Nesbitt Named CCHA Offensive Player of the Week

Sophomore right wing Derek Nesbitt (Egmondville, Ontario) of the nationally-ranked and Central Collegiate Hockey Association's (CCHA) first-place Ferris State University men's ice hockey team has been chosen this week's Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Bulldogs' home-and-home league series sweep of Western Michigan this last weekend (Feb. 15-16).

Nesbitt scored three goals in the two-game set versus the Broncos, including the game-winning tallies both contests. He recorded a power-play goal in Saturday's 2-1 home triumph and then accounted for the Bulldogs' last two goals in Sunday's 5-3 victory at WMU. Nesbitt also posted a plus two efficiency rating on the weekend and played an integral role in Ferris' penalty-kill unit which limited Western to only two power-play goals in 18 opportunities.

Derek Nesbitt earned CCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors following his three-goal output, including both the game winners, in the Bulldogs' sweep of Western Michigan.

This season in 32 contests, Nesbitt presently ranks third on the team in scoring with a career-high 37 points. The forward has also established personal bests in goals (11) and assists (26) this season. He currently is fifth among the CCHA's overall scoring leaders and is tied for third in the league with teammates Jeff Legue and Matt York with a +28 efficiency rating.

In 68 career games, Nesbitt has compiled 58 career points with 20 goals and 38 assists to go with a +34 plus/minus efficiency rating. He also has scored five power-play goals and six game-winning tallies during his two-year FSU career.

Nesbitt's weekly award represents the 10th time this season in which a Ferris State skater has received CCHA Player of the Week honors. He joins sophomore goaltender Mike Brown (Calgary, Alberta), senior left wing Chris Kunitz (Regina, Saskatchewan) and junior defenseman Simon Mangos (Caledon, Ontario) as the other Bulldogs to earn the distinction this season. Brown has been selected a league-record defensive player of the week five times (Oct. 14, 21, 28, Nov. 4 & 25) while Kunitz has earned offensive player of the week kudos on three occasions (Oct. 21, 28 & Feb. 3) and Mangos is a one-time (Jan. 6) defensive player of the week selection.

Ferris State is presently midst its best season ever in the program's 25-year NCAA Division I history at 23-8-1 overall, which includes a first-place 18-5-1 CCHA mark (37 league points).

FSU is idle this weekend (Feb. 21-22) before returning to the ice the following weekend (Feb. 28-March 1) as the Bulldogs host the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks in the team's final regular-season CCHA home contests at Ferris' Ewigleben Ice Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. Starting time for Friday's (Feb. 28) series opener is 7:35 p.m. (EST) while Saturday's (March 1) finale will begin at 7:05 p.m. (EST).