Minnesota State's Kelsey King among WCHA players of the week

Women hockey players in purple and yellow uniforms compete against players in white and maroon uniforms on an indoor ice sheet. — Minnesota State forward Kelsey King (20) pushes Minnesota Duluth forward Anna Klein (19) to the ice while fighting for the puck on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.

By Rob Beer

December 19, 2022 at 4:34 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — While there were just four WCHA teams in action last weekend before the holiday break, there was no slippage in production by this week's players of the week.

Forward of the Week

Kelsey King, a senior forward at Minnesota State, scored four times in Friday night's nonconference game against Long Island University. King scored back-to-back goals twice, including two in the first period, as the Mavericks rolled to an 8-1 victory. King's unassisted goal at 18:14 of the first proved to be the game-winner, her first of the season. She went on to add a late second-period tally and a power-play goal in the third.

King's four-goal output tied her own Mavericks record for goals in a single game, set Oct. 8, 2021 against Lindenwood. She also added an assist on Whitney Tuttle's goal for a five-point night. In Saturday's 5-1 victory over LIU, King scored again for a six-point weekend. King, of Elk River, Minnesota, totaled nine shots on goal and finished plus-4. It was the first WCHA Forward of the Week honor for King this season after earning it twice last season.

Defender of the Week

Haley Maxwell, a freshman at St. Thomas, played a vital role in the Tommies' first-ever sweep as a Division I program. Maxwell, from Edina, Minnesota, scored an unassisted goal midway through the third period to break a 1-1 tie and help push St. Thomas past Bemidji State 3-1. She also played a key role defensively, blocking two shots during the weekend and finishing with a plus-5 rating. The Tommies won Saturday night's matchup 5-2.

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Goaltender of the Week

Raygan Kirk, a senior at No. 1 Ohio State, stopped all 12 shots in a 4-0 win over No. 10 Cornell on Sunday. The win improved her record to 6-1-1 on the season. It was the second time Kirk, from Ste. Anne, Manitoba, has earned goaltender of the week honors this season.

Rookie of the Week

Kate Haug, a senior forward at St. Thomas, was an extra skater in the opening game against Bemidji State on Friday. On Saturday, she moved up to the fourth line and scored her first career goal and added two assists, finishing with a plus-3 rating. Haug, from Roseville, Minnesota, is the first Tommies player in the WCHA-era to tally three points in a conference game.

By Rob Beer

Rob Beer is the digital content manager for Forum Communications. A journalist with Forum Communications since 1991, he is the editor of The Rink Live and helps cover the CCHA. He also assists with other content produced by Forum Communications.