COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Following a dominating and record-setting performance in the month of December, North Dakota sophomore goaltender Cam Johnson has been named NCHC Player of the Month for December while Western Michigan freshman forward Griffen Molino was selected the NCHC Rookie of the Month for December, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced Tuesday.

NCHC PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Cam Johnson
North Dakota
Sophomore Goaltender
Troy, Mich.

Johnson was nearly perfect in the month of December, as he started all four of North Dakota’s games in net and allowed only one goal in 240 minutes of action, while posting a 4-0-0 record. His three shutouts in December led the NCAA, as did his miniscule 0.25 goals-against average and his sterling .992 save percentage for the month. Johnson’s four wins tied for the most during the month while he was the only goalie in the country to start at least four games in December and go undefeated. He claimed NCHC Goaltender of the Week honors both weekends he played during the month.

After allowing one goal and making 22 saves in a 5-1 win over then No. 9 Denver Dec. 4, Johnson did not allow a goal the rest of the month. The following night he earned his first career shutout, making 18 saves in a 4-0 win while being named third star of the game.  The following weekend, Dec. 11-12, Johnson continued his hot streak, blanking then No. 17 Minnesota Duluth on back-to-back nights, giving him three straight shutouts, only the second NCHC goalie ever to do so. He made a career-high 40 saves in the first shutout of UMD and made 38 more the next night to total 78 in the series. Johnson was named the game’s first star both nights and also earned NCAA First Star of the Week honors, in addition to his second straight NCHC Goaltender of the Week accolade.

Johnson racked up 118 saves on 119 shots in December, including stopping the final 114 shots he faced during the month without allowing a goal. He ended the month with a shutout streak of 218:38, which lasted into January and turned into a shutout streak of 298:25, the second-longest streak in NCAA history. On the season, Johnson leads the NCAA with a 1.07 GAA and a .957 save percentage, while his four shutouts tie for fourth nationally and he is unbeaten with a record of 9-0-1.

Johnson, who is the second straight UND player to win NCHC Player of the Month (Nick Schmaltz), is now a candidate for the Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) National Player of the Month for December, which will be announced Wednesday. Other nominees for NCHC Player of the Month included Colorado College senior forward Hunter Fejes, St. Cloud State senior forward Kalle Kossila and Omaha junior forward Justin Parizek.

NCHC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH
Griffen Molino
Western Michigan
Freshman Forward
Trenton, Mich.

Molino had a breakout month in December, racking up eight points in five games after compiling only seven points in his first 13 games of the season. His eight points tied for the overall NCHC scoring lead during the month as he scored three goals and added five assists. His five helpers and 1.60 points per game led all NCHC rookies in December, while his eight points also ranked second nationally among freshmen. Molino also compiled a plus-7 rating during the month, which was third among NCAA rookies. All eight of his points in December came in just three games, including two multi-point outings.

After being held scoreless in WMU’s first series of December at Minnesota Duluth, Molino exploded for seven points against Colorado College Dec. 11-12. On Dec. 11, he recorded a career-high three points on a goal and two assists, which were his first points in over a month (since Nov. 6), in a 7-3 win over the Tigers. A night later, Molino was even better, tallying a new career high with four points on a pair of goals and assists each in a 5-3 victory to complete the sweep. He book-ended WMU’s goal scoring for his first collegiate multi-goal game while he was named the game’s first star both nights of the series. Molino also garnered NCHC Rookie of the Week and NCAA Second Star of the Week honors for his efforts against CC.

Molino then capped December with the primary assist on the game’s only goal, and hence the game-winning goal, in WMU’s 1-0 win over then No. 12/13 Bowling Green in Toledo, Ohio on Dec. 30. He was named third star of the game against the Falcons as Molino led the Broncos to a 3-2 record in December. He put 11 shots on goal and blocked four shots in December as well. On the season, Molino is third among NCHC freshmen with 15 points on five goals and 10 assists, which tie for the NCHC rookie lead.

Molino is now a candidate for the Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) National Rookie of the Month for December, which will be announced Wednesday. Other nominees for NCHC Rookie of the Month included North Dakota freshman forward Brock Boeser, St. Cloud State freshman defenseman Jimmy Schuldt and Omaha freshman goaltender Evan Weninger, who was the NCHC Rookie of the Month for November.

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