CCHA & CHA honor three of Michigan's best

Lake Superior State University junior goaltender Jeff Jakaitis (left) earned his second Central Collegiate Hockey Association Goaltender of the Week honor for 2005-06 after blocking 66 of 69 shots (.956) during last weekend's non-conference series at Bemidji State.

Jakaitis, who had his first 40-save peformance since last February, totaled 25 saves in Friday's 2-1 victory and 41 saves in Saturday's 2-2 tie.

Jakaitis is currently ranked 10th nationally in goals-against at 2.01 and 17th in save percentage (.918). He was also named CCHA Goaltender of the Week on Nov. 7 following the Lakers' sweep at Western Michigan. He has received the award three times.

Other CCHA player of the week honors went to Michigan's Brandon Kaleniecki (offensive), Ohio State's Sean Collins (defenseman) and Notre Dame's Erik Condra (rookie), a Livonia native.

Kaleniecki had two goals and three assists as the Wolverines swept Nebraska-Omaha during the weekend series at Yost Ice Arena.

The CCHA Offensive Player of the Week honor is the second of Kaleniecki's career. He previously won the award two seasons ago on Jan. 26, 2004. Kaleniecki, an alternate captain, had his best weekend of the season as his five points (2-3-5) vs. UNO more than doubled his season point total to nine points. His cumulative plus/minus rating of +4 during the sweep buoyed his season rating to +2.

On Friday, Kaleniecki had his first multi-point effort of the season with a goal and two assists. His power-play goal tied the game at 1-1, and he assisted on the go-ahead, shorthanded goal minutes later. Finally he assisted on the empty-net goal to clinch the 4-2 win in the series opener. On Saturday, his power-play goal in the first period tied the game at 1-1. He later assisted on the go-ahead goal late in the first frame to make it 3-2.

Kaleniecki is riding three-game goal and point streaks that began on Dec. 3 at Miami. He has three goals and three assists during his streaks.

In the CHA, Wayne State University freshman defenseman Matt Krug was selected Rookie of the Week for his performance in WSU's sweep of Merrimack this past weekend.

Krug assisted on the first goal in Friday's 3-2 victory and finished the game with a plus/minus rating of +1.

In Saturday's contest, he assisted on Wayne State's first goal which tied the game at one. He assisted on two consecutive Warrior power-play goals late in the second period for his first career multiple-assist game.