Bernd Brückler Of Wisconsin Named National College Hockey Player Of The Month; Denver's Matt Carle Garners CSTV/Commissioners' Choice Rookie Of The Month
UW G Bernd Bruckler is the National Player of the Month for February. |
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March 5, 2004
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MADISON, Wis. - University of Wisconsin junior goaltender Bernd Brückler has been selected as the CSTV: College Sports Television/Hockey Commissioners' Association National Division I Player of the Month for February.
Brückler, a 6-1, 192-pound junior from Graz, Austria, led the University of Wisconsin to an unbeaten month of February and a No. 4 national ranking in the latest polls by going 5-0-1 with a 1.14 goals-against average, a .958 saves percentage and two shutouts.
Brückler started the month as the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week and USCHO.com National Defensive Player of the Week by making 66 saves in a two-game sweep over then-No. 1-ranked North Dakota on Feb. 6-7 at the Kohl Center in Madison. Since then, Brückler has allowed just two goals in the last four games, including his first two shutouts since his first career start two seasons ago. He has stopped 95 of the last 97 shots (.979) while allowing just one goal in a win and tie against Top 10-ranked St. Cloud State and only one goal in a road sweep of Alaska Anchorage.
A four-time WCHA Defensive Player of the Week selection this season, Brückler leads the WCHA in minutes played and save percentage for both overall and conference games. His 2.12 goals-against average in WCHA games leads the league, while his 2.16 average for all games is third best in the league.
Matt Carle, the CSTV/HCA National Division I Rookie of the Month, is a 6-0, 190-pound freshman from Anchorage, Alaska, who helped the University of Denver Pioneers to a 5-0-1 record in the month and a No. 7 national ranking in this week's polls by contributing significantly at both ends of the ice. He was also honored as WCHA Rookie of the Week three times in February.
Carle, a member of the Gold Medal-winning 2004 U.S. National Junior Team at the IIHF World Junior Championships in Finland in January, finished the month with 3-10-13 in six games, including a pair of career-best four-point games. He scored at least one point in five of the six games and had at least two points in four of the six. Defensively, Carle contributed 39 hits (6.5 per game) and 21 blocked shots (3.5 per game) in the six games.
He scored two goals and added two assists, while finishing with a +5 plus-minus rating, in Denver's 7-1 win over Minnesota State. He scored one goal - the game-winner - and added three assists in Denver's 6-3 victory over two-time defending NCAA champion and 7th-ranked Minnesota on Feb. 28. He finished the month with a +11 plus-minus rating, while being assessed just two minor penalties and averaging 25 minutes of ice time per game.
National Player of the Month, February 2004
Bernd Brückler, G, Wisconsin, WCHA
National Rookie of the Month, February 2004
Matt Carle, D, Denver, WCHA
Honorable Mention Player of the Month
Tim Olsen, F, Connecticut, AHA
Barry Ehgoetz, F, Niagara, CHA
Jim Slater, F, Michigan State, CCHA
Jon Smyth, F, Colgate, ECAC
Tony Voce, F, Boston College, HEA
Honorable Mention Rookie of the Month
David Brown, G, Notre Dame, CCHA
Jim Healey, G, Merrimack College, HEA
Will Hooper, G, Findlay, CHA
Billy Irish-Baker, F, Canisius, AHA
David McKee, G, Cornell, ECAC
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