Lucchini, Munson, Donohue named WCHA Players of Month
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Michigan Tech hockey players Jake Lucchini (Offensive), Patrick Munson (Goaltender), and Seamus Donohue (Rookie) have been named WCHA Players of the Month for March the league announced Friday (April 13).
Lucchini, a junior from Trail, British Columbia, ranked second in the WCHA with 10 points during March with three goals and seven assists. He had a point in 5-of-7 games and three multi-point games including a pair of 3-point performances in a WCHA quarterfinal sweep at Bemidji State. He had an assist in the WCHA Championship Game and recorded a pair of assists in the NCAA Regional game versus eventual national runner-up Notre Dame. He was named to the NCAA East Region All-Tournament Team. Lucchini also won 21 faceoffs, had a plus-5 rating, and blocked seven shots during the month. He finished the season tied for seventh in the WCHA with 39 overall points, complementing 16 goals with 23 assists.
Munson, a junior from Hugo, Minnesota, led the WCHA with .945 save percentage in March, appearing in four games with a 3-1-0 record. He was second in the league with a 1.55 goals-against average. Munson was named the First Star and Most Outstanding Player of WCHA Championship Game after shutting out Northern Michigan 2-0 with 21 saves. He also stopped 31-of-33 shots in Game 2 at Minnesota State for Tech's first win in Mankato since 2012 and 41-of-42 shots in a 2-1 OT win at MSU in the WCHA Semifinal Game 3. Munson then went toe-to-toe with Mike Richter Award winner Cale Morris of Notre Dame in the NCAA quarterfinals, stopping 28 shots in a 4-3, overtime loss. He made 17 saves in the third period and overtime.
Donohue, a freshman from North Oaks, Minnesota, led all WCHA rookies with a plus-6 rating and 12 blocked shots in March while finishing second with four points. He scored the game-winning goal in Game 1 at Bemidji State in the WCHA Quarterfinal, scoring with 90 seconds remaining. Donohue added two assists in the NCAA quarterfinals, setting up the Huskies' first two goals in a 4-3, overtime setback to Notre Dame. His three helpers on the month led WCHA freshmen blueliners and tied for second among all league rookie skaters.
The Huskies finished 2017-18 ranked No. 16 in the USCHO.com Poll and No. 15 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll after a 22-17-5 overall record. Tech finished fifth in the WCHA standings with a 12-11-5-2 league mark. The Huskies advanced to the WCHA Championship Game with road series wins at Bemidji State and Minnesota State before a shutout at NMU on March 17 to win the Jeff Sauer Trophy and secure a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the 13th time in school history and third time in four seasons.