Men's Ice Hockey 2/28/2017 3:00:00 AM By NCHC

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

DU’s Gambrell, UMD’s Pionk, Miami’s Brandt and Omaha’s Weninger honored for week 19

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Four different National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) teams are represented among the Bauer NCHC Players of the Week for the week of Feb. 20-26, 2017. Garnering NCHC Player of the Week honors for week 19 are Denver sophomore forward Dylan Gambrell for Offensive Player of the Week, Minnesota Duluth sophomore blue liner Neal Pionk for Defenseman of the Week, Miami freshman defenseman Jared Brandt for Rookie of the Week and Omaha sophomore netminder Evan Weninger for Goaltender of the Week.

Gambrell earned his second Offensive Player of the Week nod this season, which was his seventh career NCHC weekly honor (five Rookies of the Week last season). Pionk picked up his fourth Defenseman of the Week award this season and fifth of his career, while Brandt received his first NCHC weekly honor. Weninger is now a three-time Goaltender of the Week this season and has won the award five times in his career, while this is his sixth career NCHC weekly award.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Dylan Gambrell, Denver
Sophomore Forward
Bonney Lake, Wash.

Gambrell led all NCHC skaters with five points last weekend in a sweep of St. Cloud State, recording multiple points both nights. On Friday, the San Jose Sharks prospect tallied two goals in a 4-3 overtime win for his second multi-goal game in three outings. He scored back-to-back, tying the game at 2-2 in the first period while putting Denver in front early in the second period as he posted a plus-2 rating and was named First Star of the Game. The next night, Gambrell tied a career high with three assists, setting up DU’s first, fourth and sixth goals in a 7-2 victory, while posting a plus-3 rating and earning Second Star of the Game. He finished the series with two goals, three assists, a plus-5 rating and four shots on goal, while also winning 10 faceoffs. On the season, Gambrell is third in the NCHC with 34 points on 11 goals and 23 assists in 29 games.

Defenseman of the Week

Neal Pionk, Minnesota Duluth
Sophomore Defenseman
Hermantown, Minn.

Pionk was productive at both ends of the ice and on both special teams units in Minnesota Duluth’s win and tie against Miami last weekend. He powered UMD’s power play unit to go 3-for-7 in the series, notching three of his four points on the weekend on the man advantage, while also anchoring a penalty kill unit that finished 8-for-9 on the weekend. In Thursday’s 4-3 victory, Pionk notched two points, scoring a go-ahead goal early in the third period on the power play to make it 3-2 Bulldogs, while assisting on the game-winning power play goal with 1:21 left in regulation. He helped UMD’s power play go 2-for-4 in the game while firing six shots on goal. The next night Pionk set up the Bulldogs’ final two goals in the third period, assisting on a power play goal that tied the game and one that put UMD in front in an eventual 3-3 overtime tie, while helping kill all three Miami power plays and blocking three shots. Pionk ended the weekend with a goal, three assists, six shots on goal and four blocked shots. He ranks third this season in NCHC defenseman scoring with 28 points on seven goals and 21 assists with a plus-17 rating in 32 games.

Rookie of the Week

Jared Brandt, Miami
Freshman Defenseman
St. Peters, Mo.

Brandt had the best weekend of his young career, notching three points in a loss and tie at Minnesota Duluth, while also playing on the top defensive pair on Miami’s blue line, helping fill in for injured captain Louie Belpedio. He scored his second goal of the season on Thursday, tallying the RedHawks’ first goal of the game to help Miami erase a two-goal deficit in an eventual 4-3 loss, while he posted a plus-1 rating. On Friday, Brandt notched his first career multi-point game with a goal and an assist, while firing four shots on goal and logging another plus-1 rating. He again scored Miami’s first goal of the game, tying the game in the second period, while handing out the primary assist on the game-tying goal late in the third period in the 3-3 overtime draw. Brandt finished the series with two goals, an assist, a plus-2 rating and six shots on goal. On the year, Brandt now has eight points, including three goals and five assists, in 29 games.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Evan Weninger, Omaha
Sophomore Goaltender
Saskatoon, Sask.

In his only appearance of the weekend, Weninger pitched his third shutout of the season with a 3-0 blanking of North Dakota on Saturday. He stopped all 22 shots he faced to record the fourth whitewash of his career. With UNO leading just 1-0, he turned aside all 15 shots UND sent his way in the third period to keep the clean sheet. Weninger backstopped Omaha’s penalty kill to a perfect 4-for-4 showing Saturday as well, including killing two UND power plays in the third period, as he was named First Star of the Game. He finished with a perfect 1.000 save percentage and 0.00 goals-against average in the game. This season, Weninger is 10-7-4 with a .907 save percentage and a 2.96 GAA.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Offensive Player of the Week
Trevor Gooch, So., F, CC – Scored a goal both nights against WMU after entering the series with one goal all season, including the Tigers’ only goal in a loss Saturday.

Matheson Iacopelli, So., F, WMU – Totaled three points and 10 shots on goal at CC with an assist each night while also scoring the game-winning goal on Saturday.

Anthony Louis, Sr., F, Miami – Dished out three assists at UMD with a plus-2 rating, handing out two helpers in a loss Thursday while setting up MU’s first goal in a tie Friday.

Austin Ortega, Sr., F, Omaha – Compiled five points and a plus-2 rating in a split at UND, handing out two assists Friday while having a hand in all three goals in a win Saturday with two helpers and an empty-net goal.

Defenseman of the Week
Grant Hutton, So., D, Miami – Scored a goal both nights at UMD, while also adding an assist Thursday to help Miami erase a deficit, and blocking two shots in the series.

Rookie of the Week
Henrik Borgström, Fr., F, Denver – Scored the game-winning goal both nights in a sweep of SCSU, including Friday’s in overtime when he also had an assist, while finishing the weekend plus-2.

Ryan Jones, Fr., D, Omaha – Tallied two assists, a plus-1 rating and blocked eight shots in a split at UND, with an assist each night while helping UNO’s penalty kill go 7-for-8 in the series.

Goaltender of the Week
Ben Blacker, Fr., G, WMU – Went 1-0-1 at CC, compiling 64 saves with four goals allowed for a .941 save percentage and a 2.02 goals-against average on the weekend.

Tanner Jaillet, Jr., G, Denver – Backstopped DU to a sweep of SCSU, totaling 37 saves in the games for a .902 save percentage and a 2.31 goals-against average in the series.

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