Men's Ice Hockey 10/30/2017 11:45:00 PM By NCHC

Bauer NCHC Players of the Week: October 23-29, 2017

Pope, Belpedio, Mismash and Shepard honored for week four of the season

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – For the first time all season, four different teams are represented among the Bauer National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC )Players of the Week for week four of the season. Earning Bauer NCHC Player of the Week honors for the week of Oct. 23-29, 2017 are Omaha senior forward David Pope for Offensive Player of the Week, Miami senior blue liner Louie Belpedio for Defenseman of the Week, North Dakota forward Grant Mismash for Rookie of the Week and Minnesota Duluth sophomore Hunter Shepard for Goaltender of the Week.

Belpedio has now garnered four career NCHC weekly awards, including his second career Defenseman of the Week nod this week, making him the second straight RedHawk to claim the accolade (junior Grant Hutton last week). This is Mismash’s second NCHC Rookie of the Week honor, also winning it two weeks ago, while it is both Pope and Shepard’s first career NCHC weekly award.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

David Pope, Omaha
Senior Forward
Edmonton, Alberta

Pope had a monster weekend in a spilt at Notre Dame, compiling five points in the series with multiple points each game. In Thursday’s 6-4 victory, he totaled three points, tying a career high with two goals, while adding an assist. The Detroit Red Wings draft pick opened the scoring only 15 ticks into Thursday’s contest, added a primary helper a few minutes later and capped his scoring in the second period to make it 4-1 Omaha. Pope also posted a +3 plus-minus and put five shots on goal Thursday, while earning First Star of the Game. The next night, he scored a power play goal, which stretched his goal-scoring streak to three games, and also had an assist on the power play in Friday’s 5-4 loss. Pope finished the series with three goals, two assists, a +1 plus-minus and eight shots on goal.

Defenseman of the Week

Louie Belpedio, Miami
Senior Defenseman
Skokie, Ill.

Belpedio was all over the ice in Miami’s sweep against UConn, contributing at both ends and on both special teams. On Friday, he fired six shots on goal, while helping the RedHawks earn their first shutout of the season with a 3-0 victory and kill all four UConn power plays. The next night, the Minnesota Wild prospect tied a career high with both two goals and three points in a 7-1 win. With Miami up 3-1 in the third period, he had a hand in three straight goals with a power play goal, an assist and an unassisted marker, while putting seven shots on goal in the game. Belpedio also logged a +2 plus-minus and was named First Star of the Game Saturday. He finished the weekend with two goals, an assist, +2, 13 shots on goal and one blocked shot. Belpedio also led a Miami penalty kill that finished 7-for-7 in the series.

Rookie of the Week

Grant Mismash, North Dakota
Freshman Forward
Edina, Minn.

Mismash continued his strong rookie campaign last weekend at Colorado College, scoring two goals in North Dakota’s conference-opening split. On Friday he was held pointless in a 2-1 loss, putting three shots on goal. The next night, however, the Nashville Predators draft pick logged his first career multi-goal game in UND’s 6-4 win, scoring the game’s opening goal on the power play and book-ending the Fighting Hawks’ scoring less than a minute into the third period with an unassisted marker. Mismash fired a game-high nine shots on goal and posted a +2 plus-minus in Saturday’s win, while earning First Star of the Game honors. He finished the series with two points, was +1 and put 12 shots on goal, which was the most among NCHC forwards on the weekend.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Hunter Shepard, Minnesota Duluth
Sophomore Goaltender
Cohasset, Minn.

Shepard had the best weekend of his collegiate career in his first time playing both games on the same weekend, backstopping the Bulldogs to a sweep at Maine, while allowing only one goal in two games. On Friday, he made 26 saves, including 12 in the third period, as he helped UMD hold on for a 2-1 win and was tabbed Third Star of the Game. The following night, Shepard again stopped 26 shots, including 11 in the final frame, which was every shot he faced as he recorded his first career shutout in the 2-0 victory. He was tabbed Second Star of the Game on Saturday. Shepard compiled 52 saves on 53 shots faced in the series for a .981 save percentage, while posting a 2-0 record with a 0.50 goals-against average. He also helped UMD go 7-for-7 on the penalty kill against Maine.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Offensive Player of the Week
Shane Gersich, Jr., F, UND – Totaled three points in a split at CC, scoring UND’s lone goal unassisted in a 2-1 loss Friday, while dishing out two assists in Saturday’s win as he put nine shots on goal in the series.

Gordie Green, So., F, Miami – Scored a goal each night and finished +4 in Miami’s sweep of UConn, while also dishing out two assists in Saturday’s 7-1 rout, when he tallied the game-winning goal.

Nick Halloran, So., F, CC – Compiled four points and was +3 in a split with UND, assisting on the first goal and scoring the game-winner in Friday’s 2-1 win, while tallying another goal and adding an assist on CC’s first two goals in Saturday’s loss.

Troy Terry, Jr., F, Denver – Tallied five points, including four assists, and was +2 in a pair of wins, scoring the game-winner in the final seconds of Friday’s 4-3 win at BU after an assist earlier, while dishing out three helpers in Saturday’s 6-1 win at BC, including on the game-winner.

Defenseman of the Week
Blake Hillman, Jr., D, Denver – Notched his first career multi-goal game (two goals) in DU’s 6-1 win at Boston College Saturday, while logging a +3 plus-minus, blocking a shot and putting three shots on goal in two games.

Jordan Klehr, Jr., D, Omaha – Tallied three points and was +2 in Omaha’s split at Notre Dame, dishing out an assist each night while adding a goal Friday and blocking three shots in the series.

Christian Wolanin, Jr., D, UND – Dished out two power play assists in UND’s win at CC Saturday, while posting an even plus-minus, putting three shots on goal and blocking a shot in the spilt series.

Rookie of the Week
Ian Mitchell, Fr., D, Denver – Dished out two power play assists, including on the game-winning goal, in DU’s win at Boston College Saturday, while blocking one shot.

Goaltender of the Week
Tanner Jaillet, Sr., G, Denver –Went 2-0 on the weekend with wins at BU and Boston College, posting a 2.00 GAA and a .927 save percentage, totaling 51 saves on 55 shots faced in the two games.

Ryan Larkin, So., G, Miami – Allowed only one goal while backstopping Miami to a sweep of UConn, totaling 36 saves in the two games for a .973 save percentage, including pitching his second career shutout Friday.

--#NCHCHockey--