Jamie McBain is a senior defender for the Badgers. That doesn't stop him from being the team's top-scorer, with 28 points. Nor did it keep him from winning WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.
McBain scored the opening goal of the Badgers' weekend when he notched a short-handed score just before the end of the first period Friday night to totally take the wind out of the Gophers' sails.
He also assisted on Saturday's first two goals and scored the final goal, a power-play goal that gave the Badgers the lead for good after they had let a two-goal advantage slip away.
For the performance, McBain was awarded InsideCollegeHockey.com's National Player of the Week Award.
He's always held a special place in my heart after we had dinner with him at a Badger function two years ago.
Additionally, goalie Shane Connelly was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week.
Read about it at UWBadgers.com
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The Badgers are hyping Jamie as a Hobey Baker (it's kind of the Heisman of college hockey) candidate, but I'm still not sure how serious that whole campaign really is.
Defenders don't often get serious consideration for the Hobey. The finalists are usually the top goalies and goal-scorers in the country.
That being said, Jamie, though a defenseman, leads the WCHA in points with 34 (7 goals, 27 assists.)
One of the other candidates is Minnesota's Ryan Stoa. While he has more goals that McBain (16) he has two less points. And he's a forward.
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McBain is the fifth overall scorer in the country and the only defenseman in the top nine.
