Previous Winners
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After neither team suffered a loss last weekend, all four National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week for week three hail from Minnesota Duluth or North Dakota. The NCHC Players of the Week for the week of Oct. 19-25, 2015 are UMD senior forward Tony Cameranesi for Offensive Player of the Week, Minnesota Duluth freshman blue liner Neal Pionk for Defenseman of the Week, UND freshman forward Brock Boeser for Rookie of the Week and North Dakota junior netminder Matt Hrynkiw for Goaltender of the Week. For all four honorees, this marks their first career NCHC weekly honor.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tony Cameranesi, Minnesota Duluth
Senior Forward
Plymouth, Minn.
Cameranesi compiled a four-point weekend in a pair of overtime ties at Notre Dame with two goals and two assists in the series. On Friday, he handed out the primary assist on UMD’s first goal of the game in what turned out to be a 3-3 tie. The Maple Leafs draft pick also put seven shots on goal in the contest and posted a plus-1 rating. The next night Cameranesi was even better as he had a hand in all three Bulldog goals in Saturday’s tie. After UMD fell behind 2-0, he scored the Bulldogs’ first goal of the night, while also helping mount a comeback by scoring a second goal in the second stanza and assisting on the game-tying goal in the third period to erase a two-goal deficit. Saturday tied a career high with two goals and three points, his fourth such outing for both goals and points in his career. Cameranesi was named the game’s first star Saturday as he put another seven shots on goal and posted a plus-3 rating. He finished the weekend with a plus-4 rating and 14 shots on goal to go with his four points.
DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Neal Pionk, Minnesota Duluth
Freshman Defenseman
Hermantown, Minn.
Pionk played on Minnesota Duluth’s top defensive pair all weekend in a pair of overtime ties at Notre Dame. He scored his first collegiate goal in Saturday’s 3-3 tie, which tied the game in the third period, completing a two-goal comeback. He also assisted on UMD’s first goal of the game Saturday as he recorded his first collegiate multi-point game. In addition, Pionk posted a plus-2 rating on Saturday and put six shots on goal. Defensively, Pionk blocked a shot in both games for two on the weekend while he also helped the Bulldogs go 9-for-11 on the penalty kill in the series, including 6-for-7 on Friday. The freshman finished with a plus-2 rating on the weekend while putting eight shots on goal.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Brock Boeser, North Dakota
Freshman Forward
Burnsville, Minn.
Boeser recorded a three-point weekend to lead North Dakota to a road sweep at Vermont. In Friday’s 2-0 shutout of the Catamounts, Boeser dished out an assist on UND’s second goal of the game, which came on the power play and helped seal the victory. The next night in a 5-2 win, the Vancouver Canucks prospect notched a pair of points on a goal and an assist. He handed out the primary assist on North Dakota’s first goal of the night to open the scoring, while he tallied UND’s second goal, which put them ahead, 2-1, in the first period. Boeser was named the game’s first star Saturday when he logged a plus-2 rating. He finished the weekend with nine shots on goal, including five Friday, and his plus-2 rating.
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Matt Hrynkiw, North Dakota
Junior Goaltender
Saskatoon, Sask.
Despite entering the season as UND’s third-string goaltender, Hrynkiw has been impressive over the last two weekends, filling in due to injuries. He backstopped North Dakota to a sweep at Vermont, allowing just two goals all weekend while posting a 2-0-0 record. On Friday he stopped all 27 shots that came his way for his first collegiate shutout, which came in just his second career start and first collegiate road start, as UND won, 2-0. Hrynkiw was named the game’s second star on Friday. The next night, he again made 27 saves on 29 shots, surrendering just two goals in a 5-2 victory. Hrynkiw turned aside 54 of 56 shots faced for a .964 save percentage in the series, while posting a 1.00 goals-against average. He also helped UND go a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill against Vermont with two kills each night as he remained unbeaten on the season in net (3-0-1).
OTHER NOMINEES:
Offensive Player of the Week
Austin Ortega, Jr., F, Omaha – Recorded three points in a sweep of Air Force, scoring the game-winning goal Friday and adding a goal and an assist Saturday while he was plus-2 on the weekend.
Defenseman of the Week
Gage Ausmus, Jr., D, UND – Handed out a pair of assist in a sweep at Vermont with one in each game, while blocking two shots, posting a plus-2 rating and helping UND go 4-for-4 on the penalty kill in the series.
Rookie of the Week
Jack Roslovic, Fr., F, Miami – Notched a pair of points in a split at St. Lawrence, scoring the game’s only goal in a 1-0 win Friday, which was his third straight game-winning goal, while handing out an assist in Saturday’s loss.
Steven Spinner, Fr., F, Omaha – Scored the first two goals of his collegiate career in Friday’s 4-2 win over Air Force, with his first goal the first goal ever at Baxter Arena, while he was plus-1 in the contest.
Goaltender of the Week
Ryan McKay, Sr., G, Miami – Posted a .929 save percentage and a 2.03 GAA in a split at St. Lawrence, pitching a 26-save shutout on Friday and making 26 more saves in a loss Saturday while helping Miami go 9-for-9 on the penalty kill in the series.
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