Men's Ice Hockey 1/5/2016 2:00:00 AM By NCHC

Bauer NCHC Players of the Week: Dec. 18-Jan. 3

Omaha’s Ortega, SCSU’s Nevalainen, DU’s Gambrell and WMU’s Hafner honored for week 11

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – With a three-week break from the last Bauer National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week on Dec. 14, the week 11 NCHC award winners include any regular season (not exhibition) games from Dec. 18, 2015-Jan. 3, 2016. Capturing Bauer NCHC Player of the Week honors for games during the holiday break are Omaha junior forward Austin Ortega for Offensive Player of the Week, St. Cloud State junior blue liner Niklas Nevalainen for Defenseman of the Week, Denver freshman forward Dylan Gambrell for Rookie of the Week and Western Michigan senior netminder Lukas Hafner for Goaltender of the Week.

Ortega has now earned NCHC Offensive Player of the Week three times in his career, including twice this season, while Nevalainen claimed NCHC Defenseman of the Week for the second time this season. For Hafner, this is his fifth career NCHC Goaltender of the Week honor but first this season, while Gambrell earned his first NCHC honor of any kind.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Austin Ortega, Omaha
Junior Forward
Escondido, Calif.

Ortega continued his goal-scoring prowess in leading Omaha to a sweep of Arizona State on Dec. 19-20, notching two goals in each victory. On Dec. 19, Ortega racked up three points, scoring the game’s final two goals on the power play with his first goal the game-winner, while he had the primary assist on UNO’s first goal in the 3-1 victory, as well. He put nine shots on goal in the win while all three of his points came on the man advantage as he was named the game’s first star. The next day, Ortega struck for two more goals in a 6-0 shutout of ASU, while he fired another nine shots on goal and posted a plus-2 rating. The speedy winger finished the ASU series, his only games of the holiday break, with five points on four goals and an assist while putting 18 shots on goal and compiling a plus-2 rating. On the season, Ortega leads the NCAA with six game-winning goals and is second nationally with 16 goals.

DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Niklas Nevalainen, St. Cloud State
Junior Defenseman
Pori, Finland

Nevalainen played a key role on SCSU’s blue line in helping limit Arizona State to one goal all weekend in a sweep of the Sun Devils Jan. 1-2, while he also contributed to the offensive attack that racked up 13 goals in the series. On Friday, Jan. 1, Nevalainen dished out an assist in the 6-1 win while blocking a shot and posting a plus-1 rating. He also helped SCSU go a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill in the win. The next night, Nevalainen contributed more on the offensive end, racking up a career-high four points, including a career-best three assists, while scoring the Huskies’ fourth goal in the 7-0 shutout. He also recorded a plus-3 rating in the win while keeping ASU off the scoreboard as he was named the game’s second star. Nevalainen finished the series with five points on a goal and four assists, a plus-4 rating, three shots on goal and a blocked shot. He also helped limit the Sun Devils to one goal while playing on a penalty kill that went 5-for-5 in the series.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Dylan Gambrell, Denver
Freshman Forward
Bonney Lake, Wash.

Gambrell played a key role for Denver in a pair of ties with No. 16 Notre Dame Jan. 1-2 as he had a hand in all three of DU’s goals on the weekend. In Friday’s 1-1 overtime tie, he handed out the lone assist on the game-tying goal in the third period that forced overtime. He also fired eight shots on goal in the draw. The next night, Gambrell scored both DU goals in a 2-2 overtime tie with the Fighting Irish for his first collegiate multi-goal game. His first goal came on the power play in the second period that tied the game at 1-1 while his third-period goal put the Pioneers in front. Gambrell put five shots on goal and had a plus-1 rating in Saturday’s tie while he was named the game’s first star. On the weekend, Gambrell tallied two goals, an assist, 13 shots on goal, two blocked shots and a plus-1 rating as he took over the team scoring lead.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Lukas Hafner, Western Michigan
Senior Goaltender
Toledo, Ohio

Hafner was stellar in his only outing over the holiday break, pitching a shutout against then No. 12/13 Bowling Green on Dec. 30 in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio at the Huntington Center. Hafner stopped all 35 shots that came his way to backstop WMU to a 1-0 victory and extend the Broncos’ win streak to three games. It was his first shutout of the season and fourth of his career. Hafner helped kill off all three BGSU power plays while making 16 of his 35 stops in the third period when WMU was outshot, 16-1, but Hafner made the one-goal lead stand up. He was named the game’s first star for his efforts in front of his friends and family while earning his fifth win of the season in net.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Offensive Player of the Week
Bryn Chyzyk, Sr., F, UND – Scored a goal in each game of a sweep over UAH Jan. 1-2 with his goal on Friday the game-winner and game’s only goal, while he posted a plus-1 rating in the series.

Luc Gerdes, Jr., F, CC – Compiled four points and a plus-5 rating in a split at UAH Dec. 18-19 with a goal and two assists in Friday’s win while he added another helper in Saturday’s loss.

Judd Peterson, So., F, SCSU – Racked up five points in a sweep of Arizona State Jan. 1-2 with two points on Jan. 1 and three points on Jan. 2, including a goal in each game, while he posted a plus-3 rating in the series.

Defenseman of the Week
Troy Stecher, Jr., D, UND – Assisted on the game-winning goal both nights in a sweep of UAH Jan. 1-2 while helping limit the Chargers to one goal all weekend and anchoring a penalty kill that was 4-for-4.

Rookie of the Week
Mikey Eyssimont, Fr., F, SCSU – Totaled four points in a sweep of ASU Jan. 1-2 with an assist in Friday’s win and a career-high three points, including a goal, on Saturday while logging a plus-4 rating on the weekend.

Steve Spinner, Fr., F, UNO – Tallied a goal and an assist in a 6-0 shutout of Arizona State Dec. 20 when he posted a plus-3 rating and finished the series with a plus-2 rating.

Goaltender of the Week
Tanner Jaillet, So., G, DU – Earned a pair of ties against Notre Dame Jan. 1-2, compiling a 1.38 GAA and a .942 save percentage while allowing a total of three goals in the two ties and making 49 saves in the series.

Cam Johnson, So., G, UND – Allowed only one goal in a sweep of UAH, pitching a 19-save shutout Jan. 1 and allowing one goal in a 4-1 win Jan. 2, which snapped his NCHC-record shutout streak at 298:25, as he posted a 0.50 GAA and a .971 save percentage on the weekend.

Charlie Lindgren, Jr., G, SCSU – Earned a pair of wins in a sweep of ASU Jan. 1-2, allowing one goal all series while pitching a shutout Saturday as he posted a 0.50 GAA and a .981 save percentage on the weekend with 52 combined saves.

Kirk Thompson, Jr., G, UNO – Pitched a 16-save shutout Dec. 20 in a 6-0 win over Arizona State, which was his only action over the break and his first shutout of the season, while helping kill all six ASU power plays.

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