WCHA Players of the Week November 30, 1998 WCHA Offensive Player of the Week Lee Goren/RW/UND Lee Goren, a right wing on the #1-ranked University of North Dakota hockey team, has been selected as the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for November 30 as a result of his outstanding performances in a weekend sweep over St. Cloud State. A 6-2, 190-pound sophomore, Goren led the way offensively for the Fighting Sioux against the Huskies, scoring four goals and one assist in the two-game series as North Dakota improved its 1998-99 record to 8-1-1. Last Friday evening at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn., Goren was instrumental in a comeback 4-3 win, scoring the game-tying goal at 4:37 of the third period and assisting on teammate Adam Calder's winner at 14:27. Then on Saturday (Nov. 28) night, Goren came back to record his first collegiate three-goal hat trick, scoring the game-opening tally just :39 into the first period as well as the eventual game-winning goal at 14:20 of the third, as the Fighting Sioux skated to a 7-4 win and a sweep of the series. A draftee of the NHL's Boston Bruins, Goren is in the midst of a four-game goal-scoring streak and is second among WCHA players with 10 goals in 10 games. Other nominees for the offensive player of the week award were: Matt Mathias, RW, Alaska Anchorage. \ WCHA Defensive Player of the Week Brad Williamson/D/UND University of North Dakota defenseman Brad Williamson, who earned a +3 plus/minus rating and contributed four assists in a Nov. 27-28 series sweep over St. Cloud State, has been honored as the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for Nov. 30. A 5-10, 180-pound senior from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Williamson played a key role at both ends of the ice for the top-ranked Fighting Sioux, who improved to 8-1-1 overall with the 4-3 and 7-4 road wins over the Huskies. Williamson was a defensive anchor on the North Dakota penalty-kill that blanked St. Cloud State on all nine power-play chances in the series, including seven last Saturday. In addition to his strong defensive efforts, he also set up two goals each night, including the game-winner on Saturday evening. Through 10 games this season, Williamson is the top-scoring defenseman in league play, averaging one point per game with one goal and nine assists. He was a member of the 1998-99 WCHA All-Star Team that played in the Kolin Cup tournament in Switzerland this past August. North Dakota next heads west to take on WCHA-rival Denver on Dec.5-6. Also nominated for the weekly defensive player honor was: Eric Lawson, D, Alaska Anchorage. WCHA Rookie of the Week Gregg Naumenko/G/UAA The University of Alaska Anchorage's Gregg Naumenko, who backstopped the Seawolves to three points in a 3-1 win and 1-1 tie at Minnesota-Duluth last Friday and Saturday, has been honored as the WCHA Rookie of the Week for Nov. 30. A 6-2, 195-pound freshman from Chicago, Ill., Naumenko turned back 58 of the 60 shots on goal he faced in the two-game series, including 37 in the 1-1 draw last Saturday (Nov. 28) night. Over 125:00 of action, he allowed just two goals and recorded a .967 saves percentage. Naumenko has started eight of the last nine games in goal for Alaska Anchorage, including five straight. In WCHA play, he is currently the league's third-ranked goaltender with a 3-3-2 record, 2.41 goals-against average, and .920 saves percentage. Overall on the season, he has a 2.71 GAA and a .908 SV% over 509:22 of game time. Naumenko and his UAA teammates, sporting a 2-1-2 record over their last five games, play host to Air Force Academy next weekend (Dec. 4-5) in a non-conference series at Sullivan Arena. Other nominees for this week's WCHA Rookie of the Week award were: Andy Kollar, G, North Dakota. Mike Welvaert, UND '90 GO SIOUX!! ONE MORE TIME IN '99!! HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.