Men's Ice Hockey 12/12/2017 3:00:00 AM By NCHC

Bauer NCHC Players of the Week: December 4-10, 2017

WMU’s Allison, UMD’s Perunovich, Miami’s Knies and CC’s Leclerc honored for week 10

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Underclassmen stole the spotlight this past weekend as all four Bauer National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week for the week of Dec. 4-10, 2017 are either freshmen or sophomores. Garnering Bauer NCHC Player of the Week honors for week 10 are Western Michigan sophomore forward Wade Allison for Offensive Player of the Week, Minnesota Duluth freshman blue liner Scott Perunovich for Defenseman of the Week, Miami freshman forward Phil Knies for Rookie of the Week and Colorado College sophomore netminder Alec Leclerc for Goaltender of the Week.

The Offensive Player of the Week honor is the second for Allison this season and the third of his career, while he has now claimed five career NCHC weekly awards. Perunovich picked up his third NCHC weekly honor of the season and second Defenseman of the Week nod, while Knies garnered his first NCHC award of any kind. Leclerc’s NCHC honor was his first of the season and fifth of his career, including third Goaltender of the Week award.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Wade Allison, Western Michigan
Sophomore Forward
Myrtle, Manitoba

Allison continued his dominant sophomore season with a five-point series in a split with Miami. In Friday’s loss, he handed out the primary assist on WMU’s first goal, as his deflected shot tied the game at 1-1 in the second period. The next night, however, the Philadelphia Flyers draft pick took over, recording a natural hat trick, his second hat trick of the season, to help the Broncos erase a two-goal deficit and earn a 4-3 win in overtime. Allison had a hand in all four goals Saturday, assisting on the game’s opening goal less than a minute into the game, for a career-high four-point night. With WMU trailing 3-1, Allison started the comeback with his first goal midway through the second stanza, while tying the game with 4:02 left in regulation. He then sealed the comeback win, scoring the game-winner 3:53 into overtime to cap the hat trick. He was named First Star of the Game Saturday and finished with a +2 plus-minus. In the series, Allison totaled three goals, including a game-winning goal, two assists and put seven shots on goal. He is now tied for second nationally with 14 goals, while his 25 points on the year tie for third in the NCAA.

Defenseman of the Week

Scott Perunovich, Minnesota Duluth
Freshman Defenseman
Hibbing, Minn.

Perunovich continued to show why he was named to the U.S. National Junior Team preliminary roster, chipping in four points in a split at Omaha. In the series opener Friday, he scored UMD’s fourth goal to put the Bulldogs up 4-3 in the second period, in an eventual loss. Despite the loss, Perunovich still logged a +2 plus-minus Friday while playing on UMD’s top defensive pair. The next night, Perunovich earned First Star of the Game after tallying a career-high three points in a 6-2 victory. He had the primary helper on the game’s first goal to put UMD in front on the power play, while also assisting on the Bulldogs’ second goal. He then sealed the win, scoring UMD’s fifth goal early in the third period. Perunovich finished the weekend with two goals, two assists, a +3 plus-minus, three shots on goal and one blocked shot. He now leads all NCHC rookies with 16 points (4g, 12a) this season.

Rookie of the Week

Phil Knies, Miami
Freshman Forward
Phoenix, Arizona

Knies chipped in two points to help Miami earn a split, and nearly a sweep, at then-No. 10 Western Michigan last weekend after logging only one point in his previous 10 outings. In Friday’s 5-2 victory, he scored the RedHawks’ fourth goal, his first since Oct. 28, to help put the game out of reach at 4-1 early in the third period. He also fired two shots on goal and was +2 in the contest. The next night, Knies had the primary assist on Miami’s third goal, which came on the power play, to make it 3-1 RedHawks in the second stanza, before the Broncos rallied for a 4-3 overtime win. The draft-eligible rookie finished the series with a goal, an assist, four shots on goal and a +2 plus-minus, while also blocking a shot. On the season, Knies has three goals and five assists for eight points.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Alex Leclerc, Colorado College
Sophomore Goaltender
Longueuil, Quebec

Leclerc backstopped Colorado College to a pair of overtime ties against longtime rival and then-No. 1 Denver last weekend, as he helped the Tigers snap a 14-game losing streak to the Pioneers. On Friday, he compiled 34 saves in a 4-4 tie at Denver, including three saves in overtime, and helped kill all four DU power plays. A night later in Colorado Springs, Leclerc racked up 37 saves, his third-most this season, while allowing only one goal, early in the third period, in a 1-1 tie for a .974 save percentage in the contest. He garnered Second Star of the Game for his efforts Saturday, again helping kill all three Denver power plays, while making 18 of his saves in the third period and overtime. On the weekend, Leclerc finished with an 0-0-2 record, a 2.32 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage, totaling 71 saves on 76 shots. On the season, he is 7-7-2 with a .913 save percentage and a 2.80 GAA.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Offensive Player of the Week
Joey Anderson, So., F, UMD – Totaled five points and was +5 in a split at Omaha, tallying a goal and an assist in Friday’s loss, while adding another goal and two helpers in Saturday’s 6-2 win.

Mikey Eyssimont, Jr., F, SCSU – Scored the Huskies’ final two goals, including the game-winner, in a 3-1 win over North Dakota on Saturday.

Gordie Green, So., F, Miami – Had a four-point weekend and was +3 in a split at WMU with three goals and an assist, tallying two of the goals and the assist in Friday’s win, while also scoring on Saturday.

Nick Halloran, So., F, CC – Tallied three points in a 4-4 OT tie at Denver on Friday, scoring two goals and assisting on the game-tying tally, while firing 11 shots on goal in the series.

Zach Jordan, So., F, Omaha – Recorded his first career hat trick in a 7-5 win over UMD on Friday, including scoring the game-winner, while adding an assist in Saturday’s loss.

Defenseman of the Week
Jon Lizotte, Jr., D, SCSU – Dished out a pair of assists in Saturday’s win over UND, including on the game-winning goal, while blocking six shots and posting a +3 in the weekend series.

Rookie of the Week
Kevin Fitzgerald, Fr., F, SCSU – Handed out an assist each night against North Dakota, including on the game-winner Saturday, while logging a +2 in the series.

Christiano Versich, Fr., F, CC – Scored the 3-on-3 overtime goal after a tie Friday at Denver to earn CC an extra standings point, while he added the primary assist on CC’s lone goal in another tie Saturday.

Goaltender of the Week
Dávid Hrenák, Fr., G, SCSU – In his only action of the weekend on Saturday, stopped 34 of 35 shots for a .971 save percentage, while earning the win in a 3-1 victory over North Dakota.

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