Beavers Finish First Half at 8-3-1 in WCHA Play

Bemidji State University junior forward Aaron Miller has been selected as the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Offensive Player of the Week for his role in Beavers’ WCHA series split with the University of Alaska, Dec. 6-7.

Miller led the Beavers, was first among all WCHA players and tied for second among all NCAA skaters with five points as the Beavers split a WCHA series with the Nanooks. The junior recorded a pair of assists in BSU’s 3-1 victory to open the series and recorded his fifth multi-point night of the season Saturday with two goals, including a power-play tally, and an assist. In all, he had a hand in five of the Beavers’ six goals on the weekend. He finished the weekend with a BSU-best +3 plus/minus rating.

The Superior, Wis. native’s leads Bemidji State with a team-high goals (9), assists (11) and points (20) to match his career single-season total set last winter (11g-9a).

This is Miller’s first career WCHA weekly award.

In addition to Miller, Bowling Green State University’s Alec Rauhauser was named as the league’s defenseman of the week, Dryden McKay and Nathan Smith, of Minnesota State University, Mankato, earned goaltender and rookie of the week laurels, respectively.

Beavers finished the first half of the 2019-20 schedule 8-5-3 overall and 8-3-1-0 in WCHA play to hold down second place in the league standings with 25 points–just two points off the pace set by defending WCHA champion Minnesota State University, Mankato and one point ahead of Alaska and Michigan Tech. BSU will now break for the holidays. The Beavers return to play Dec. 29-30 when they travel to Minneapolis, Minn. to compete in the Mariucci Classic. BSU opens the event with a 7 p.m. match up versus the University of Minnesota Saturday at Mariucci Arena and will play either Minnesota State or St. Cloud State University Sunday at 4 p.m.