Men's Ice Hockey 11/1/2016 12:00:00 AM By NCHC

Bauer NCHC Players of the Week: Oct. 24-30, 2016

UMD’s Iafallo and Miska, DU’s Butcher and SCSU’s Ahcan honored for week four

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After three National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) teams earned sweeps over the weekend, those three schools produced the four Bauer NCHC Players of the Week for the week of Oct. 24-30, 2016 with two seniors and two freshmen honored. Minnesota Duluth senior forward Alex Iafallo claimed Offensive Player of the Week, while Denver senior blue liner Will Butcher captured Defenseman of the Week, St. Cloud State freshman defenseman Jack Ahcan earned Rookie of the Week and UMD freshman netminder Hunter Miska is the Goaltender of the Week.

This is Butcher’s seventh career NCHC Defenseman of the Week honor, including second this season. Iafallo picked up the second NCHC Offensive Player of the Week honor of his career and fifth career NCHC weekly honor (three-time NCHC Rookie of the Week). This is the first NCHC weekly honor for Ahcan and Miska, though Miska is the second UMD goaltender to win the award this season.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Alex Iafallo, Minnesota Duluth
Senior Forward
Eden, N.Y.

Iafallo led UMD to a sweep of top-ranked North Dakota with a five-point weekend. In Friday’s 5-2 victory, he tallied a career-high four points, including his first career hat trick. Iafallo scored the game’s opening goal and also added the game-winner, while assisting on a power play goal and posting a plus-2 rating as he was named the game’s first star. The next night, he set up UMD’s second goal on the power play in an eventual 3-0 shutout. Iafallo totaled three goals and two assists in the series, while firing 12 shots on goal, including nine in Friday’s win, and posting a plus-2 rating on the weekend.

Defenseman of the Week

Will Butcher, Denver
Senior Defenseman
Sun Prairie, Wis.

Butcher played a big role in helping Denver open NCHC play with a sweep of Western Michigan, totaling four points on the weekend while the Pioneers limited WMU to three goals in the two games. On Friday, the team captain scored DU’s final goal in the third period to help seal a 3-1 win and logged a plus-2 rating as he was named the game’s third star. The next night, Butcher tied a career high with three assists on Denver’s first three goals, all on the power play, including on the game-winner in the third period to break a 2-2 tie as he garnered Second Star of the Game. Butcher also put eight shots on goal against WMU with four each night, while finishing with a plus-3 rating in the series, blocking three shots and leading a penalty kill unit that went 10-for-12 against the Broncos.

Rookie of the Week

Jack Ahcan, St. Cloud State
Freshman Defenseman
Savage, Minn.

Ahcan had a breakout weekend, racking up four points in a sweep of Alabama-Huntsville after entering with two all season, while he extended his point streak to four games. On Friday, Ahcan had the lone assist on SCSU’s game-winning goal in the third period that broke a 1-1 tie while posting a plus-1 rating in the 5-1 win. On Saturday, he registered a career-high three points, scoring his first career goal, which turned out to be the game-winner in the second period, in between assisting on two other SCSU goals in the second stanza. Ahcan finished the 5-2 victory with a plus-3 rating and was named the game’s first star. He totaled a goal, three assists, a plus-4 rating, one block and nine shots on goal in the series while helping limit UAH to only 28 shots on goal all weekend.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Hunter Miska, Minnesota Duluth
Freshman Goaltender
Stacy, Minn.

Miska was nearly unbeatable last weekend, backstopping the Bulldogs to a sweep of previously unbeaten and top-ranked North Dakota as he surrendered only two goals all weekend. In Friday’s 5-2 victory, he stopped 24 shots to pick up his third win of the season. The next night, Miska was even better, making a career-high 30 saves to pitch his second shutout this season in a 3-0 victory as he earned Second Star of the Night honors. It was UND’s first time being shut out in 97 games (March 21, 2014). Miska totaled 54 saves on 56 shots in the series, while compiling a .964 save percentage and a 1.00 goals-against average to move to 4-0-0 on the season. He helped UMD go 12-for-13 on the penalty kill, as well, as the Bulldogs swept UND for the first time since 1995.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Offensive Player of the Week
Anthony Louis, Sr., F, Miami – Tallied a goal in both games of a split with BGSU, including the game-winner Friday in overtime, when he also handed out an assist.

Tyler Vesel, Jr., F, Omaha – Tied a season high with three points in UNO’s win over UMass Lowell Friday, scoring two special teams goals while adding an assist and posting a plus-1 rating.

Defenseman of the Week
Neal Pionk, So., D, UMD - Recorded a goal and an assist in Friday’s win over UND, while assisting on the game-winning goal in Saturday’s shutout as he finished the series plus-2 and led a penalty kill unit that was 12-for-13.

Rookie of the Week
Henrik Borgström, Fr., F, Denver – Compiled three points in Saturday’s 4-2 win over WMU, scoring a goal and dishing out two assists, including on the game-winner, while he put 10 shots on goal in the sweep.

Carson Meyer, Fr., F, Miami – Had a hand in all three Miami goals in a split with BGSU, scoring the first goal and assisting on the overtime winner Friday, while setting up Miami’s lone goal Saturday and logging a plus-2 rating in the series.

Goaltender of the Week
Tanner Jaillet, Jr., G, Denver – Backstopped DU to a sweep of WMU, compiling a 1.51 GAA and a .941 save percentage while totaling 48 saves in the two wins.

--#NCHCHockey--