Michigan names take home weekly collegiate honors

By @SKubus – 

Michigan connections flourished this past week in the world of college hockey, as representatives from the Big Ten, NCHC and WCHA each captured weekly awards for their performances.

Waterford native and University of Michigan Wolverines freshman forward Dylan Larkin took home the Big Ten’s first star of the week, his third weekly award of the season.

The Detroit Red Wings’ 2014 first-round draft selection tallied a career-best five points against Ohio State to help guide the Wolverines to a 10-6 victory Friday night. Over the course of the week, he ultimately extended his point streak to five games, potting six goals and seven assists.

Western Michigan’s Colton Hargrove was named the NCHC’s Offensive Player of the Week after helping the Broncos earn five points in a weekend series with No. 5 Minnesota Duluth.

In Friday night’s tilt, Hargrove opened the game’s scoring to put the Broncos ahead. He followed that up with two goals and an assist in a 4-2 victory the next night, extending his goal-scoring streak to five games in the process.

In the WCHA, freshman netminder Gordon Defiel captured WCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors after backstopping the LSSU Lakers to their first sweep of the season.

Defiel turned aside 76 pucks in the two games against Bemidji State, including a career-high 44-save shutout performance in a 1-0 win Friday night. He faced 24 shots in the first period alone in that first tilt, tying the sixth-highest single-period total in WCHA history.

Defiel also leads all WCHA goaltenders with 758 saves this season.