Men's Ice Hockey 11/17/2015 2:00:00 AM By NCHC

Bauer NCHC Players of the Week: Nov. 9-15, 2015

SCSU’s Benik and Prow, UND’s Boeser and DU’s Cowley honored for week six

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After seeing offensive explosions, shutouts, overtime and the first 3-on-3 overtime game in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) over the weekend, three teams are represented in the Bauer NCHC Players of the Week for week six. Earning Bauer NCHC weekly honors for the week of Nov. 9-15 are St. Cloud State senior forward Joey Benik for Offensive Player of the Week, SCSU senior blue liner Ethan Prow for Defenseman of the Week, North Dakota freshman forward Brock Boeser for Rookie of the Week and Denver junior netminder Evan Cowley for Goaltender of the Week.

This is Benik’s and Cowley’s first career NCHC weekly honors while Prow has now earned NCHC Defenseman of the Week five times in his career, though this is his first of the season. This is Boeser’s second NCHC Rookie of the Week honor this season.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Joey Benik, St. Cloud State
Senior Forward
Andover, Minn.

Benik had a career weekend, compiling six points, including five goals, in a sweep at Western Michigan. In Friday’s 5-2 victory, Benik tallied a power play goal early in the third period to break a 1-1 tie and put the Huskies ahead for good. He put seven shots on goal in the game and had a plus-1 rating. A night later Benik exploded for a career-high four goals which marked his first career hat trick, while he also assisted on a first period power play goal for a five-point night, which tied a career high. Benik scored the game’s first two goals, including the game-winner on the power play, while adding two more markers in the third period to complete his hat trick and seal the 11-1 blowout. He is the first Husky with a four-goal game since 2002. He also put 11 shots on goal and was plus-3 in the victory Saturday while earning first star of the game honors. Benik finished the weekend with a whopping 18 shots on goal and a plus-4 rating to go along with his six points.

DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Ethan Prow, St. Cloud State
Senior Defenseman
Sauk Rapids, Minn.

Prow had a monster weekend at both ends of the ice after missing the last two weeks with an injury, dishing out six points in a sweep at Western Michigan while helping limit WMU to only three goals all weekend. In Friday’s 5-2 win, he assisted on three consecutive goals to start third period, which broke a 1-1 tie, including the primary assist on the game-winner. The three helpers were a season high and tied a career high for assists and points. The team captain also posted a plus-2 rating in the win and blocked two shots as he was named the game’s third star. The next night, Prow again tied a career high with three points, all on the power play, on a goal and two assists in a record-setting 11-1 rout of the Broncos. His goal was his first of the season, while he dished out primary assists on man-advantage goals in the first period, including on the eventual game-winning goal for the second straight night. Prow also led a penalty kill unit that was 2-for-2 on Saturday while he was plus-1 in the game. He finished the weekend with a goal, five assists, three blocked shots and a plus-3 rating while only one WMU goal all weekend came even strength.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Brock Boeser, North Dakota
Freshman Forward
Burnsville, Minn.

Boeser continued his strong start to the season with a five-point weekend to help UND sweep No. 17 Miami. On Friday, the Vancouver Canucks prospect compiled a career-high four points on a goal and three assists as he had a hand in each of UND’s first three goals, including scoring the second, to mount a 3-0 first-period lead. Two of his three assists were the primary helper while he also assisted on the game-winning goal, posted a plus-3 rating and was named the game’s No. 2 star. The next night, Boeser put North Dakota in front only 51 seconds into the game with his team-leading seventh goal of the season, which ties for the NCHC rookie goal-scoring lead. The first-round NHL Draft pick put five shots on goal in the 4-3 overtime win Saturday and was plus-2. Boeser finished the weekend with two goals, three assists, seven shots on goal and a plus-5 rating.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Evan Cowley, Denver
Junior Goaltender
Evergreen, Colo.

Cowley pitched a shutout in his only action of the weekend as he backstopped Denver to a 3-0 win at No. 13/13 Minnesota Duluth on Friday. The Florida Panthers prospect turned aside all 27 shots he faced by the Bulldogs, including 10 saves in each of the first two periods. Eight of his saves came on UMD’s power plays as he helped DU go 2-for-2 on the penalty kill, including killing a brief 5-on-3 UMD power play and a five-minute power play. Cowley was named the game’s second star Friday while improving to 4-2-0 on the season. The shutout was his first of the season and fourth of his career. His 1.000 save percentage and 0.00 goals-against average Friday upped his save percentage from .904 to .921 for the season while his GAA dropped from 2.65 to 2.17.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Offensive Player of the Week
Nick Schmaltz, So., F, UND – Compiled six points on two goals and four assists in a sweep of Miami with a career-high four points in Friday’s win when he assisted on the game-winner, while he posted a plus-6 rating in the series and scored a goal in each game.

Defenseman of the Week
Louie Belpedio, So., D, Miami – Compiled four points at UND on a goal and three assists with two points each night while blocking four shots in the series.

Christian Wolanin, Fr., D, UND – Posted a plus-4 rating in a sweep of Miami while helping limit the RedHawks to 35 shots on goal in the series and five goals, as he also assisted on Friday’s game-winning goal.

Rookie of the Week
Jarid Lukosevicius, Fr., F, Denver – Scored DU’s first two goals, both on the power play, in its 3-0 win at UMD Friday, with his first goal the game-winner.

Jack Roslovic, Fr., F, Miami – Chipped in four points at UND on a goal and three assists with two points each night as he had a hand in four of Miami’s five goals on the weekend while putting five shots on goal.

Goaltender of the Week
Tanner Jaillet, So., G, Denver – Made a career-high 45 saves in a 1-1 overtime tie at UMD Saturday while helping kill four UMD power plays and posting a .978 save percentage in the game.

Charlie Lindgren, Jr., G, SCSU – Backstopped SCSU to a sweep at WMU, allowing only three goals (one even strength) all weekend, making a combined 42 saves while posting a .933 save percentage and a 1.71 GAA in the two wins.

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