COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Only four National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) teams were in action over the weekend but there were still plenty of strong individual performances as the Bauer NCHC Players of the Week for the week of Nov. 25-Dec. 1 are Miami junior forward Austin Czarnik for Offensive Player of the Week, North Dakota freshman defenseman Troy Stecher for Defenseman of the Week, fellow UND freshman blueliner Keaton Thompson is the Rookie of the Week and Western Michigan junior netminder Frank Slubowski is the Goaltender of the Week.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Austin Czarnik, Miami
Junior Forward
Washington, Mich.

Czarnik set both single-game and career milestones over the weekend, helping Miami earn a tie and win at Bemidji State. The RedHawk captain finished the weekend with five points, all assists, while posting a +1 rating. In Friday’s 4-4 tie, he was held in check, putting one shot on goal. But in Saturday’s 6-3 victory, Czarnik exploded for a career-high five assists (and career-high five points), including three primary helpers, while assisting on both a power play and short-handed goal. With his fourth assist Saturday, he topped the 100-point mark for his career, becoming the 48th Miami player to do so. The skilled center also posted a +4 rating Saturday and was named the game’s first star. Czarnik has now earned NCHC Offensive Player of the Week twice this year.

DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Troy Stecher, North Dakota
Freshman Defenseman
Richmond, B.C.

Stecher was strong on the blue line in North Dakota’s split with St. Lawrence. The rookie finished with an assist, a +2 rating and a blocked shot on the weekend. He posted a +1 rating in both games, the only UND defenseman to post a positive rating each night, while in Saturday’s 3-2 win he assisted on a power play goal late in the second period that put UND ahead, 2-1. Stecher also blocked a shot Saturday, helped North Dakota kill all three Saints power plays in the game, and was on the ice for a short-handed goal for a +1 short-handed rating. He helped UND finish the weekend 6-for-9 on the penalty kill against the top power play unit in the country.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Keaton Thompson, North Dakota
Freshman Defenseman
Devils Lake, N.D.

Thompson had a career weekend while helping North Dakota to a split against St. Lawrence. In Friday’s loss, he scored his first career goal in just his fourth collegiate game with a blast from the blue line early in the third period that pulled UND within one at 3-2. The rookie also posted a +1 rating in Friday’s defeat and finished the weekend with a +1 rating after being even in Saturday’s win. On Saturday, he helped UND kill off all three SLU power plays as North Dakota finished 6-for-9 on the penalty kill on the weekend against the top power play unit in the country.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Frank Slubowski, Western Michigan
Junior Goaltender
Prince Rupert, B.C.

Slubowski had a huge weekend, backstopping Western Michigan to a 1-0-1 record at Notre Dame’s Shillelagh Tournament. In the two games, he combined to stop 56 of the 57 shots he faced for a .982 save percentage, while posting a 0.49 goals-against average after giving up just one goal in the tournament. On Friday, he led WMU to a 1-1 overtime tie against Northeastern, totaling a game-high 32 saves, giving up just a power play goal to earn the game’s second star. Of his 32 saves, nine came on NU power plays, killing off six of them. In Saturday’s 1-0 win over Alabama-Huntsville, Slubowski stopped all 24 shots and was named the game’s first star, but was only credited a partial shutout after missing 1:48 of game action for an equipment issue. It would have been his eighth career shutout, which would’ve tied the school record. Slubowski has now earned NCHC Goaltender of the Week twice this year.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Offensive Player of the Week
Connor Gaarder, Jr., F, UND – Totaled three points in a split with St. Lawrence, scoring a power play goal in each game while assisting on the game-winner Saturday for a two-point night

Goaltender of the Week
Zane Gothberg, So., G, UND – In only action of weekend, backstopped UND to a 3-2 win over St. Lawrence Saturday, making 25 saves, including 12 in the third period, for a .926 save percentage while helping kill all three SLU power plays

--NCHCHockey--