Tuesday, February 03, 2009

STALOCK DPOW ... AGAIN

WCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors to Alex Stalock ... again. It's his fourth time winning the award, and the second week in a row.

(He shares with Minnesota State goaltender Mike Zacharias, who backstopped the Mavericks to a scintillating sweep of Minnesota.)

Stalock shut out Wisconsin with 33 saves and a fortunate gag by Tom Gorowsky in the first period. With the win, UMD pulled into a three-way tie for fourth in the WCHA.

The final four WCHA series will be huge for UMD. The Bulldogs have a better-than-puncher's chance at home ice, but they need to keep playing well. Denver and Alaska-Anchorage visit the DECC, while UMD must travel to Michigan Tech and Minnesota.

Stalock is the league's best player, a shoo-in for All-WCHA first-team honors in goal. He's got a money shot at the achievement Colorado College goalie Richard Bachman - last year's WCHA Player of the Year - pulled off last year.

It would be absolutely fitting for goalies to win that award in back-to-back years, considering how far scoring has dipped over the last five years.

No comments: