Eric Schierhorn and Michael Brodzinski earned the top two spots in the weekly Big Ten three stars.
Rather than honor by position, the Big Ten names the top three players regardless of where they play.
Schierhorn was named the Big Ten's first star for his performance in net against Northeastern. The freshman goaltender from Anchorage, Alaska native earned his first career shutout on Friday with 23 saves. He followed it up on Saturday with 25 saves on 28 shots, including a pair of breakaway stops on Huskies forward Sam Kurker.
Brodzinski was named the second star of the week for his four point (1G-3A) weekend. The junior defenseman earned his second career weekly award with a career-high three points (1G-2A) in Saturday's 4-3 win. Brodzinski, a San Jose Sharks draft pick, leads Minnesota with five points in five games. He has been playing more minutes this season, a role the Ham Lake, MN native has embraced.
Penn State freshman Chase Berger was named the third star of the week for his five point (3G-2A) weekend, which included two goals and two assists in Friday's 8-3 win over AIC. The Nittany Lions have been the only team to have a player honored in all three weeks this season.
Recruit round-up
A week after being named the USHL Defenseman of the Week, Minnesota commit Ryan Zuhlsdorf (Edina, MN) leads the league in points by a blue liner.
Zuhlsdorf, a 2015 NHL Draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning (150th overall), has nine assists in ten games for the Sioux City Musketeers. The Edina, MN native and Musketeer captain had two in two games this past weekend against Des Moines and Tri-Cities. He has six points in his last five games.
-Scott Reedy lit the lamp twice, including the game-tying goal, and had two assists in a 5-4 overtime loss to Lincoln Saturday. Reedy (Prior Lake, MN), playing with the US U-17 team, is a 1999-born forward. The U-17s were swept by Lincoln over a two game series last weekend.
-Bloomington (IL) center Tarek Baker had a goal and an assist against Sioux Falls on Friday. The Verona, WI native returned home to Madison on Saturday in a 2-1 victory over the Capitols . The USHL website has a piece on his homecoming.
-Capitols goalie Ryan Edquist made 39 saves in that loss, his first time in two seasons being a part of one after being backstopping Lakeville North's (MN-HS) undefeated year in 2014-15. Through 4 games this season he has a .957 save percentage for Madison, good for second in the USHL.
-Lastly, Brannon McManus (Newport Beach, CA) had this beauty of a breakaway to lead the Lancers to a 4-3 win over Waterloo (USHL).
Brannon McManus (@Bmcmanus7) with the breakaway back hand finish for @OmahaLancers #USHL pic.twitter.com/AZwagsn6C6
— USHL (@USHL) October 25, 2015
McManus added an assist Sunday. As a 16 year-old rookie, McManus is second on the Lancers in scoring with 7 points (3G-4A) in 11 games. His teammate and fellow Gopher commit William Fallstrom has a single assist in ten games played.
Former Gophers named to Deutschland Cup roster
Three players who skated for the University of Minnesota - Ryan Stoa (2005-2009), Cade Fairchild (2007-2011) and Sam Lofquist (2008-2009) - were named to the United States' Deutschland Cup roster.
The Deutschland Cup runs from November 6-8 in Augsburg, Germany. The US roster (a who's who of former college names like SCSU's Ben Hanowski, Air Force's Cole Gunner, and 2009 Hobey Baker winner at BU Matt Gilroy) consists of players in European leagues. Stoa and Fairchild are currently KHL teammates with Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Lofquist is currently playing.in Finland for SaiPa Lappeenranta .
It is of particular interest to NHL scouts this year because potential #1 overall pick Auston Matthews is on the US roster. Matthews (Scottsdale, AZ) is spending his draft-eligible season playing overseas in Switzerland.
And while we're discussing alums and players scoring, Blake Wheeler (2005-2008) leads the Winnipeg Jets with 11 points (4G-7A).
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Nathan Wells is a college hockey columnist for SB Nation mostly covering both the University of Minnesota and Big Ten. You can also follow him on Twitter -- Follow @gopherstate