Earl Collects WCHA Offensive Player of the Week Honor
November 22, 2004 | Men's Hockey
Sophomore forward Robbie Earl, who recorded a hat trick and an assist last weekend, has been named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week. Earl's four points helped No. 2 Wisconsin men's hockey to a WCHA road sweep at Alaska Anchorage and pushed the team into sole possession of first place.
A 6-0, 189-pound sophomore from Los Angeles, Calif., Earl netted his second collegiate three goal hat trick last Friday (Nov. 19) at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage as the visiting Badgers posted a 4-1 victory over the Seawolves. Earl scored Wisconsin 's first three goals, opening the scoring at :26 seconds of the second period with a wrap-around goal, giving the UW a 2-0 lead at 2:52 with a power-play goal and then scoring the eventual game-winning goal at 9:16 of the middle period. He became the 17th Badger to record three goals in a period and the first since John Byce scored three goals in the second period against Michigan Tech on Nov. 5, 1988.
A draftee of the National Hockey League's Toronto Maple Leafs, Earl also added an assist last Saturday (Nov. 20) afternoon as Wisconsin completed the road sweep over UAA with another 4-1 victory and improved to 9-3-0 overall. He completed the weekend with four points, eight shots, and a +3 on-ice rating.
Earl currently leads the Badgers in scoring with seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points in 12 games overall.
Earl's award gives Wisconsin its first WCHA Offensive Player of the Week award since Dany Heatley was honored for a five-point weekend, Feb. 23 and 24, 2001 in a series split at Colorado College.
Also nominated for the offensive award this week were: Scott Thauwald, F, CC; Paul Stastny, F, Denver; Ryan Potulny, F, UM; and David Backes, F, MSU; and Colby Genoway, F, UND.
