The University of Minnesota Duluth stole most of the spotlight at this afternoon's annual Western Collegiate Hockey Association Awards Banquet as senior right wing Junior Lessard received the league's Player of the Year honor while Scott Sandelin was selected the Coach of the Year.



Lessard, the seventh Bulldog ever, and first since Chris Marinucci in 1993-94, to receive the WCHA MVP award, recently was named as a Top 10 Finalist for the 2003-04 Hobey Baker Memorial Award. The St. Joseph deBeauce, Quebec, native currently paces all NCAA players in scoring with 27 goals (which ranks second nationally) and 28 assists for 55 points -- the most by a Bulldog since Hobey Baker Mamorial Award winner Chris Marinucci racked up 61 points. Lessard, a three-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week selection in 2003-04, shared the No. 1 spot on the league scoring charts (39 points) as well and finished first in goals (19) and tied for second in power play tallies (6). He has three hat tricks on the year -- the most by a UMD player since 1992-93 (Marinucci) -- and seven multiple-goal games .

Lessard was joined on the six-member All-WCHA first team by senior defenseman Beau Geisler. A four-year regular on the Bulldog blueline, Geisler has saved his best hockey for last, establishing career highs for goals (9), assists (23) and points (32) while captaining the Bulldogs to their best WCHA finish (second place) and overall wins (25) in 11 years. He is third at the moment in scoring among NCAA defensemen (0.94 points per game) and ranked fourth among all WCHA blueliners in that same department (0.68 ppg vs. league competition).

This year marks the first time since 1992-93 that the Bulldogs have placed more than one individual on the All-WCHA first team.

Representing UMD on the All-WCHA second team were sophomore goaltender Isaac Reichmuth, an All-WCHA third team pick one year ago, and junior center Evan Schwabe, who is second to only Lessard on the club in scoring (14 goals and 33 assists) heading into this weekend after winding up fifth in the WCHA points race.

Sandelin, who is winding down his fourth season behind the UMD bench, has guided the Bulldogs to a 25-11-4 overall record this winter and a 19-7-4 WCHA mark. Shortly after the conclusion of the WCHA Awards Banquet, USA Hockey announced that Sandelin will serve as an assistant coach for the U.S. entry at next year's World Junior Hockey Championships which will be held in both Grand Forks, ND, and Thief River Falls, MN, in late December through early January

In addtion, eight Bulldogs earned WCHA All-Academic Team recognition including senior wing Jesse Unklesbay, senior defenseman Jay Hardwick, junior wings Tyler Brosz, Josh Miskovich and Luke Stauffacher, junior defenseman Neil Petruic and sophomore defenseman Steve Czech.