Auk named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Michigan Tech defenseman Mark Auk was named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week on Monday (Feb. 19). Auk led all WCHA defensemen with seven blocked shots and three points on the weekend, scoring a goal and adding two assists in the nonconference series with Arizona State.
The senior from St. Clair Shores, Michigan tied Saturday's game to get the Huskies on the board 2:55 into the second period on the power play. It was his seventh of the season and team-leading fifth on the power play. He added the primary assist on Joel L'Esperance's power play goal later in the period as the Huskies wrapped up nonconference play with a 5-3 victory over the Sun Devils. Auk also had an assist Friday on Jake Lucchini's power play goal.
Auk leads the team with 17 assists and is third overall in points with 24. His 15 points on the power play are fourth in the WCHA. Tech is 7-0-0 when he scores a goal and 12-4-2 when he records a point. Auk is currently on a three-game point streak with two goals and three assists over the span. He has points in nine of the last 12 games.
Tech is 16-14-5 overall and 11-10-5-2 in the WCHA. The Huskies have locked in the fifth seed in the WCHA Playoffs and will travel to fourth-seeded Bemidji State in the quarterfinal. Tech first wraps up the regular season this weekend with a home-and-away series versus Northern Michigan. The two teams will meet in Marquette Friday with Saturday's finale taking place at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. The puck drops at 7:07 p.m. both nights.