Bauer NCHC Player of the Week Archive

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – A pair of freshmen and a pair of juniors nabbed Bauer National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week for week six of the season. Earning Bauer NCHC Player of the Week honors for Nov. 5-11, 2018 are St. Cloud State freshman forward Nolan Walker for Offensive Player of the Week, Minnesota Duluth junior blue liner Nick Wolff for Defenseman of the Week, Denver freshman forward Brett Stapley for Rookie of the Week and UMD junior netminder Hunter Shepard for Goaltender of the Week.

This is the first career NCHC weekly award for both Walker and Stapley, though Stapley is the third different Pioneer to claim NCHC Rookie of the Week this season. This is Wolff’s second NCHC Defenseman of the Week nod this season and of his career, while Shepard picked up his first NCHC weekly award this season and seventh of his career, after earning NCHC Goaltender of the Week six times last season.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Nolan Walker, St. Cloud State
Freshman Forward
Anchorage, Alaska

Walker had the biggest weekend of his young career, compiling four points to lead the Huskies to a sweep of Denver. In Friday’s 4-3 comeback win, he chipped in a career-high three points, was +3 and was named First Star of the Game. Walker tied the game with his first goal of the night in the first frame, while later he helped SCSU rally from a two-goal deficit. His second goal of the night, which marked his second career multi-goal game, made it a one-goal contest, while he dished out the primary assist to set up the game-tying goal in the second period. On Saturday, Walker again helped SCSU rally from a two-goal deficit in another 4-3 win. Trailing 2-0, he handed out the primary assist on SCSU’s first goal of the game to start the comeback. Walker finished the weekend with two goals, two assists, five shots on goal, including three on Friday, and a +3 plus/minus.

Defenseman of the Week

Nick Wolff, Minnesota Duluth
Junior Defenseman
Eagan, Minn.

Wolff was a beast at both ends of the ice in powering UMD to an NCHC-opening sweep of Colorado College. Offensively, he chipped in three points, while defensively he helped limit the Tigers to only one goal all weekend and only 35 shots on goal in the two games. On Friday, the assistant captain scored his second goal of the season to make it 2-0 in the second period of an eventual 3-0 shutout. The next night, Wolff dished out a pair of assists in a 5-1 victory, setting up the Bulldogs’ first and fourth goals of the game. He finished the series with a goal, two assists, four blocked shots with two each night, four shots on goal, including three on Friday, and a +3 plus/minus, including +2 on Saturday. Wolff also anchored a penalty kill that went 5-for-6 against CC, with the Tigers only goal all weekend coming on the man advantage.

Rookie of the Week

Brett Stapley, Denver
Freshman Forward
Campbell River, B.C.

Stapley totaled three points to power Denver’s offense at second-ranked St. Cloud State. On Friday, he tallied two points from the top line to help put DU in front in an eventual 4-3 loss. He stole the puck and scored unassisted late in the first period to put Denver up 2-1, while he had the primary assist on a power play goal early in the second stanza that made it 3-1 DU. The next night, the Montreal Canadiens draft pick again helped stake Denver to an early lead, handing out the primary helper on the Pioneers’ second goal that made it 2-0 DU in another 4-3 loss on Saturday. He ended the weekend with a goal, two primary assists, two shots on goal and an even plus/minus, while winning 12 faceoffs. Stapley is now riding a four-game point streak with five points in that span.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Hunter Shepard, Minnesota Duluth
Junior Goaltender
Cohasset, Minn.

Shepard was nearly unbeatable against Colorado College, backstopping the Bulldogs to a sweep of the Tigers, as he allowed only one goal all weekend and none even strength. On Friday, he stopped all 19 shots he faced in a 3-0 win for his first shutout of the season and ninth of his career, which ties the UMD career shutouts record (also held by current Minnesota Wild goaltender Alex Stalock, 2006-09). He was also tabbed First Star of the Game Friday. The next night, Shepard compiled 15 saves in a 5-1 win with CC’s lone goal coming on the power play. He ended the series with a .971 save percentage, totaling 34 saves on 35 shots, while posting a 0.50 goals-against average in the two wins.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Offensive Player
Casey Gilling, So., F, Miami – Compiled three points and was +2 in Saturday’s win over UND with a goal and two assists.

Jordan Kawaguchi, So., F, UND – Potted both of UND’s goals in a 3-2 loss at Miami on Saturday when he was +2.

Parker Mackay, Sr., F, UMD – Tallied a goal both nights in a sweep of CC, while also assisting on the game-winner Saturday and finished +3 in the series.

Ryan Poehling, Jr., F, SCSU – Dished out two assists both nights in a sweep of Denver, while logging a +3 plus/minus.

Austin Rueschhoff, So., F, WMU – Compiled three points in a split with Omaha, notching a goal and an assist in Friday’s win, while adding another tally in Saturday’s loss.

Defenseman
Matt Kiersted, So., D, UND – Scored a goal Friday and had an assist Saturday in a split at Miami, finishing +1.

Jimmy Schuldt, Sr., D, SCSU – Tallied the game-winning goal in Friday’s 4-3 win over Denver, while handing out two assists the next night to complete the sweep and blocking four shots in the series.

Dean Stewart, Jr., D, Omaha – Potted a goal and handed out an assist on the game-winner in Saturday’s 4-2 win at WMU, while he was +2 in the split series.

Rookie
Derek Daschke, Fr., D, Miami – Handed out an assist in both nights of a split with UND, while he was +1 on the weekend.

Mark Senden, Fr., F, UND – Scored his first career goal, the game-winner, in Friday’s 3-1 win at Miami, when he was +2.

Goaltender
Ryan Larkin, Jr., G, Miami – Totaled 63 saves in a split with UND, compiling a .940 save percentage and a 2.02 GAA.

Adam Scheel, Fr., G, UND – Compiled 36 saves in a split at Miami, with a 2.07 GAA and a .900 save percentage.

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