COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – With the final weekend of National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) play in the first half of the season in the books, the last Bauer NCHC Players of the Week of 2013 are North Dakota sophomore forward Rocco Grimaldi for Offensive Player of the Week, UND sophomore defenseman Jordan Schmaltz for Defenseman of the Week and Minnesota Duluth freshman forward Kyle Osterberg for Rookie of the Week, while the Co- Goaltenders of the Week are Denver senior Sam Brittain and North Dakota sophomore Zane Gothberg. The award winners are for the week of Dec. 9-15.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Rocco Grimaldi, North Dakota
Sophomore Forward
Rossmoor, Calif.

Grimaldi paced North Dakota to sweep of WCHA foe Northern Michigan over the weekend, handing out three assists, including one on each game-winning goal, while posting a +1 rating. In Friday’s 4-1 win, the Florida Panthers prospect had the primary helper on a pair of power play goals with his first coming on the game-winner in the second stanza as he was named the game’s second star. On Saturday, Grimaldi again dished out the primary assist on the game-winner, this time late in the third period to break a 1-1 tie, while logging a +1 rating and earning the game’s first star honors in UND’s 3-1 win. He also won 27 of 46 faceoffs (58.7 percent) on the weekend while extending his point streak to five games.

DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Jordan Schmaltz, North Dakota
Sophomore Defenseman
Verona, Wis.

Schmaltz anchored a North Dakota defense that allowed just two goals all weekend in a sweep of its former WCHA rival Northern Michigan. Playing on UND’s top D-pair in both games, he helped North Dakota kill seven of eight NMU power plays and was not on the ice for either of the Wildcats’ goals as he finished with a +1 rating in the series. In Friday’s 4-1 victory, he handed out two assists on the power play, including one on the game-winning goal, while blocking a shot and helping kill all three NMU power plays. The next night, the St. Louis Blues prospect blocked another shot for two on the weekend, while assisting on an empty-net goal that sealed the 3-1 win and recording a +1 rating. Schmaltz also aided in limiting Northern Michigan to just 14 shots on goal Saturday, the fewest UND has allowed in a game in three years.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Kyle Osterberg, Minnesota Duluth
Freshman Forward
Lakeville, Minn.

Osterberg led the Bulldogs to an NCHC split with Western Michigan, totaling three points in the series on two goals and an assist. On Friday, his goal in the second period put UMD up 3-2 before WMU rallied, while he posted a +1 rating in the contest. In Saturday’s 4-3 win, Osterberg tallied two points, scoring the game’s first goal just 12 seconds in, the fastest goal in NCHC league play this year, while adding the primary assist on a power play goal that put the Bulldogs ahead 3-0 in the first period. He was named the game’s first star on Saturday, while also putting three shots on goal in the contest. Osterberg finished with a +1 rating on the weekend.

CO-GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Sam Brittain, Denver
Senior Goaltender
Calgary, Alta.

Brittain continued his stellar season at No. 18 RPI over the weekend, conceding just one goal in each game while picking up a win and a tie. In Friday’s 2-1 overtime victory, he stopped 22 shots in nearly 63 minutes of action while helping kill both Rensselaer power plays. On Saturday, Brittain totaled 18 saves with the lone goal allowed coming on the power play, but he helped kill four other man advantages. He also made two key stops point-blank in the final 30 seconds of regulation Saturday to force overtime in a 1-1 tie. On the weekend, Brittain totaled 40 saves while posting a .952 save percentage and 0.94 goals-against average. Brittain has now earned NCHC Goaltender of the Week four times this year (twice as Co-Goaltender of the Week).

CO-GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Zane Gothberg, North Dakota
Sophomore Goaltender
Thief River Falls, Minn.

Gothberg continued his strong play in net of late, backstopping North Dakota to a sweep of Northern Michigan as he earned the win in goal both nights. In Friday’s 4-1 victory, he totaled 24 saves while giving up the lone goal midway through the third period. In Saturday’s 3-1 win, he needed to make just 13 saves to get the win with NMU’s lone goal coming on the power play. Gothberg finished the weekend with a .949 save percentage after stopping 37 of 39 shots faced, while posting a 1.00 goals-against average and killing seven of eight NMU power plays. He is now riding a career-best five-game winning streak.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Offensive Player of the Week
Justin Crandall, Jr., F, UMD – Totaled three points in a split with Western Michigan, scoring a power play goal and adding an assist Friday, while tallying another power play goal in Saturday’s win and posting a +1 rating

Justin Kovacs, Jr., F, WMU – Tallied three points in a split at Minnesota Duluth, scoring the game-tying goal and adding an assist in Friday’s come-from-behind win, while striking again on Saturday to tie the game as he finished with a +2 rating on the weekend

Defenseman of the Week
Aaron Harstad, Jr., D, CC – Was a shot-blocking machine at Wisconsin, totaling 12 on the weekend with five coming Friday and seven more blocked shots in Saturday’s overtime loss when he recorded a +1 rating

Andy Welinski, So., D, UMD – Dished out three assists in a split with Western Michigan, assisting on the game-winning goal Saturday, while blocking two shots, posting a +1 rating and helping kill all nine WMU power plays in the series

Rookie of the Week
Luke Johnson, Fr., F, UND – Totaled two points in UND’s sweep of Northern Michigan, scoring the game-winning goal on the power play Friday and assisting on the game-winner late in Saturday’s contest to extend his point streak to four games, while posting a +1 rating on the weekend

Emil Romig, Fr., F, DU – Scored the game-winning goal in overtime at No. 18 RPI Friday to lift Denver to a 2-1 victory, while putting three shots on goal on the weekend

--NCHCHockey--