2016-20 Four-time All-WCHA (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20) … WCHA All-Rookie Team (2016-17) … WCHA Rookie of the Year (2016-17) … WCHA Player of the Year (2019-20) … WCHA Offensive Player of the Year (2019-20) … Earned All- America honors as a senior in 2019-20 … Ended his Minnesota State career as the most-prolific scorer in the post- realignment WCHA, topping career post-realignment categories in points (162), goals (71), power play goals (30) and shorthanded goals (10) … Ranked second in game-winning goals (12) and fourth in assists (91) … His points, power play goals and shorthanded goals totals were also the most among all active NCAA players at the conclusion of his senior year … His 71 career goals stand as the most by a Maverick in Minnesota State’s Division I era … Career point total tied for No. 2 on Minnesota State’s career scoring chart … Two-time team captain … One of just two Minnesota State player to earn WCHA Offensive Player of the Year and Player of the Year honors in the same season (2019-20) … Made his NHL debut earlier this season with the Vancouver Canucks.

Matt Leitner, Minnesota State (Los Alamitos, Calif.), 2011-15 Three-time All-WCHA selection (2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15) … Earned All-America honors in 2014-15 … Only Minnesota State player to lead team in scoring four consecutive seasons … Tied for second on MSU’s career scoring chart with 162 points on 49 goals and 113 assists in 158 career games … Assist total ranks No. 2 all-time at Minnesota State … Helped lead Minnesota State to three NCAA tournament appearances, two WCHA Final Five championships and one WCHA regular-season title.

Defensemen Justin Schultz, Wisconsin (Kelowna, B.C.), 2009-12 Two-time All-American (2010-11, 2011-12) ... Two-time All-WCHA (2010-11, 2011-12) … Two-time WCHA Defensive Player of the Year (2010-11, 2011-12) … One of four WCHA players to win back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards and one of five multiple-time winners … Two-time Hobey Baker Award Top-10 Finalist … Led the nation in defenseman goals in 2010-11 with 18, which was the most for any defenseman nationally since 2002–03 ... Twice led nation’s defensemen in goals and points with 16 and 18 goals and 44 and 47 points in 2010-11 and 2011-12, respectively ... Led Badgers in scoring as sophomore ... First Badger defenseman to lead team in goals when he tallied 16 in 2011–12 … Currently in his ninth season in the NHL and his first with the … Also had stints with Edmonton and Pittsburgh … Member of two Stanley Cup championship teams in Pittsburgh (2016, 2017).

Alec Rauhauser, Bowling Green (Bismarck, N.D.), 2016-20 Two-time WCHA Defensive Player of the Year (2017-18, 2019-20) … One of five WCHA players to win two Defensive Player of the Year awards … Two-time All-American 2017-18, 2019-20) … Three-time All-WCHA (2017-18, 2018-19, 2019- 20) … WCHA All-Rookie Team selection in 2016-17) … Three-time WCHA All-Academic Team honoree (2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20) … Ranked fifth on the WCHA post-realignment career scoring chart with 122 points on 29 goals and 93 assists … Tie for third on the post-realignment career assists list … His career point total ranks No. 9 on the Bowling Green defenseman career points list.

- MORE –

Goaltender Dryden McKay, Minnesota State (Downers Grove, Ill.), 2019-Present Only active player to earn WCHA Player of the Decade honors … Three-time WCHA Goaltending Champion with league- play averages of 1.35 in 2018-19, 1.17 in 2019-20 and 1.07 in 2020-21 … All three marks were school records … Joined Michigan Tech three-time All-American Tony Esposito (1964-65, 1965-66, 1966-67) as just the second netminder to win three-straight WCHA goaltending crowns … Two-time WCHA Goaltender of the Year (2019-20, 2020-21) … Three-time All-WCHA selection … 2018-19 WCHA All-Rookie Team … Became just the 10th goaltender in WCHA history to win league Player of the Year honors in 2020-21 … College Hockey News National Rookie of the Year in 2018-19 … Hobey Baker Award and Mike Richter Award finalist in 2019-20 … Led the NCAA in GAA in 2019-20 with a 1.32 mark in all games … Leads the NCAA in GAA this season as Minnesota State begins postseason play with an average that again stands at 1.32 … Holds the WCHA career shutout record with 22 and is just four shutouts away from tying the NCAA record of 26 set by Michigan State’s Ryan Miller from 1999-2002 … His 1.31 goals-against average in 2019-20 made him of three goaltenders in WCHA history to finish the season with a GAA below 1.60, joining North Dakota’s Bob Peters (1.27- 1957- 58) and Wisconsin’s Brian Elliott (1.55- 2005-06) … Set the WCHA single-season shutout record with 10 in 37 appearances in 2019-20 … Stands two shutouts away from tying that mark with eight in 19 contests this season … Two- time WCHA All-Academic Team honoree … Two-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award recipient …

