Minnesota forward Kyle Rau, who topped all league players with a six-point week as the No. 1 ranked Gophers won all three of their games against Notre Dame and Alaska Anchorage, has been named Red Baron® WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for January 15.
A 5-8, 173-pound sophomore left winger from Eden Prairie, Minn., Rau contributed points in all three victories with four goals, including his first collegiate hat trick and a game-winning tally, and a pair of assists. He started the week with an assist in Minnesota’s 4-1 win over No. 2 ranked Notre Dame on Jan. 8, had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 come-from-behind league win over Alaska Anchorage on Jan 11, and completed the week with a three-goal hat trick and the winner in the Gophers’ 7-1 triumph over the Seawolves on Jan 12.
He was the named the No. 3 Star of the Game on Friday and the No. 2 Star of the Game on Saturday. Minnesota is now 15-0-1 this season when Rau records a point and his five game-winning goals rank second nationally.
A draftee of the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers, Rau ranks second in scoring for Minnesota with 25 points (13g, 12a) in 22 games and is ninth among WCHA players overall.
Minnesota returns to action next weekend at Mariucci Arena, hosting WCHA rival North Dakota for the final time in the regular season as members of the WCHA. Friday’s series opener is set for a 7 p.m. start while Saturday’s finale will begin at 5 p.m. as part of Hockey Day Minnesota. Both games will be broadcast on FOX Sports North as well as 1500 ESPN.
Geoff Discher is Examiner.com's Minnesota Golden Gophers Hockey Examiner as well as the National College Hockey Examiner. Leave a comment below, or feel free to reach him at Disch61@hotmail.com with comments, story ideas, or any general talk surrounding college hockey. You can find him on Facebook as well by clicking here as well as here and joining the conversation from the social media side as well. He's always chock full of fact and opinion. I’m also on Twitter @GophHkyExmnr. Check it out!
Until next time, I'll see you at the rink!
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