COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Goaltending dominated the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) throughout the first month of 2017 as a pair of netminders picked up NCHC monthly honors for January. Denver junior Tanner Jaillet has been named the NCHC Player of the Month for January, while Minnesota Duluth freshman Hunter Miska is the January NCHC Rookie of the Month. These are the first NCHC monthly awards for both student-athletes.
NCHC PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Tanner Jaillet
Denver
Junior Goaltender
Red Deer, Alberta
Jaillet backstopped the Pioneers to a 5-1-0 record while in net to begin the New Year. His five wins and .833 win percentage led all NCHC goaltenders with both tying for fourth nationally in January. He also led the conference with a 1.44 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage during the month, both of which ranked in the top five in the NCAA in January. Jaillet allowed a goal or less in five of his seven starts this past month.
Jaillet opened January with a 15-save performance in a 5-1 win over Arizona State Jan. 6. After getting the night off in the series finale, he played in both games at Western Michigan the following weekend, totaling 49 saves in a split, despite allowing only one goal in each game. On Jan. 13, he stopped 27 shots, allowing only a power play goal in a loss, while he rebounded with a 22-save win the next night en route to First Star of the Game honors. He was also tabbed NCHC Goaltender of the Week for his performance.
On Jan. 20, Jaillet made 28 saves on 30 shots in an overtime loss at St. Cloud State, but again responded with a career-high 37 saves the following night to lead the Pioneers to a 3-1 win. He was named the game’s Second Star on Jan. 21. Jaillet then finished out his month with a sweep of Omaha, making 26 saves in a 5-3 win Jan. 27, while stopping all 16 shots he faced in the series finale before being relieved with nine minutes to play to prevent him from earning the complete-game shutout in the 5-0 victory. He was tabbed Third Star of the Game in the shutout.
Of the nine goals Jaillet allowed during January, only five came even strength (four on the power play), as he totaled 171 saves in 375 minutes of action during the month. On the season, Jaillet leads the NCHC with a .931 save percentage, while posting a 16-4-4 record and a 1.89 goals-against average.
Jaillet is now a candidate for Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) National Player of the Month for January, which will be announced Friday. Other nominees for NCHC Player of the Month included Miami junior defenseman Louie Belpedio, Omaha senior forward Austin Ortega and Minnesota Duluth freshman forward Riley Tufte.
NCHC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH
Hunter Miska
Minnesota Duluth
Freshman Goaltender
Stacy, Minn.
Miska started all eight games for the Bulldogs in January, leading Minnesota Duluth to a 5-2-1 record with the five wins tying for the conference lead. He ranked second among all NCHC goalies with both a .932 save percentage and a 1.84 goals-against average during the month with the 1.84 GAA second nationally among rookie goalies and the .932 save percentage fifth among freshmen during January. Miska pitched a shutout during the month as well, while allowing only six even strength goals in the eight games.
Miska opened January on a three-game winless streak before winning his final five games. Against Colorado College Jan. 6-7, he combined for 39 saves, giving up only two goals each night. The following weekend, he compiled 50 saves in a split against St. Cloud State, including 23 stops in an overtime win Jan. 14.
Miska stepped up his play even more over the final two weeks of January, backstopping UMD to a sweep at North Dakota – the Bulldogs’ first road sweep of UND since 1995. On Jan. 20, he stopped 21 shots in a 5-3 win, before blanking the Fighting Hawks with a 29-save shutout in the series finale, marking the first time UND had been shut out at home since Oct. 28, 2011. Miska was tabbed First Star of the Game on Jan. 21 and earned NCHC Rookie of the Week for his performance.
He then wrapped up his month leading the Bulldogs to the North Star College Cup title in St. Paul, Minn., where he was named tournament MVP. In last Friday’s semifinal, he stopped 37 shots, one shy of his career high, as UMD topped rival Minnesota, 3-2, while he earned the game’s Second Star. In the championship game against St. Cloud State, Miska turned aside 31 shots, while conceding only one goal in a 2-1 overtime win to give the Bulldogs their first in-season tournament title in 15 years. He closed out January by being named NCHC Goaltender of the Week after his showing at the North Star Cup.
Miska compiled 207 saves on 222 shots in 488 minutes of action in January, which were the most minutes played among all NCHC netminders. On the season, he leads the NCHC with four shutouts while boasting a 16-4-2 record, a .925 save percentage and a 2.07 goals-against average.
Miska is now a candidate for Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) National Rookie of the Month for January, which will be announced Friday. Other nominees for NCHC Rookie of the Month included St. Cloud State defenseman Jack Ahcan, Denver forward Henrik Borgström, Miami netminder Ryan Larkin and Colorado College goalie Alex Leclerc.
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