Men's Ice Hockey 11/15/2016 2:30:00 AM By NCHC

Bauer NCHC Players of the Week: Nov. 7-13, 2016

Omaha’s Ortega and Snuggerud, SCSU’s Ahcan, and Denver’s Jaillet honored for week six

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Three National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) teams are represented among the Bauer NCHC Players of the Week for the week of Nov. 7-13 after picking up road wins last weekend. Earning Bauer NCHC Player of the Week honors for week six are Omaha senior forward Austin Ortega for Offensive Player of the Week, UNO junior blue liner Luc Snuggerud for Defenseman of the Week, St. Cloud State freshman defenseman Jack Ahcan for Rookie of the Week and Denver senior netminder Tanner Jaillet for Goaltender of the Week.

Ortega has now earned NCHC Offensive Player of the Week four times in his career and this is his fifth career NCHC weekly honor, while Snuggerud picked up his first NCHC weekly award Monday. This is the second NCHC weekly honor for both Ahcan and Jaillet this season, while it is Jaillet’s fourth career such honor.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Austin Ortega, Omaha
Senior Forward
Escondido, Calif.

Ortega led Omaha to its first sweep of the season and first ever sweep at Miami with a four-point weekend. On Friday, he dished out an assist and posted a plus-3 rating to help the Mavericks rally for a 6-4 win. The next night, Ortega totaled three points on two goals and an assist, tallying his first goal short-handed to extend his point streak to six games. He was named the game’s Second Star Saturday, logging a plus-2 rating and putting seven shots on goal in a 6-2 victory. Ortega finished the series with two goals, two assists, a plus-5 rating and nine shots on goal. He is now second in the NCHC in both points (15) and goals (9) this season.

Defenseman of the Week

Luc Snuggerud, Omaha
Junior Defenseman
Eden Prairie, Minn.

Snuggerud contributed at both ends of the ice to help the Mavericks sweep at Miami. He chipped in four points in the series while helping Omaha go 8-for-11 on the penalty kill on the weekend. In Friday’s 6-4 comeback win, the Chicago Blackhawks prospect handed out the primary assist on the game-winning goal in the third period to break a 4-4 tie. The next night, Snuggerud recorded a season-high three points, notching the game-winning goal to break a 2-2 tie in the second stanza, while adding an assist and a power play goal later in the game. He was named First Star of the Game in Saturday’s 6-2 win, putting five shots on goal. Snuggerud ended the weekend with two goals, a pair of assists, a plus-2 rating (plus-1 each night), seven shots on goal and a blocked shot.

Rookie of the Week

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

Ahcan helped the Huskies earn a road sweep at Colorado College with a three-point weekend, while SCSU limited the Tigers to four goals in the series. In Friday’s 7-3 victory, he tallied two points, scoring the game-winning goal in the second period on the power play while assisting on a power play goal earlier in the game. The next night, Ahcan set up another power play goal as the Huskies rolled to a 4-1 win. He played on SCSU’s top defensive pair both nights, while helping SCSU’s penalty kill go 9-for-11 against the Tigers in the series. Ahcan totaled a goal, two assists and a blocked shot, while putting three shots on goal and posting an even rating.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Tanner Jaillet, Denver
Junior Goaltender
Red Deer, Alberta

Jaillet continued his strong play this season, backstopping Denver to a four-point weekend at then No. 6 North Dakota with a win and a tie. He allowed only three goals at UND while posting a 1.44 goals-against average and compiling a .944 save percentage. In Friday’s 1-1 overtime tie, Jaillet compiled 29 saves, while helping kill both UND power plays, as he was named the game’s Third Star. A night later he again earned Third Star of the Game, totaling 22 saves in a 3-2 victory, while helping kill 3-of-4 Fighting Hawks power plays. Jaillet finished the weekend with 51 saves on 54 shots faced, while his 1.66 GAA and .934 save percentage both lead the NCHC this season.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Offensive Player of the Week
Mikey Eyssimont, So., F, SCSU – Totaled four points in a sweep at CC, tallying three goals and an assist in the series with a plus-3 rating, scoring the game-winner Saturday when he had two goals.

Alex Iafallo, Sr., F, UMD – Had a three-point weekend in a split with WMU, tallying a goal each night, including the game-winner Saturday, when he also handed out an assist.

Defenseman of the Week
Jimmy Schuldt, So., D, SCSU – Posted a plus-5 rating in a sweep of CC with two blocked shots, while scoring a goal in both games and assisting on the game-winner Saturday.

Carson Soucy, Sr., D, UMD – Handed out three assists in UMD’s split with WMU, including on the game-winner Saturday, while putting six shots on goal and blocking two shots.

Rookie of the Week
Henrik Borgström, Fr., F, Denver – Tallied a goal in both games against UND, tying the game in Friday’s draw and scoring the game-winner on Saturday, while putting five shots on goal in the series.

Goaltender of the Week
Zach Driscoll, Fr., G, SCSU – Backstopped SCSU to a sweep at CC, picking up both wins while compiling a 2.00 GAA and a .917 save percentage with 44 saves made on the weekend.

Trevor Gorsuch, So., G, WMU – Went 1-1 in net against UMD, compiling a 2.55 GAA and a .915 save percentage in the split, making a career-high 33 saves in Saturday’s 2-0 loss.

Evan Weninger, So., G, Omaha – Led Omaha to a sweep at Miami, posting a 3.00 GAA and an .887 save percentage in the two victories, while totaling 47 saves.

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