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And the winner is...MN Hockey Hub Top Performer revealed

By Kassondra Burtis, SportsEngine, 12/17/19, 3:45PM CST

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See who fans voted as the top performer from Dec. 9-14.

Photo by SportsEngine

Athletes are considered for the weekly top performer poll only if their stats are entered on the MN Hockey Hub by 10 a.m. on Sundays. If coaches or members of their staffs need access to enter stats, please email mnhubs@sportngin.com.


Top performer winners

Blake Lueck, Spring Lake Park. Lueck and the Panthers won back-to-back games against Minnehaha Academy last week, winning on the road 10-6 on Dec. 13, then 6-1 at home the following night. The sophomore forward registered nine points in the first game — tying a state record, according to the Minnesota State High School League. Lueck scored six goals — one on the power play and one even-strength goal each period — as well as contributing three assists, including two on the power play. He led the team’s 5-for-7 power-play unit. On Dec. 14, Lueck scored three consecutive goals, including two on power plays. 

Will Schumacher, Prior Lake. The sophomore forward produced consecutive four-point games last week, first against Burnsville on Dec. 12 and then versus Eagan two days later. At Burnsville, Schumacher scored twice and added an assist during the first period, then he recorded another assist in the third period as the Lakers defeated Burnsville 8-2. Against Eagan, he assisted on two first-period goals, then scored on the power play in the second period. With it tied 3-3 at the end of regulation, Schumacher and the Lakers took advantage of an Eagan penalty in overtime with Schumacher assisting on the game-winner.

Top performer candidates

Josh Dykhoff, Wadena-Deer Creek. Dykhoff faced a season-high 53 shots during the Wolverines’ 3-3 overtime tie on Dec. 10 against Northern Lakes. Two of the goals given up by the sophomore goaltender were on penalty kills and he recorded a .943 save percentage.

Damon Furuseth, Gentry Academy. The junior forward powered a pair of Stars’ wins with back-to-back four-point performances. Gentry Academy shut out Chisago Lakes 5-0 on Dec. 9, as Furuseth scored two goals — one shorthanded — and tallied two power-play assists. Then, against Tartan on Dec. 12, Furuseth recorded two goals and an assist during regulation before completing his hat trick in overtime.

Christian Galatz, Cloquet-Esko-Carlton. The junior forward led the Lumberjacks’ 5-4 overtime win against Duluth East on Dec. 12 with four points. Galatz scored two second-period goals in less than two minutes and added an assist later in the period. In overtime, Galatz scored the game-winner 24 seconds into the extra period.

Hudson Hodges, Moorhead. Hodges, a senior goaltender, faced a season-high 47 shots on goal, backing the Spuds’ 3-1 defeat of Minnetonka on Dec. 14. Hodges, who faced nearly triple the amount of shots as the opposing goaltender, posted a .979 save percentage.

Jack Klimek, Hastings. In the Raiders’ 7-1 win against Apple Valley on Dec. 14, Klimek had a five-point performance, registering two goals and three assists. The Raiders took advantage of their multiple power-play opportunities, going 5-for-6 with the advantage, with the senior forward leading the power-play unit with two goals and two assists with the advantage.

Blake Lueck, Spring Lake Park. Lueck and the Panthers won back-to-back games against Minnehaha Academy last week, winning on the road 10-6 on Dec. 13, then 6-1 at home the following night. The sophomore forward registered nine points in the first game — tying a state record, according to the Minnesota State High School League. Lueck scored six goals — one on the power play and one even-strength goal each period — as well as contributing three assists, including two on the power play. He led the team’s 5-for-7 power-play unit. On Dec. 14, Lueck scored three consecutive goals, including two on power plays.      

Logan Merschman, Bagley/Fosston. The sophomore forward scored four times in the Flyers’ 6-5 win against Prairie Centre on Dec. 14. Merschman scored his third goal to complete the hat trick with 4:55 left in the second period. Then, after the Flyers tied the game with less than two minutes to go, Merschman scored the game-winner with 36 seconds left in the third period.

Ben Strandlie, Park Rapids. The Panthers found themselves locked in a tight battle with Wadena-Deer Creek on Dec. 12, as neither team's goalie allowed a score until the third period. Strandlie, a senior, finished with 43 saves in his team's 2-1 victory.

Will Schumacher, Prior Lake. The sophomore forward produced consecutive four-point games last week, first against Burnsville on Dec. 12 and then versus Eagan two days later. At Burnsville, Schumacher scored twice and added an assist during the first period, then he recorded another assist in the third period as the Lakers defeated Burnsville 8-2. Against Eagan, he assisted on two first-period goals, then scored on the power play in the second period. With it tied 3-3 at the end of regulation, Schumacher and the Lakers took advantage of an Eagan penalty in overtime with Schumacher assisting on the game-winner.

Bennett Weestrand, Eastview. The senior goaltender was kept busy in net, helping the Lightning to a 2-1 record last week. Eastview first defeated Bloomington Jefferson 6-3 on Dec. 10, as Weestrand made 35 saves in net. Weestrand then helped the Lightning drop Shakopee 1-0 with a 30-save performance two days later. In his third game, he made 38 saves in the Lightning's 2-1 overtime loss to Wayzata on Dec. 14. He stopped 103 of 108 total shots for a .953 save percentage during the week.

*Stats and records as of Dec. 15.

MN Hockey Hub polls are for entertainment purposes only. 

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