Men's Ice Hockey 12/6/2016 2:00:00 AM By NCHC

Bauer NCHC Players of the Week: Nov. 28-Dec. 4, 2016

Omaha’s Ortega, Weninger, Denver’s Butcher and UND’s Jost honored for week nine

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Four different National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) teams are represented among the Bauer NCHC Players of the Week for the week of Nov. 28-Dec. 4, with two repeat winners from last week, a repeat winner from earlier in the season and a first-time winner. Capturing NCHC Offensive Player of the Week for week nine is Omaha senior forward Austin Ortega, while Denver senior blue liner Will Butcher earned NCHC Defenseman of the Week and Omaha sophomore netminder Evan Weninger claimed NCHC Goaltender of the Week both for the second consecutive week. North Dakota freshman forward Tyson Jost garnered NCHC Rookie of the Week.

Ortega is now a five-time NCHC Offensive Player of the Week, including twice this season (week of Nov. 7-13), and has won six career NCHC weekly honors. Butcher has now earned NCHC Defenseman of the Week four times this season and nine times in his career. Jost’s weekly honor is the first of his career, while Weninger is now a three-time NCHC Goaltender of the Week, including twice this season, and has claimed five career NCHC weekly honors.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Austin Ortega, Omaha
Senior Forward
Escondido, Calif.

Ortega totaled five points to power Omaha to a tie and win at Wisconsin last weekend. On Friday, he dished out an assist on UNO’s first goal that tied the game, which ended in a 3-3 overtime tie. The following night, Ortega tied a career high with four points, including recording his first career hat trick, while adding a primary assist in the Mavericks’ come-from-behind 7-4 win. The senior opened the game’s scoring only 55 ticks into the game, then book-ended it with two goals in the final three minutes, including an empty-netter to seal the victory and secure the hat trick. Ortega posted a plus-3 rating in Saturday’s win and finished with a plus-2 rating in the series. He also put six shots on goal with three each night, and even blocked three shots. With the five-point weekend, he moves into a tie for first in scoring in the NCHC for all games played with 22 points and now ranks second in the NCHC with 12 goals.

Defenseman of the Week

Will Butcher, Denver
Senior Defenseman
Sun Prairie, Wis.

For the second straight week, Butcher was a force at both ends of the ice as he again helped Denver pick up a pair of wins in a sweep of Colorado College. On Friday, the Colorado Avalanche pick handed out two assists, earning the lone helper on DU’s first goal, while he also set up the game-winning goal in the 3-1 victory. Butcher logged a plus-1 rating in the win and led a penalty kill that went 4-for-4 en route to Second Star of the Game honors. The next night, he had the primary assist on Denver’s first goal, which tied the game in an eventual 3-1 victory. He also had a plus-2 rating, while helping DU’s penalty kill finish 6-for-6 in the win. Butcher finished the series with three assists, five shots on goal, a plus-3 rating and a blocked shot, while anchoring a penalty kill unit that was 10-for-10 in the series.

Rookie of the Week

Tyson Jost, North Dakota
Freshman Forward
St. Albert, Alberta

In UND’s only game of the weekend, Jost powered North Dakota to a 4-3 win over No. 3 Boston College Saturday night in the inaugural College Hockey Showdown at Madison Square Garden. The Colorado Avalanche first round draft pick broke a scoreless deadlock with two goals in the second period, with the second coming on the power play that put UND in front, 2-0. Jost fired four shots on goal in the win and finished with an even rating, while he also won 15-of-25 faces for a 60 percent win percentage in the circle. He was named First Star of the Game, as well. Jost now leads all NCHC rookies with 17 points (7g, 10a) in 16 games this season.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Evan Weninger, Omaha
Sophomore Goaltender
Saskatoon, Sask.

In his only outing of the weekend, Weninger compiled a career-high 47 saves on 50 shots to backstop Omaha to a 3-3 overtime tie at Wisconsin last Friday. The sophomore, who pitched a shutout in his last outing, made 36 of his 47 saves over the final 45 minutes, including three in overtime. He also helped the Mavericks hold Wisconsin, ranked fourth in the NCAA on the power play at the time, to 0-for-6 on the power play, making 14 saves on the Badgers’ six man-advantage opportunities. Weninger finished the game with a .940 save percentage and a 2.77 goals-against average in the draw, while moving his record to 5-2-2 this season.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Offensive Player of the Week
Mikey Eyssimont, So., F, SCSU – Totaled five points in a win and tie at WMU, scoring the game-winner and adding an assist in Friday’s shutout, while finding the net again and dishing out two assists in Saturday’s tie with a plus-1 rating on the weekend.

Defenseman of the Week
Luc Snuggerud, Jr., D, Omaha – Handed out three assists against Wisconsin, including two in Saturday’s win, while he logged a plus-1 rating and led a penalty kill unit that was 10-for-12 in the series.

Christian Wolanin, So., D, UND – Assisted on UND’s second goal in a 4-3 win over Boston College Saturday, while posting a plus-2 rating and blocking two shots.

Rookie of the Week
None

Goaltender of the Week
Cam Johnson, Jr., G, UND – Made 28 saves in UND’s 4-3 win over Boston College for a .903 save percentage, including seven saves during BC’s power plays, while he pitched a shutout through two periods.

Alex Leclerc, Fr., G, CC – Totaled 56 saves on 62 shots in a pair of losses to Denver, including a career-high-tying 33 saves on Saturday, while posting a .903 save percentage in the series with three goals allowed in each game.

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