2002-03 WIAC Men's Ice Hockey
Athletes of the Week

Week of Feb. 3 - 9
Jay Dardis, Freshman (Proctor, Minn.), Forward of UW-Superior
Dardis scored two goals and added four assists on the weekend as UW-Superior secured its second-straight WIAC championship and second place in the NCHA with a pair of league victories. In Friday's 5-1 win over UW-Stevens Point, he had a power play goal and two assists. In Saturday's 6-3 victory over UW-Eau Claire, Dardis recorded the game-winning goal and added two assists. Dardis leads the Yellowjackets with 25 points and 19 assists this season.

Also nominated:
UW-Stevens Point, Justin Micek, Junior, Forward, Elk River, Minn.
UW-Stout, John Schaffner, Sophomore, Forward, Janesville (Craig)

Week of Jan. 27 - Feb. 2
Josh Liebenow, Senior (White Bear Lake, Minn.), Forward of UW-Superior
Liebenow scored two goals and added an assist for three points as UW-Superior took two NCHA and WIAC victories last weekend. His empty net goal on Friday night secured a 5-3 victory over UW-River Falls, which had been unbeaten in league play. Liebenow then recorded a second period goal in the Yellowjackets' 4-2 victory at UW-Stout.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Rob Ouimette, Sophomore, Forward, Iron Bridge, Ontario
UW-River Falls, Matt Elsen, Junior, Forward, Richfield, Minn.
UW-Stevens Point, Adam Kostichka, Sophomore, Forward, Stevens Point (SPASH)
UW-Stout, Dan Winkler, Junior, Forward, Brooklyn Center, Minn. (Maple Grove)

Week of Jan. 20 - 26
Joel Marshall, Senior (Madison), Forward of UW-Stevens Point
Marshall posted his first career hat trick in the Pointers' 6-4 victory over UW-Stout. He scored a pair of goals in the second period to help trim the Blue Devils lead to 4-3. He then evened the game with an unassisted goal at the 8:48 mark of the third period. Marshall entered the game with just two goals this season, before the three goal outburst.

Also nominated:
UW-River Falls, Tony Sikich, Sophomore, Forward, Apple Valley, Minn.
UW-Stout, Mitch Kellin, Junior, Forward, Cohasset, Minn. (Grand Rapids)
UW-Superior, Ryan Melbourne, Sophomore, Forward, Red Deer, Alberta

Week of Jan. 13 - 19
Adam Kostichka, Sophomore (Stevens Point/SPASH), Forward of UW-Stevens Point
Kostichka scored four goals, including three short-handed goals, in two games as the Pointers swept a WIAC and NCHA weekend series from UW-Eau Claire. He scored on the power play in the second period of Friday night's 5-1 win over the Blugolds, before adding a short-handed goal with just over five minutes to play. On Saturday, Kostichka scored short-handed goals in the second and third periods to help the Pointers to a 7-2 victory. He also had an assist on Saturday night.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Andy Klapperick, Freshman, Forward, Austin, Minn.
UW-River Falls, Matt Elsen, Junior, Forward, Richfield, Minn.
UW-Superior, Jay Dardis, Freshman, Forward, Proctor, Minn.

Week of Jan. 6 - 12
Evan Stensrud, Senior (Minnetonka, Minn.) Forward of UW-River Falls
Stensrud played two strong games in helping UW-River Falls beat UW-Stout 8-0 and 6-2 last week. The wins improved UW-River Falls’ record to 15-2-1 overall and 4-0-1 in the WIAC. In Friday’s win, he scored the team’s fourth goal and had assists on each of the team’s final four goals to give him five points in the game. In Saturday’s win, he scored two goals, including the game-winner and had two assists. He finished the week with three goals and six assists.

Also nominated:
UW-Stevens Point, Mike Brolsma, Sophomore, Forward, Appleton (North)
UW-Superior, Dale Lupul, Sophomore, Defenseman, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia

Week of Dec. 30 - Jan. 5
Ryan Kalbrener, Senior (Grafton, N.D.), Forward of UW-Superior
Kalbrener scored three goals and added an assist as the defending national champion Yellowjackets opened the 2003 portion of their schedule with their third and fourth consecutive wins. He scored two goals and added an assist as the Yellowjackets defeated Bethel (Minn.), 7-3, on Friday. On Saturday, he scored a power play goal as UW-Superior defeated Hamline (Minn.) 6-0. Kalbrener has eight goals and five assists this season for 13 points.

