Previous Winners
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced its Bauer NCHC Players of the Week for the week of Nov. 10-16 on Monday. The winners for week six of the season are North Dakota junior forward Drake Caggiula for Offensive Player of the Week, Denver senior defenseman Joey LaLeggia for Defenseman of the Week, St. Cloud State freshman forward Patrick Russell for Rookie of the Week and Minnesota Duluth freshman netminder Kasimir Kaskisuo for Goaltender of the Week.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Drake Caggiula, North Dakota
Junior Forward
Whitby, Ontario
Caggiula led UND to a split with No. 7 Miami, totaling five points on three goals and two assists in the series with multiple points in each game. In Friday’s loss, he had a hand in both North Dakota goals, setting up the first score while tying the game at 2-2 in the second period with a short-handed goal. On Saturday, Caggiula compiled three points to help lead a 4-1 comeback win as he contributed on the final three markers. He scored the eventual game-winner midway through the second period, while assisting on UND’s third goal and scoring a power play tally in the final frame to seal the win. Caggiula was named the game’s second star Friday and first star Saturday, while he compiled a +3 rating on the weekend, including +2 Saturday. He also put seven shots on goal against Miami.
DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Joey LaLeggia, Denver
Senior Defenseman
Burnaby, B.C.
LaLeggia guided Denver to an 8-1 thumping of rival Colorado College Friday in the Pioneers’ only game of the weekend. He totaled three points in the win, scoring a goal and adding two assists, while posting a +4 rating in the contest. The Oilers prospect assisted on the eventual game-winning goal early in the first period and made it 3-0 with another assist on the power play in the first frame. LaLeggia then scored his goal in the second stanza to make the score 7-1, as he was named the game’s first star. In addition to his offense, he blocked five shots in the game and helped kill all four Tiger power plays. LaLeggia’s three points gave him 100 for his career, becoming the eighth DU defenseman to reach the century mark and the only active defenseman in the NCAA with 100 points.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Patrick Russell, St. Cloud State
Freshman Forward
Copenhagen, Denmark
Russell continued his early season success with a three-point outing in a win and tie at Western Michigan, scoring a goal and adding two assists. In Friday’s 4-3 victory, he scored on the power play in the second period to put SCSU up 3-1 and made it 4-1 with the primary assist on the game-winning goal minutes later. The next night, he had an assist on the Huskies’ only goal of the game, which came in the second period of a 1-1 overtime tie. Russell was +1 in each game for a +2 rating on the weekend and fired five shots on goal in the series.
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Kasimir Kaskisuo, Minnesota Duluth
Freshman Goaltender
Vantaa, Finland
Kaskisuo continued his excellent play of late, backstopping UMD to a sweep of top-ranked Minnesota, its first sweep of UM since 2004, while allowing just one goal all weekend. In the two games, he compiled a .976 save percentage and a 0.50 goals-against average, while making 41 saves on 42 shots against. On Friday, he pitched his first collegiate shutout, stopping all 17 shots that came his way as the Bulldogs won, 3-0. The following night, he totaled 24 saves in a 2-1 victory, while helping kill all four Gopher power plays. Kaskisuo was named the game’s third star Friday and first star Saturday. He kept Minnesota’s power play at bay, denying all five chances in the series, while he has now won five straight starts in net. Kaskisuo has also won NCHC Rookie of the Week this season.
OTHER NOMINEES:
Offensive Player of the Week
Daniel Doremus, Sr., F, DU – Totaled a career-high four points in a win over CC Friday, scoring on the power play while adding three assists and posting a +3 rating in the contest.
Kalle Kossila, Jr., F, SCSU – Tallied three points at WMU, handing out two assists in a 4-3 win Friday, while scoring the lone goal in a 1-1 tie Saturday and compiling a +3 rating in the series.
Sean Kuraly, Jr., F, Miami – Notched three points in Friday’s 3-2 win at UND, scoring a short-handed goal and the game-winner on the power play, while assisting on MU’s first goal and posting a +2 rating in the game.
Defenseman of the Week
None
Rookie of the Week
Danton Heinen, Fr., F, DU – Scored two goals in a win over CC Friday, both in the first period, including the first goal of the game, while he was +2 in the contest.
Karson Kuhlman, Fr., F, UMD – Tallied two points in a sweep of No. 1 Minnesota, dishing out an assist in Friday’s 3-0 win, while scoring the game-winning goal on the power play in Saturday’s 2-1 victory.
Frederik Tiffels, Fr., F, WMU – Recorded two points and a +2 rating against SCSU, scoring his first career goal in Friday’s loss, while assisting on the game-tying goal in Saturday’s overtime tie.
Goaltender of the Week
Lukas Hafner, Jr., G, WMU – Appeared in two games, earning a tie and shootout win in his lone start Saturday when he made 21 saves and four more in the shootout as he allowed just one goal all weekend, while posting a 0.72 GAA and a .964 save percentage.
Charlie Lindgren, So., G, SCSU – Earned a win and a tie at WMU, posting a 1.92 GAA and a .930 save percentage in the series, allowing four goals on the weekend while making 53 saves, plus five more in Saturday’s shootout loss.
Zane McIntyre, Jr., G, UND – Went 1-1 against Miami in net, posting a .932 save percentage and a 2.03 GAA in the series, allowing four goals (only two even strength), while making 28 saves in Saturday’s 4-1 win.
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