COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – With the month of November complete, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference has selected Western Michigan senior forward Shane Berschbach as the November NCHC Player of the Month and Nebraska Omaha freshman forward Jake Guentzel as the November Rookie of the Month.
NCHC November Player of the Month
Shane Berschbach
Western Michigan
Senior Forward
Clawson, Mich.
Berschbach led the NCHC with 15 points in November, playing in all 10 games for the Broncos, while recording at least a point in nine of the 10 games. His 15 points also tied for fourth nationally during the month, as he scored four goals and added 11 assists, which led the NCHC in November and tied for second nationally. The senior averaged 1.50 points per game during the month, again tops in the conference and tied for ninth nationally. He chipped in four multi-point games in November, including a pair of three-point outings.
Berschbach opened November by handing out four assists and posting a +4 rating in a sweep of Colorado College, including dishing out a trio of helpers on Nov. 2. The following weekend, he tallied three more points against Northern Michigan with two assists Nov. 9 and his first goal of the month Nov. 10, which came on the power play. On Nov. 15, Berschbach recorded a goal and an assist at Denver, but was held off the scoreboard for the only time all month the next night, which snapped his five-game point streak to start November.
On Nov. 22-23, Berschbach led Western Michigan to a sweep of in-state rival Michigan State with another four-point weekend, which earned him NCHC Offensive Player of the Week honors. After recording an assist Friday, he logged his second three-point game of the month Saturday against the Spartans with a goal and two assists, including assisting on the game-winner. The 165-pound winger then capped November with the game-tying goal in the third period on the power play against Northeastern at the Shillelagh Tournament and assisted on the game-winning goal (and only goal) the next night in a win over Alabama-Huntsville. Berschbach finished the month with a +8 rating, three blocked shots and nearly matched his season point total from last year this November alone, as he had 18 total points as a junior.
Berschbach is now a candidate for Hockey Commissioners’ Association National Player of the Month, which will be announced Friday. Other nominees for November NCHC Player of the Month were St. Cloud State junior goaltender Ryan Faragher, Nebraska Omaha junior goaltender Ryan Massa and Miami sophomore goaltender Ryan McKay.
NCHC November Rookie of the Month
Jake Guentzel
Nebraska Omaha
Freshman Forward
Woodbury, Minn.
Guentzel tied for the NCHC lead in points among rookies with seven during November, notching a goal and adding six assists. His six assists also tied for the NCHC lead among rookies during the month and tied for sixth nationally. The Pittsburgh Penguins prospect tallied a point in five of the eight games he played in November, averaging 0.88 points per game for the month, which tied for second among NCHC rookies. His play contributed to the Mavericks strong November, in which they went 6-2-0 and vaulted to the top of the NCHC standings.
Guentzel opened November with a four-point series in a sweep at Denver, notching a pair of points in each game. On Nov. 1, he scored the Mavs first goal and had the primary assist on the game-winner in overtime for his first career multi-point game. The next night he handed out two assists, again assisting on the overtime game-winner, as he was named NCHC Rookie of the Week for his efforts. The following weekend he helped UNO split with North Dakota, assisting on a power play goal Nov. 10. The 160-pound winger dished out another power play assist Nov. 16 as part of a split with No. 2 Michigan and capped November with an assist in a second straight game Nov. 22 against Miami as UNO swept the RedHawks. Guentzel finished the month with a +3 rating and also blocked three shots.
Guentzel is now a nominee for Hockey Commissioners’ Association National Rookie of the Month, which will be announced Friday. The other nominees for November NCHC Rookie of the Month were Minnesota Duluth freshman forward Alex Iafallo and Denver freshman forward Trevor Moore.
Previous NCHC Monthly Award Winners
Riley Barber, Miami – October NCHC Player of the Month
Kyle Osterberg, Minnesota Duluth – October NCHC Rookie of the Month
--NCHCHockey--