Men's Ice Hockey 11/28/2017 3:00:00 AM By NCHC

Bauer NCHC Players of the Week: November 20-26, 2017

Omaha’s Jordan, Miami’s Belpedio and Lown, and UMD’s Shepard garner week eight honors

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After leading their teams to unbeaten weekends this past Friday and Saturday, the Bauer National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week for week eight (Nov. 20-26, 2017) are Omaha sophomore forward Zach Jordan for Offensive Player of the Week, Miami senior blue liner Louie Belpedio for Defenseman of the Week, MU freshman forward Ben Lown for Rookie of the Week and Minnesota Duluth sophomore netminder Hunter Shepard for Goaltender of the Week.

The honor is the first career NCHC weekly award for both Jordan and Lown, while Belpedio collected his fifth career NCHC weekly award, including third career Defenseman of the Week nod and second this season. Shepard picked up his second career NCHC Goaltender of the Week honor, both coming this season.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Zach Jordan, Omaha
Sophomore Forward
Collinsville, Ill.

Jordan had one of the best weekends of his career, chipping in a team-best three points to lead Omaha to a sweep of Northern Michigan. In Friday’s 4-3 victory, he scored the Mavericks’ third goal to break a tie and put UNO up for good 3-2 in the second period, while also posting a +1 plus-minus and blocking a shot. The next night he logged his first career multi-point game with a goal and an assist. Jordan had the primary assist on Luke Nogard’s game-winning goal early in the first period, while capping Omaha’s scoring outburst with a breakaway goal in the second period to make it 4-0 in an eventual 4-1 win. He was again +1 and earned First Star of the Game honors Saturday. For the series, Jordan finished with two goals -- his first time tallying in back-to-back games for Omaha -- an assist, a +2 plus-minus and three shots on goal. He nearly doubled his career point total on the weekend, entering the series with four career points.

Defenseman of the Week

Louie Belpedio, Miami
Skokie, Ill.
Senior Defenseman

Belpedio led Miami to a win and a tie at Bowling Green, while extending his point streak to a career-long five games with two points both nights at BGSU. In Friday’s 6-3 victory, the team captain dished out a pair of primary assists, with the first coming on Miami’s second goal to make it 2-1 in the first frame, while also setting up the game-winner on the power play in the second period that broke a 3-3 tie. The Minnesota Wild prospect fired five shots on goal in the win and was +1, while helping limit the Falcons to 14 shots on goal and 0-for-3 on the power play. A night later, Belpedio factored in on both Miami goals in a 2-2 tie, handing out the primary helper on the RedHawks’ first goal to tie the game, while striking on the power play in the third period to put Miami ahead, 2-1. He was again +1 Saturday and was named Third Star of the Game. Belpedio anchored Miami’s penalty kill that finished the series 7-for-7, while completing the weekend with a goal, three assists, a +2 plus-minus, nine shots on goal and one blocked shot.

Rookie of the Week

Ben Lown, Miami
Newport Coast, Calif.
Freshman Forward

Lown had the best weekend of his young career, nearly doubling his career total of three points entering the series, as he tallied two points in a 6-3 win over Bowling Green on Friday. He scored his first career goal 6:15 into the first period to put Miami in front 1-0, while he also handed out the primary assist on Josh Melnick’s goal that made it 3-1 Miami early in the second period. It was his first career multi-point game on Friday, as well, when he was +1 playing on the top line. In Saturday’s 2-2 tie, Lown fired a shot on goal and had an even rating, as he finished the weekend with a goal, an assist, +1 and two shots on goal, while also blocking three shots in the two games.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Hunter Shepard, Minnesota Duluth
Cohasset, Minn.
Sophomore Goaltender

In Minnesota Duluth’s only game of the weekend, Shepard made his 10th consecutive start, backstopping the Bulldogs to a 3-1 win over rival No. 8 Minnesota State on Saturday in Duluth. He compiled a season-high 33 saves in the win, the most by a Bulldog goalie this year, including 13 saves in the third period as UMD was outshot, 13-6. Shepard also helped the Bulldogs kill off all three Maverick power plays in the win. He finished the game with a 1.01 goals-against average, while posting a .971 save percentage, which upped his season save percentage from .894 to .903.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Offensive Player of the Week
None

Defenseman of the Week
Joel Messner, Sr., D, Omaha – Handed out a pair of assists and was +5 in a sweep of Northern Michigan, with one helper each night, including on the game-winner Friday, while blocking four shots and putting two shots on goal in the two games.

Rookie of the Week
None

Goaltender of the Week
Evan Weninger, Jr., G, Omaha – Backstopped Omaha to its first sweep of the season, recording 52 saves in a pair of wins over Northern Michigan, while logging a 2.00 GAA and a .929 save percentage in the series.

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