Headline: Gophers' Trebil earns WCHA weekly honor
Publish Date: 01/24/1995
Matthew Cross
Staff Reporter
 
For the second time this season, Gophers defenseman Dan Trebil was
named the WCHA's Defensive Player of the Week.
 
Trebil also garnered the honor for his efforts during Minnesota's
opening weekend at Minnesota-Duluth.
 
The Gophers' alternate captain recorded three assists on the weekend
and broke up four two-on-one breaks by Colorado College forwards
during this weekend's split with the Tigers.
 
He helped the top defensive team in the conference hold the top
offensive team (the Tigers score 5.3 goals per game) to just five
even-strength goals on the weekend.
 
Trebil is tied for second in the WCHA with 22 assists. St. Cloud
State's Kelly Hultgren leads with 23.
 
Badgers next for Gophers
*************************
Last season the Gophers were one point behind first-place Wisconsin
in the WCHA before their second and final series with their rivals.
 
Minnesota swept the Badgers with back-to-back 3-2 wins and ended the
season one point ahead of Wisconsin in second place.
 
This season, Minnesota is one point behind the Badgers for second
place in the conference, and the weekend's upcoming series seems to
be just as important as last year's.
 
Minnesota will watch Wisconsin, Denver and Colorado College closely
for the rest of the season.
 
Denver has the toughest remaining schedule in the WCHA, as their last
six series are against the top six teams in the conference.
 
The Pioneers' last three series are against Minnesota, Wisconsin and
Colorado College -- all in the top four.
 
Like the Gophers, however, Wisconsin and Colorado College have
relatively easy schedules.
 
The Badgers will face Minnesota and Denver, but three of their final
four series are against teams in the lower half of the WCHA.
 
The Tigers go into the last stretch of games in the best shape, and
face four teams that are in the lower half of the WCHA in their final
six series.
 
The Body is inspirational too
******************************
Talk show host/actor/former pro wrestler/former mayor of Brooklyn
Park Jesse (the Body) Ventura got a tour of Mariucci Arena on Friday
night in exchange for a pregame speech to the Gophers hockey team.
 
Gophers coach Doug Woog said Ventura was there to put a perspective
on the weekend series against Colorado College.
 
``(The players) got a kick out of it,'' Woog said. ``Jesse said
(hockey) is kind of like the Navy Seals. It's not a war, but the
thing is to play your best.''
 
Ventura also said the Gophers should be proud to be Minnesotans and
they should go out and win for Minnesota.
 
Stats, stats, stats
********************
Despite the Gophers' scoring woes, they have some impressive
offensive statistics.
 
* Minnesota has outscored its opponents in the third period by a
42-18 margin.
 
* The Gophers are 10-0-1 when they score four or more goals in a
game.
 
* Gophers forwards Justin McHugh, Brian Bonin and Ryan Kraft each
scored four points during Saturday's 7-4 victory over Colorado
College at Mariucci Arena.
 
* The Gophers scored on 5 of 9 power-play opportunities Saturday.
 
The Gophers have maintained a consistent defense all season and have
managed some standout numbers as well.
 
* The Gophers have the best penalty-killing record in the WCHA at
86.6 percent.
 
* Minnesota's defense has allowed fewer goals than any other team in
the conference, with 75. The next best defensive team is Colorado
College with 83 goals allowed.
 
* Gophers goaltender Jeff Callinan is the top-rated goalie in the
WCHA and has a 2.75 goals- against average and a .892 save
percentage. He also has 27 shutout periods this season.
 
Carol S. White                            BITNET: c-whit@uminn1
University of Minnesota        internet:[log in to unmask]
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