Former Cedar Rapids RoughRiders defenseman Alec Martinez, now a junior at Miami of Ohio, has been named Central Collegiate Hockey Association Defensive Player of the Week.

Martinez, 20, scored one goal and picked up three assists while posting a plus/minus rating of +5 as top-ranked Miami went on the road to sweep a two-game series from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute last weekend. The Rochester, Michigan, native scored and added an assist in a 7-3 win last Saturday night. Martinez picked up two more assists Sunday afternoon as the Red Hawks defeated RPI 5-1.

On the season, Martinez (6-10-16) is tied for the NCAA lead in point scoring by defensemen. Last year he scored nine goals and totaled 24 points in 42 games to help Miami to the CCHA regular season title and an NCAA tournament berth.

Martinez won the United States Hockey League Clark Cup title with the RoughRiders in 2004-05. He scored ten goals and collected 21 points in 58 games in what was his only season in Cedar Rapids.

In June Martinez was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the fourth round of the National Hockey League Draft with the one hundred thirteenth overall pick.

Martinez is just one of six former RoughRiders who have helped propel Miami to a 16-2-0 overall record and a 10-2-0 mark in conference play. Fellow Rider alumni Pat Cannone, Ray Eichenlaub, Billy Loupee, Gary Steffes and Tommy Wingels also skate for the Red Hawks. In addition, current Rider defensemen Matt Tomassoni and Chris Wideman will both play their college hockey at M.U.

The RoughRiders (15-6-1, 31 points) enter the USHL’s holiday break sitting in second place in the East Division. The Riders will return to action on December 28 and 29 when they visit the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets for a pair of games.

The Riders next take to the ice at home on January 4 when the arch rival Waterloo Black Hawks visit Cedar Rapids. One night later the Riders will host the Green Bay Gamblers. Both of those games face off at 7:05PM.

Tickets for all remaining RoughRider regular season home games- including the games on January 4 and 5- are now on sale. Tickets are available for purchase in person at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena ticket office, over the phone at (319) 261-4625 or on line at www.roughridershockey.com. The ticket office is open from noon to 5:00PM on weekdays and from noon through the end of the second period on game days. Ticket prices range from $7 to $17 in advance and from $8 to $18 on game days.