BEMIDJI, Minn. – For the second time this season, Bemidji State University Men's Hockey fifth-year senior Kyle Looft has been tabbed as the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Defenseman of the Week announced by the league Monday afternoon.
 
This is the second weekly league accolade for Looft who was previously named the Defenseman of the Week on Oct. 13 and later the Defenseman of the Month for October.
 
The Mankato, Minn., native carried his hot start to the season into the Beavers home series with (RV) Michigan Technological University this past weekend leading BSU to series split with a team-high five points off three goals and two assists. Looft started the series with a goal and assist in the Beavers 4-2 loss on Friday night but responded by tying a career-high three points (2g-1a) Saturday night to help BSU make program history rallying from a four-goal deficit with 26 minutes to play.
 
It was the first time in the fifth-year senior's career he posted back-to-back multi-point efforts while also leading the team with 11 shots on goal. He was also a +2 skater on the ice over the weekend and blocked two shots.
 
Looft is having one of the best starts to the season by any league defenseman and has a career-high 12 points and has tied a career best with five goals. He leads the CCHA in points (12) and goals (5) by a defenseman and is tied for the fifth-most points by a defenseman in Division I.
 
He is joined by Northern Michigan University's Artem Shlaine (Forward), University of St. Thomas' Aaron Trotter (Goaltender) and Minnesota State University, Mankato's Evan Murr (Rookie) as league players of the week.
 
Looft and the rest of the Beavers will hit the road for their next CCHA weekend series and travel to Mankato, Minn., this weekend to take on Minnesota State for a two-game set beginning Friday at 7:07 p.m.
 
For more information on the Bemidji State men's hockey program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on Twitter or Instagram (@BSUBeaversMHKY), or like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers).
 
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's hockey in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and women's hockey in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
 
--bsu--