Also nominated:
UW-River Falls, Josh Schlipp, Sophomore, Forward, Chisago Lakes, Minn.
UW-Stevens Point, Ryan Scott, Junior, Goaltender, Plover (SPASH)

Week of Dec. 9 - 15
Jim Murphy, Junior (St. Paul, Minn.), Forward of UW-River Falls
Murphy helped the Falcons to a split in two games last weekend. In the team’s 8-1 win over Augsburg (Minn.) on Friday, he scored two goals. He scored the game-winning second goal and the fourth goal of the game. On Saturday against St. John’s (Minn.), Murphy tied the score at 1-1 with 1:01 remaining in the game before the Johnnies scored just 19 seconds later for the victory.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Matt Schultz, Sophomore, Forward, Menomonie
UW-Stevens Point, Rory Milcarek, Freshman, Forward, Pipersville, Pa. (Brooford District)

Week of Dec. 2 - 8
Josh Liebenow, Senior (White Bear Lake, Minn.), Forward of UW-Superior
Liebenow scored four goals and added an assist for five points last weekend as the Yellowjackets rebounded from a two-game losing streak with road victories over Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) (10-3) and St. John's (Minn.) (4-2). He had two goals and one assist in the game against the Cobbers and scored a power play goal and the game-winner against the Johnnies.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Chip Dunleavy, Freshman, Forward, Littleton, Col. (Columbine)
UW-Stevens Point, David Scott, Sophomore, Defenseman, Moorhead, Minn.
UW-Stout, Derek Nichols, Junior, Forward, Victoria, Minn. (Chaska)

Week of Nov. 25 - Dec. 1
Scott Sutton, Senior (Thunder Bay, Ontario/St. Patrick's), Goalie of UW-Eau Claire
Sutton led the Blugolds to a 1-1 tie over St. Thomas (Minn.), the eighth-ranked team in the country. He stopped 37 of 38 shots against the Tommies. After allowing his only goal of the game in the second period, the Blugold goalie slammed the door on St. Thomas. He stopped two shots in the five minute overtime to preserve the tie for UW-Eau Claire.

Also nominated:
UW-Stevens Point, Adam Kostichka, Sophomore, Forward, Stevens Point (SPASH)

Week of Nov. 18 - 24
Nate Kotewa, Senior (Fairmont, Minn.), Forward of UW-River Falls
Kotewa helped the Falcons to two wins last weekend, including a 5-2 win over St. Norbert, the No. 1-ranked team in the country. He scored two goals against the Green Knights, the last an empty net short-handed effort. Kotewa also scored the team's second goal against Lake Forest (Ill.) in a 3-2 win.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Matt Gehr, Senior, Forward, New Richmond
UW-Stevens Point, Ryan Scott, Junior, Goalie, Plover (SPASH)
UW-Stout, Dan Winkler, Junior, Forward, Brooklyn Center, Minn. (Maple Grove)
UW-Superior, Dale Lupul, Sophomore, Defenseman, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia

Week of Nov. 11 - 17
Ryan Scott, Junior (Plover/SPASH), Goalie of UW-Stevens Point
Scott picked up a win over St. John's (Minn.) Friday night, allowing just one goal in a 4-1 victory. He made 29 saves, including 15 in the third period as the Johnnies attempted to rally from behind. On Saturday, Scott made 21 saves in a 3-2 loss to Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.).

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Chip Dunleavy, Freshman, Forward, Littleton, Col. (Columbine)
UW-River Falls, Matt Elsen, Junior, Forward, Richfield, Minn.
UW-Stout, Nate Legler, Junior, Forward, Lakeville, Minn.
UW-Superior, Brent Halverson, Freshman, Forward, Cloquet, Minn.

Week of Nov. 4 - 10
Nathan Ziemski, Senior (Duluth, Minn./Central), Goalie of UW-Superior
Ziemski continued his stellar play as he recorded back-to-back shutouts in a 1-0 overtime win over UW-Stout on Friday and a 0-0 overtime tie with UW-River Falls on Saturday. He had 22 saves against the Blue Devils and followed that with a 28 save performance against the Falcons. Ziemski has a record of 3-1-1 on the season with a 1.19 goals against average and a .952 saves percentage.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Justin Kaufenberg, Senior, Forward, Shakopee, Minn.
UW-River Falls, Mike Salmela, Sophomore, Defenseman, Duluth, Minn.
UW-Stevens Point, Justin Micek, Junior, Forward, Elk River, Minn.
UW-Stout, Jeff Dotson, Junior, Goalie, Chanhassen, Minn. (Chaska)

Week of Oct. 28 - Nov. 3
Evan Stensrud, Senior (Minnetonka, Minn.), Forward of UW-River Falls
Stensrud helped UW-River Falls to two WIAC road wins last weekend. The Falcons beat UW-Eau Claire, 10-1, on Friday and UW-Stevens Point, 7-2, on Saturday. Stensrud had one goal and one assist against the Blugolds, and had two assists, including an assist on the game-winning goal against the Pointers.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Phil Cherneski, Sophomore, Forward, Thompson, Manitoba
UW-Stevens Point, Nick Glander, Senior, Forward, Brookfield (Central)
UW-Superior, Colin Kendall, Senior, Forward, Calgary, Alberta

Week of Oct. 21- 27
Justin Huth, Freshman (Shakopee, Minn.), Forward of UW-Stout
Playing in his first collegiate games, Huth scored three goals over the weekend, including the game-winner in overtime in a 3-2 win over Lawrence, Saturday, October 28. In the opening game of the season, October 27, Huth scored two goals, one in the first period and one in the second period, and added a third period assist as UW-Stout defeated Lawrence 7-1.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Scott Sutton, Senior, Goalie, Thunder Bay, Ontario (St. Patrick's)
UW-River Falls, Jamie Steinert, Junior, Forward, Maple Grove, Minn. (Osseo)
UW-Superior, Beau Moyer, Sophomore, Forward, North Bay, Ontario

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