WESTERN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION Bruce M. McLeod Commissioner Sara R. Martin Associate Commissioner Carol LaBelle-Ehrhardt Assistant Commissioner of Operations ™ Greg Shepherd Supervisor of Officials November 24, 2009/For Immediate Release Administrative Office Western Collegiate Hockey Association MSU’S HARRISON, UW’S STEPAN AND SMITH, UND’S KRISTO MSC 8302 University of Denver NAMED RED BARON® WCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK FOR DEC. 1 2211 S. Josephine Street Denver, CO 80208-8302 MADISON, Wis. – The Western Collegiate Hockey Association today announced it’s players of the week for the period Dec. p: 303 871-4491. f: 303 871-4770 1-7, 2009. They are forwards Zach Harrison of Minnesota State University, Mankato and Derek Stepan of the University email: [email protected] of Wisconsin on offense, Wisconsin blueliner Brendan Smith on defense, and University of North Dakota forward Danny Kristo as rookie. Doug Spencer Associate Commissioner for RED BARON® WCHA OFFENSIVE career high and the most points for a contest in the 3-2 loss to Michigan. Public Relations Badger in a game since Blake Geoffrion Smith, Wisconsin’s leading scorer this Public Relations Office PLAYERS OF THE WEEK had 1-4=5 vs Robert Morris on Oct. 20, season, also leads the nation’s defense- Western Collegiate Hockey Association ZAch HARRISON 2007. Stepan now ranks second on the man with 17 points (5-12=17) and a 1.31 559 D’Onofrio Drive, Ste. 103 Badgers with five goals, 10 assists and points-per-game scoring average. Madison, WI 53719-2096 SR., F, MINNESOTA STATE 15 points in 14 games played. Also nominated were: Joe Howe, G, p: 608 829-0100. f: 608 829-0200 DEREK STEPAN Also nominated were: Stephen CC; Kent Patterson, G, UM; Ben Youds, email: [email protected] Schultz, F, CC; Jesse Martin, F, DU; and D, MSU; and Brad Malone, F, UND. SO., F, WISCONSIN Danny Kristo, F, UND. HOME OF A RECORD 36 MEn’s RED BARON® WCHA A pair of center icemen who made key RED BARON® WCHA DEFENSIVE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP contributions to their respective team’s ROOKIE OF THE WEEK success over the Thanksgiving weekend PLAYER OF THE WEEK TEAMS SINCE 1951 – Zach Harrison of Minnesota State DANNY KRISTO 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, University and Derek Stepan of the Uni- BRENDAN SMITH FR., F, NORTH DAKOTA 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, versity of Wisconsin – have been named JR., D, WISCONSIN 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1974, Red Baron® WCHA co-Offensive Players Danny Kristo, a first-year right winger 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, of the Week for Dec. 1, 2009. University of Wisconsin defenseman at the University of North Dakota, is 1982, 1983, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1997, Harrison, a 5-11, 190-pound senior Brendan Smith, who made his presence the Red Baron® WCHA Rookie of the 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 from Flint, Mich., racked up two goals felt at both ends of the ice in the Badgers’ Week for Dec. 1, 2009 as a result of his and three assists for five points in Min- Thanksgiving weekend road games at outstanding performance in the Sub- nesota State’s two-game WCHA sweep Michigan and Michigan State, is the Red way Holiday Classic tournament held MEN’S MEMBER TEAMS over visiting Michigan Tech. He had a Baron® WCHA Defensive Player of the in Grand Forks over the Thanksgiving University of Alaska Anchorage goal and three assists and earned First Week for Dec. 1, 2009. He also earned weekend. Colorado College Star of the Game honors in a 5-2 victory the weekly honor on Nov. 3. A 5-11, 180-pound freshman from University of Denver over the Huskies last Friday (Nov. 27), A 6-2, 190-pound junior from Eden Prairie, Minn., and a draftee of Michigan Tech University with his goal serving as the winner. The Mimico, Ontario and a draftee of the the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens, Kristo University of Minnesota four-point night was the second of his NHL’s Detroit Red Wings, Smith totaled earned most valuable player honors University of Minnesota Duluth MSU career. Harrison then added an- four points in games at Michigan State at UND’s Subway Holiday Classic, lifting Minnesota State University other goal in a 3-2 win over the Huskies and Michigan on Nov. 27-28 during the the Sioux to a 4-1 win over Ohio State University of North Dakota last Saturday, putting the Mavericks up 17th annual College Hockey Showcase on Nov. 27 and a 5-5 overtime tie with St. Cloud State University 2-0 in the opening period. and helped the Badgers limit their top-ranked Miami on Nov. 28. University of Wisconsin Through 14 games played this sea- opponents defensively to just two Kristo, who was also named to the son, Harrison shares the MSU scoring even-strength goals in the two games. all-tournament team, racked up four 2010 RED BARON™ lead with 12 points (4g, 8a). He opened the weekend last Friday by points on the weekend, including a two- Stepan, a 6-0, 180-pound sopho- scoring the first two goals at Michigan goal, one-assist performance against WCHA FINAL FIVE more and draftee of the NHL’s New York State in a 7-3 Wisconsin victory and No. 1 Miami. He also scored a key third March 18, 19, 20 Rangers, posted a six-point weekend was named the First Star of the Game. period goal against Ohio State to put Xcel Energy Center • St. Paul, MN (2g, 4a) for Wisconsin, including a He gave the Badgers a 1-0 lead at 9:23 the Sioux up 3-1. career-high five-point game in a 7-3 of the first period, before making it 2- Against Miami, Kristo assisted on visit us on the web at: victory at No. 7/8-ranked Michigan State 0 with a power-play tally at 12:25. The UND’s first goal to tie the game 1-1, last Friday. Stepan, who had a hand in game’s first star added the lone assist scored its second goal to make it 2-2, wchA.COM five of the Badgers’ seven goals with a on Wisconsin’s sixth goal that halted an then scored again in the third period goal and four assists, was the Second MSU comeback bid. Smith also led all to give the Sioux a 5-3 lead. Star of the Game. One of his assists shooters in the game with seven shots, Kristo’s four-point weekend enabled came on the game-winning goal in the finished +1, and blocked three shots. him to move into the team scoring lead second period. Then last Saturday at Michigan, with 13 points (5g, 8a) and into a tie for Then last Saturday at Michigan, Smith collected an assist on Wisconsin’s the WCHA rookie scoring lead. Stepan scored the UW’s second goal, first goal of the game by Blake Geof- Also nominated this week were: at 14:23 of the third period to bring frion, which made it 1-1 at the time in William Rapuzzi, F, CC; Chris Knowlton, the Badgers to within one in a 3-2 final the second period. He took two shots, F, DU; Austin Lee, G, MSU; and David score. Stepan’s five-point game was a blocked one shot and was even for the Eddy, F, SCSU..