2008-09 Ice Hockey Athletes of the Week
February 9, 2009-February 15, 2009
Sean Garrity, Forward, 6-2, 200, Senior, North St. Paul, Minn./North
The Blugolds came up short this week 5-4 in their final regular season contest against Stevens Point, after leading 4-3 mid-way through the second period. Garrity recorded three assists in the game, all on even-strength goals. He helped on the first goal of the game and also on the Blugolds' final two goals. He now leads the Blugolds with 26 points on the season and is tied for second on the team with 14 assists.
February 2, 2009-February 8, 2009
Tyler Romasco, Forward, 5-7, 174, Freshman, Perry, Ohio
The Blugolds fell short twice this weekend to ranked opponents with a 6-3 loss to third-ranked UW-Superior on Friday and a 3-1 loss to second-ranked UW-Superior. On Friday Romasco recorded the first two points of this college career with two assists. He assisted on both the Blugolds' first and final goals of the contest.
January 26, 2009-February 1, 2009
Joe Bluhm, Forward, 5-10, 185, Junior, Red Wing, Minn.
While the Blugolds fell twice this weekend, Bluhm picked up both of the Blugolds' goals. In Friday's 3-1 loss to seventh-ranked UW-Stout, Bluhm scored late in the first period to cut the Blue Devils' lead to only one. Against River Falls on Saturday, Bluhm scored early in the third period on a power-play to tie the game up but the Falcons went on to win the game 2-1 with a goal in the game's closing minutes.
January 19, 2009-January 25, 2009
Sean Garrity, Forward, 6-2, 200, Senior, North St. Paul, Minn./North
In two games this weekend the Blugolds split, losing 2-1 to fourth-ranked St. Norbert College and winning 7-1 against Lake Forest College on Saturday. On Saturday Garrity scored the Blugolds' second goal of the game, the eventual game-winner, to give them a 2-0 advantage. He also picked up three assists, helping on the Blugolds' first, third and final goal of the contest.
January 12, 2009-January 18, 2009
Jesse Vesel, Forward, 5-8, 170, Senior, Hibbing, Minn.
In one game this week, the Blugolds skated to a 4-4 tie against 13th-ranked UW-Stevens Point at Hobbs Ice Center. Vesel recorded a power-play goal 19 seconds into the second period to give the Blugolds a 1-0 lead. In the third period Vesel assisted on the Blugolds' third goal of the game on a power-play.
January 5, 2009-January 11, 2009
Joe Bluhm, Forward, 5-10, 185, Junior, Red Wing, Minn.
The Blugolds scored two 4-2 wins on the road, defeating 10th-ranked Hamline University on Friday and Augsburg College on Saturday. In the Blugolds' victory Friday, Bluhm scored the team's opening goal to tie the game up and later picked up the game-winner in the third period. On Saturday Bluhm scored the Blugolds' final goal of the game on an empty net with 46 seconds remaining. He also assisted on the game-winning goal late in the second period.
December 22, 2008-January 4, 2009
Aaron Johnson, Goalie, 6-1, 186, Junior, Hayward, Wis.
The Blugolds split games this weekend, coming up with a 5-1 loss to St. Olaf College on Friday and a 5-1 victory over the University of Minnesota-Crookston on Saturday. Johnson competed in Saturday's contest and picked up 11 saves and allowed one goal while playing all 60 minutes. As a team, the Blugolds outshot Crookston 53-12 Saturday and also outshot St. Olaf 39-35 Friday.
December 8, 2008-December 14, 2008
Tyler Brigl, Goalie, 5-9, 175, Junior, Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview
Brigl had a good weekend for the Blugolds, allowing only one goal in two contests as the Blugolds won both. Friday Eau Claire defeated Augsburg College 3-0 at home and Saturday the Blugolds came away with a 3-1 victory at Bethel University. The shutout Friday was Brigl's second of the season and he now has seven in his career, a school record. He totaled 17 saves Friday and 20 Saturday and now has 224 for the year, owning a 92.6 save-percentage and a 1.64 goals against average.
December 1, 2008-December 7, 2008
Sean Garrity, Forward, 6-2, 200, Senior, North St. Paul, Minn./North
While the Blugolds came up short twice this week against ranked opponents, Garrity scored the Blugolds' only goal in each contest. In Friday's 5-1 loss against No. 15 St. Scholastica, Garrity scored his seventh goal of the season and in Saturday's 2-1 loss against No. 2 UW-Superior he scored the lone Eau Claire goal at 14:15 in the third period.
November 17, 2008-November 23, 2008
Joe Bluhm, 5-10, 185, Junior, Forward, Red Wing, Minn.
In two games this weekend, Bluhm helped the Blugolds go 1-1with an impressive 6-1 victory over River Falls on Friday and a 2-0 loss to Stout on Saturday. Against River Falls, Bluhm scored the game's opening goal at 4:30 in the first period and 14 minutes later picked up the eventual game-winner. Both were even-strength goals. Bluhm now leads the Blugolds and is tied for fourth in the NCHA with seven goals.
November 10, 2008-November 16, 2008
Nicholas Kuqali, Defenseman, 6-2, 212, Junior, Pittsburg, Pa./Mount Lebanon
Kuqali had a great weekend on defense for the Blugolds, as they won one Friday over Lake Forest College and dropped a game Saturday to No. 1 ranked and defending national champion St. Norbert College. In the Blugolds' 4-3 victory Friday, Kuqali was part of a defense that allowed the Foresters to put up only 19 shots while the Blugolds took 40 themselves. Despite the 4-3 loss Saturday, Kuqali assisted on the Blugolds' opening goal and once again helped his team outshoot the Green Knights 32-29.
November 3, 2008-November 9, 2008
DJ Clark, Defenseman, 5-10, 186, Senior, Langley, British Columbia/Brookswood
Clark helped the Blugolds remain undefeated on the season (5-0) with two more victories at Hobbs Ice Center this weekend. Friday Eau Claire recorded its first shutout of the year, beating fifth-ranked University of St. Thomas 6-0. In that win, Clark assisted on two goals, including one in the second and one in the third periods. Saturday he scored two goals as the Blugolds went on to a 6-2 victory over St. Mary's University. He scored the game's first goal less than a minute in and then picked up a short-handed goal, two men down, in the third period.
October 27, 2008-November 2, 2008
Sean Garrity, Forward, 6-2, 200, Senior, North St. Paul, Minn./North
Garrity recorded two goals and one assist this weekend as the Blugolds improved to 3-0 on the season. Friday the Blugolds defeated St. John's 3-2 and scored a 5-4 victory Saturday over Concordia-Moorhead. Less than a minute into the second period on Friday, Garrity found the net for his first goal of the season to give the Blugolds their first lead of the game at 2-1. Saturday he was the first Blugold to strike in the Concordia game, also less than a minute into the second period. Garrity also assisted on the game-winning goal against Concordia.
October 20, 2008-October 26, 2008
Joe Bluhm, Forward, 5-10, 185, Junior, Red Wing, Minn.
Bluhm scored the Blugolds' first goal of the 2008-09 season and helped lead the team to a 4-1 victory over St. Scholastica in a non-conference game this weekend. Bluhm gave the Blugolds the 1-0 lead at 6:53 in the second on an even-strength goal.