University of Massachusets Athletics
Justin Braun Named INCH National Player Of The Week
March 09, 2010 | Hockey
March 9, 2010
AMHERST, Mass. - After leading the UMass hockey team to a pair of wins at Maine and into the Hockey East Play-Offs, senior captain Justin Braun earned a trio of weekly honors highlighted by being named the INCH National Player of the Week. The defenseman, who tallied four goals and an assist, was also named the Hockey East Performer of the Week and the UMass/Dinn Bros. Athlete of the Week.
Braun will be honored on Wednesday at the UMass Sports Luncheon in Room 1009 of the Campus Center beginning at 12 Noon. Featured speakers for the luncheon will be head hockey coach Don "Toot" Cahoon and Voice of UMass Hockey John Hennessy.
The native of Vadnais Heights, Minn., netted four goals and an assist in a weekend sweep over Maine. He had two goals and an assist in Friday's 5-2 win and two goals in Saturday's 4-3 win.
The captain's goals came in two must-win situations leading UMass to the 7th seed in the Hockey East Tournament. His multi-goal games were his first of the season and the first two of his career. He also finished with a plus-5 rating.
With the weekend's production, Braun is UMass' third leading scorer with 28 points this season with seven goals and 21 assists. His 21 assists are tied for second on the team with Casey Wellman.
He enters this weekend's Quarterfinal Series at Boston College ranked 8th nationally in defenseman scoring. In Hockey East, he ranks 11th in assists, 8th in power play points (2-15-17), and 4th in defenseman scoring.
For his career, Braun has played in 148 games as a Minuteman posting 22 goals and 63 assists. His 85 points ranks 2nd among active UMass skaters as do his 63 assists. Braun is two games shy of tying Cory Quirk's program record of 150 games played.
Tickets for the Quarterfinal Round at Boston College (Friday-Sunday, 7 PM) can be purchased through the UMass Box Office at 866-UMASS-TIX. The tickets are $15 each and can be purchased until Thursday at 2 PM. The four winners from the Quarterfinals will advance to the Hockey East Semifinals, which will be held at the TD Garden on March 19-20.
The Minutemen have reached the Hockey East Playoffs for the eighth straight season and 13th overall since joining the conference. UMass secured a spot in the tournament following back-to-back wins at Maine; it was only the fourth and fifth times that the Mass Attack have ever won in Orono.
Boston College won each of the three meetings against the Minutemen this season, including a 2-1 overtime victory at Conte Forum on February 26. The Eagles are currently ranked seventh nationally.
