Previous Winners

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – With only four National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) teams in action last weekend, the three teams that earned at least one win produced at least one Bauer NCHC Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 1-7 while the lone team to sweep collected two honors. Receiving Bauer NCHC Players of the Week for week 16 are Minnesota Duluth junior forward Alex Iafallo for Offensive Player of the Week, UMD senior blue liner Andy Welinski for Defenseman of the Week, Miami freshman forward Josh Melnick for Rookie of the Week and St. Cloud State junior netminder Charlie Lindgren for Goaltender of the Week.

This is Iafallo’s first NCHC Offensive Player of the Week honor but fourth NCHC weekly honor after earning Rookie of the Week three times as a freshman. Welinski is a repeat selection as Defenseman of the Week, garnering the award for the second straight week, third time this season and fourth time in his career. Melnick picked up his first NCHC honor of any kind while Lindgren received his accolade for the fourth time this season and sixth time in his career.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Alex Iafallo, Minnesota Duluth
Junior Forward
Eden, N.Y.

Iafallo had his best weekend of the season against Colorado College as he tallied three goals to lead UMD to a sweep of the Tigers. In Friday’s 5-3 come-from-behind win, he notched a pair of goals for his first multi-point game of the season and first multi-goal game since his freshman campaign. Iafallo scored the go-ahead goal in the third period to break a 2-2 tie as the Bulldogs would not trail again, while he sealed the victory with an empty-net goal. He put four shots on goal Friday and had a plus-1 rating while being named second star of the game. A night later, Iafallo buried the game-winning goal with 2:42 remaining in regulation in break a 2-2 tie and lift UMD to a 3-2 win. He was again named second star after four more shots on goal and a plus-2 rating. Along with his three goals, Iafallo put eight shots on goal and posted a plus-3 rating in the series. He doubled his season total for goals on the weekend after entering with three all season.

DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Andy Welinski, Minnesota Duluth
Senior Defenseman
Duluth, Minn.

Garnering the award for the second straight week, Welinski contributed at both ends of the ice, totaling three points in the sweep of Colorado College while helping limit the Tigers to five goals in the series. In Friday’s 5-3 comeback win, the Anaheim Ducks prospect spurred the offense by assisting on UMD’s first goal, which came on the power play and cut CC’s 2-0 lead in half. He also assisted on an empty-net goal that sealed the win for a two-point night. Welinski posted a plus-4 rating in Friday’s win and blocked a shot. In the series finale, he was named the game’s third star as he again sparked a UMD rally, tying the game late in the third period with a blast from the point as the Bulldogs went on to win, 3-2. Welinski fired four shots on goal in the win and put six shots on net in the series. He finished the weekend with a goal, two assists and a plus-5 rating while anchoring a penalty kill that was 7-for-9 in the series and held CC to 50 shots on goal in two games.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Josh Melnick, Miami
Freshman Forward
Annandale, N.J.

Melnick played a big role in helping Miami earn a split with No. 3 St. Cloud State, tallying a goal in each game. In Friday’s loss, he tallied Miami’s only goal, which tied the game at 1-1 early in the second period, on his only shot on goal of the game. The next night, Melnick sparked a RedHawks rally as he again tied the game at 1-1 with a goal in the second period that started a three-goal outburst in a five-minute span as Miami went on to win, 3-2. He was named the game’s third star as he put two shots on goal and had an even plus/minute rating. Melnick finished the weekend with two goals on three shots on goal for a .667 shooting percentage, while winning 12 faceoffs centering his line.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Charlie Lindgren, St. Cloud State
Junior Goaltender
Lakeville, Minn.

Lindgren continued his strong season, backstopping SCSU to a split at Miami, posting a 1-1 record in net while totaling a .938 save percentage and a 2.02 goals-against average. In Friday’s 5-1, Lindgren totaled 35 saves, including 17 in the first period, while surrendering only one goal as the Huskies were heavily outshot. He also made four saves on three MU power plays, killing them all in the win, as he was named the game’s first star. The next night, Lindgren racked up 26 saves in a 3-2 loss as the Huskies were again outshot with all three goals allowed coming in the second period. He made three more stops on four Miami power plays as well as Lindgren helped SCSU go a perfect 7-for-7 on the penalty kill in the series, making seven saves in all. Lindgren compiled 61 saves on 65 shots against the RedHawks on the weekend.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Offensive Player of the Week
Cody Bradley, Sr., F, CC – Totaled four points in a pair of losses at UMD on a goal and three assists as he had a goal and an assist in Friday’s loss despite helping put CC up 2-0, and assisted on both CC goals in Saturday’s 3-2 defeat.

Defenseman of the Week
None

Rookie of the Week
Neal Pionk, Fr., D, UMD – Handed out a pair of assists, including on the game-winner, in Friday’s win over CC, while he posted a plus-5 rating in the series and blocked four shots.

Goaltender of the Week
None

--#NCHCHockey--