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Rather than focus exclusively on the Minnesota Wild’s top prospects, we’re taking a look at the best players from across the State of Hockey every week.
From high school to the pros, check out our recap of all the week’s events in Minnesota hockey, as we check in with college players, prep standouts and State of Hockey alums.
Let’s take a look at this week’s three-star selection, along with other notes, in the latest edition of the State of Hockey Tracker.
FIRST STAR
Hunter Shepard, G, Minnesota Duluth (NCHC)
Shepard has been on a tear down the stretch. The sophomore backstopped UMD to a two-game sweep of league rival Western Michigan over the weekend, posting a 22-save shutout Friday and allowing just one power-play goal on 20 shots Saturday. Shepard hasn't allowed an even-strength goal in four games, a streak that dates back to Feb. 3. He ranks third in the NCHC and 11th nationally with a .924 save percentage and a 2.04 GAA.
SECOND STAR
Dmitry Sokolov, F, Barrie Colts (OHL)
Sokolov has been a revelation since joining the Colts, who've gone from worst to first this season thanks to their dynamic top line. The Sudbury Wolves traded the Wild prospect to Barrie in mid-January, where he hooked up with Aaron Luchuk and Andrei Svechnikov to form the most prolific scoring unit in the OHL. Sokolov has points in 19 of 21 games since the trade and stretched his scoring streak to eight games over the weekend. He's up to 42 goals on the season, and trails only Luchuk (43 goals) for the league lead.
THIRD STAR
C.J. Suess, F, Minnesota State (WCHA)
The Mavericks have come a long way since hiring head coach Mike Hastings in 2012. MSU secured its third WCHA regular-season title in four years Friday with a 2-1 win over Bemidji State, finishing the regular season 26-7-1 overall. After capturing all that hardware and winning five of the last six WCHA goaltending titles, Mankato finally has a scoring champ. A fifth-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 2014, Suess had 36 points in conference play, and ranks ninth in the nation with 40 points (21 goals, 19 assists) overall. His Mavericks enter the WCHA tournament on a 12-game unbeaten streak, and are up to fourth in the PairWise.
AROUND THE RINK
-- Minnesota State senior Connor LaCouvee won the WCHA's goaltending title in his first and only season in the league, posting a 1.67 GAA in conference play and a 1.72 GAA overall, good for third nationally.
-- Wild prospect Kaapo Kahkonen made 25 saves Wednesday to lead his Finnish squad Lukko Rauma to a 1-0 win over IFK Helsinki. He leads the league with five shutouts.
-- Wild prospect Jordan Greenway returned to Boston University last weekend following Team USA's loss to the Czech Republic in the Olympic men's hockey tournament. He posted two points in a win and overtime tie against Vermont.
-- UMD defenseman Scott Perunovich had four points against Western Michigan. He's one of four freshmen in the nation currently leading his team in scoring, and now has 29 points (8 goals, 21 assists).
-- Wild prospect and Miami defenseman Louie Belpedio had six shots on goal, blocked two shots and registered an assist in Miami's win and overtime tie against North Dakota.
