University of Minnesota Athletics
Lettieri Named B1G Second Star
1/17/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) - Senior forward Vinni Lettieri has garnered Big Ten Second Star of the Week honors after notching his first career hat trick over the weekend for the No. 7 Gopher Hockey program.
Behind Lettieri's three-goal night on Saturday, the Gophers (13-5-2 overall, 5-1-0-0 Big Ten) swept Michigan to remain tied for first in the Big Ten Conference. The Maroon & Gold have now won six-straight games and eight of the last nine contests.
A native of Excelsior, Minn., Lettieri opened Saturday's 4-2 win with a power-play goal, notched the eventual game winner with a penalty shot strike and later added an empty-net insurance tally. He ended the weekend with 11 goals on the season -- a new career high (besting his nine as a sophomore in 2014-15). The senior's power-play goal was the lone special teams success of the night as Minnesota has now scored a power-play goal in five-straight games. Lettieri was also an asset for the Gophers penalty kill which went 6-for-6 on the weekend and is 22-for-22 on the team's six-game winning streak.
The performance was Lettieri's second career three-point game and second of the season. The two-time Academic All-Big Ten hnonoree had the game-winning goal and two assists in a win over Boston College on Nov. 27, 2016.
Lettieri has played in all 20 games this season for the Gophers while ranking tied for second on the team with 11 goals and third on the team with 20 points. The forward has 66 points (29 goals, 37 assists) in 131 career games with the Maroon & Gold.
The Maroon & Gold continue the Big Ten campaign next weekend with a two-game series at Wisconsin. Tickets for the 2016-17 season are available at MyGopherSports.com or by calling 1-800-U-Gopher.
-Pride on Ice-