Other Top Players of the 2010s Forwards Garrett Roe, St. Cloud State, 2007-11: Registered 178 points on 65 goals and 113 assists for the Huskies. Drew LeBlanc, St. Cloud State, 2008-13: WCHA Player of the Year in 2012-13 … Finished his career with 147 points with 42 goals and 105 assists. C.J. Suess, Minnesota State, 2014-18: WCHA Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and Scoring Champion in 2017-18. Troy Loggins, Northern Michigan, 2015-19: WCHA Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and Scoring Champion in 2018-19.

Defensemen Philip Beaulieu, Northern Michigan, 2016-20: WCHA Defensive Player of the Year in 2018-19 … Registered 121 points on 26 goals and 95 assists to rank as one of only two blueliners in the top-10 on the post-realignment career scoring chart. Nick Jensen St. Cloud State, 2010-13: WCHA Defensive Player of the Year in 2012-13. , Alaska, 2013-15: Won back-to-back WCHA Defensive Player of the Year honors in the Nanooks’ first two seasons in the league (2013-14, 2014-15)

Goaltenders Michael Bitzer, Bemidji State, 2014-18: Set a then-WCHA career record with 21 shutouts, a mark that still stands as the third-best total in NCAA history … WCHA Goaltending Champion in 2016-17 with a 1.40 GAA. Atte Tolvanen, Northern Michigan, 2015-19: Set a WCHA record for longest scoreless streak with a 339:05 mark in 2016-17 … Became the second netminder in WCHA history, and the 11th in NCAA play, to score a when he fired the puck the length of the ice into the net against Michigan Tech during the 2018-19 season.

Celebrating 70 Years of Excellence The Western Collegiate Hockey Association has celebrated 70 Years of Excellence throughout the 2020-21 season. The league named all-decade teams and players and coaches of the decade for each of its seven decades. The teams and individuals were selected by a panel of current and former WCHA staffers and media members who have or are currently covering the WCHA. More than 200 nominees were submitted for consideration by the 21 schools that have called the WCHA home since 1951.

- MORE –

About Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup Anderson’s Maple Syrup Inc. is proud to continue its 90-year tradition of producing, processing, and packaging consistently high-quality pure maple syrup, organic pure maple syrup, and other maple products. For more information, visit Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup.

About SPIRE Credit Union Founded in 1934, SPIRE Credit Union’s commitment to friendly, personal and genuine service remains today. Founded as Twin Cities Co-ops Credit Union, SPIRE strives to improve lives through banking with a purpose as one of Minnesota’s top credit unions. For more information, SPIRE Credit Union.

About the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Men’s League The Western Collegiate Hockey Association, among the most historic, tradition-rich and successful conferences in all of collegiate athletics, is marking its 69th season of men’s competition in 2020-21. The 10-team NCAA Division I conference consists of the University of Alabama in Huntsville (Chargers), the University of Alaska Anchorage (Seawolves), the University of Alaska (Nanooks), Bemidji State University (Beavers), Bowling Green State University (Falcons), Ferris State University (Bulldogs), Lake Superior State University (Lakers), Michigan Technological University (Huskies), Minnesota State University (Mavericks) and Northern Michigan University (Wildcats). For more information, visit wcha.com. - WCHA –