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After a convincing sweep of the Michigan Wolverines, two Gophers picked up some ink from the conference headquarters. Without further ado:
First Star: Adam Wilcox, Sophomore Goaltender
No surprise here. For limiting the Wolverines to four goals over the course of the weekend, and for saving 63 of the 67 shots he faced over the weekend: the first star. If you watched the games, you know there were a few stretches where Wilcox kept the Gophers in the lead when the defense was not as effective as we would have liked. He was the key to the Gophers six-point weekend. This is his fourth weekly B1G Ten award this season.
We'll consider this just another bullet on his Hobey Baker resume'.
Second Star: Hudson Fasching, Freshman Forward
Fasching earned the second star of the weekend for his three points, two goals and one assist. The press release notes that Fasching is tied for the conference freshman lead with 11 Goals. This is Hudson's second weekly conference honor this year, his last came on November 12th.
Fasching looks like a man amongst boys more and more as the season progresses. He still needs to work on his puck control, and I'd like to see him generate more shooting chances, but he does a good job using his frame to clog up the slot and put away goals. He also displays impressive puck skills in one-on-one situations. I have a feeling his time with the Gophers will be more limited than most, but I'd like to see him stay around at least one more year to refine his game. Mostly, I just hope we have him around for Kyle Rau's senior season.
You Know You're Asking Yourself: Who's the Third Star?
The answer to your question is Michigan State goaltender Jake Hildebrand. Sure his save percentage last weekend was an unbelievable .946, but the voters clearly took his opponent (*cough* Penn State *COUGH*) into account. Still, there's no denying he's an excellent goalie. This is also his fourth conference honor this year.
