COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – With the second month of the 2014-15 season in the books, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced its monthly award winners for November on Wednesday. Garnering NCHC Player of the Month for November is North Dakota junior forward Drake Caggiula, while Minnesota Duluth freshman goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo was tabbed NCHC Rookie of the Month for November.
NCHC PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Drake Caggiula
North Dakota
Junior Forward
Whitby, Ontario
Caggiula had a dominant November, recording 13 points in nine games to average 1.44 points per game during the month while leading UND to a 6-2-1 record and a No.1 national ranking. His 13 points led the NCHC in November and tied for third nationally, while his six goals tied for the NCHC lead during the month. Caggiula also chipped in seven assists in November. He recorded a point in eight of his nine games during the month, including four multi-point outings, and had a six-game point streak to start November. Of his six goals, two were game-winners while one each came on the power play and short-handed.
Caggiula started his month with a bang, scoring the game-tying goal in the final minute of regulation in an eventual 3-2 win over Air Force on Nov. 1. The next weekend he tallied a goal and two assists to lead UND to a road sweep at rival Wisconsin, including a two-point night in the finale Nov. 8, when he scored the game-winner and posted a +3 rating. A week later, the 5-foot-10 forward earned NCHC Offensive Player of the Week after a five-point weekend in a split with Miami. After a short-handed goal and an assist in the series opener, he capped the weekend with three points, scoring two goals, including the game-winner, on Nov. 15, as he claimed first star of the game honors.
On Nov. 21, Caggiula stretched his point streak to six games and his goal streak to four games with UND’s lone tally at St. Cloud State. He then capped his November with a three-assist outing in a tie and a win against Omaha Nov. 28-29, including two helpers in the series finale win when he was the game’s third star. Caggiula finished November with a +9 rating, which was second in the NCHC during the month, and posted a plus or even rating in all nine games during November. He also won 53.9 percent of his faceoffs during the month (41-35).
Caggiula is now a candidate for Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) National Player of the Month for November, which will be announced on Thursday. Other nominees for November NCHC Player of the Month included St. Cloud State junior forward Joey Benik, Denver senior forward Daniel Doremus and Miami junior goaltender Jay Williams.
NCHC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH
Kasimir Kaskisuo
Minnesota Duluth
Freshman Goaltender
Vantaa, Finland
After a solid October, Kaskisuo took control of the goaltending reins at Minnesota Duluth and logged a stellar November, starting all seven games in net for UMD while compiling a .933 save percentage and a 1.71 goals-against average for the month. He finished the month with a 6-1-0 record, leading the Bulldogs to a top-10 national ranking, while his six wins tied for the lead among all NCHC netminders in November and led all freshman goalies nationally. His .933 save percentage and 1.71 GAA both ranked third among rookie goalies in the NCAA during the month and both ranked in the top three among all NCHC netminders for November as well. Kaskisuo also pitched one shutout during the month while all of his wins came against top-15 opponents.
Kaskisuo started November with a win over then No. 10 Miami, recording 30 saves in a 4-3 victory Nov. 1. The next weekend he surrendered just three goals to lead UMD to a sweep at then No. 6 St. Cloud State. He stopped 33 shots in a 3-2 overtime win Nov. 7 and made 27 more saves in a 3-1 win to complete the sweep, earning him first star of the game honors. Kaskisuo ran his win streak to five Nov. 14-15, backstopping the Bulldogs to another sweep, this time of then No. 1 Minnesota. He made 17 saves Nov. 14 at Minnesota to earn his first career shutout, while he stopped 24 more shots the next night and allowed just one goal to finish the sweep, again earning first star of the game honors. Kaskisuo was tabbed NCHC Goaltender of the Week and NCAA First Star of the Week after conceding just one goal against the Gophers.
Kaskisuo ran his win streak to six games on Nov. 21, which was the longest in the nation, when he compiled 22 saves to lead UMD to a 3-2 win over then No. 13 Omaha. His only loss of November came the following night in his final game of the month as he made 14 saves, giving up more than two goals for only the second time all month (three goals). Kaskisuo allowed just seven even strength goals throughout November while stopping 167 of 179 shots faced during the month.
Kaskisuo is now a candidate for the Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) National Rookie of the Month for November, which will be announced on Thursday. Other nominees for NCHC Rookie of the Month in November included Denver forward Danton Heinen, Western Michigan forward Frederik Tiffels and Omaha forward Tyler Vesel.
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