Michigan schools sweep WCHA weekly honors

WCHA

By @MichaelCaples –

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association gives out three awards each week, and this time around, Michigan schools claimed them all.

Michigan Tech’s Tyler Heinonen, Lake Superior State’s Gordon Defiel and Northern Michigan’s Atte Tolvanen all picked up weekly honors from their conference for outstanding performances this weekend.

Heinonen, a junior forward from Delano, Minn., picked up six points in the Huskies’ two games against Michigan State on the road to be named the WCHA’s offensive player of the week. The Huskies’ forward posted a career-best four points on Saturday night, helping MTU to a comeback 4-3 win in overtime.

Defiel, a sophomore goaltender from Stillwater, Minn., stopped 80 of the 83 shots he faced to pick up three points on the road against Bemidji State and be named the WCHA’s defensive player of the week. He made 33 saves to record a 3-2 win on Friday, then he recorded 47 in a 1-1 tie the next night.

Tolvanen, a freshman goaltender from Vihti, Finland, recorded two ties in the weekend while stopping 63 of the 66 shots he faced in a pair of games with Minnesota State.