Men's Ice Hockey 2/6/2018 3:00:00 AM By NCHC

Bauer NCHC Players of the Week: Jan. 29-Feb. 4, 2018

SCSU’s Eyssimont, Miami’s Belpedio, WMU’s Frank and Denver’s Jaillet honored for week 16

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After each helped their teams to victories over the weekend, four different schools are represented among the Bauer National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week for the Week of Jan. 29-Feb. 4, 2018. Earning Bauer NCHC weekly honors for week 16 are St. Cloud State junior forward Mikey Eyssimont for Offensive Player of the Week, Miami senior blue liner Louie Belpedio for Defenseman of the Week, Western Michigan freshman forward Ethen Frank for Rookie of the Week and Denver senior netminder Tanner Jaillet for Goaltender of the Week.

This is Eyssimont’s second career Offensive Player of the Week nod, but first since his rookie season. Belpedio picked up his third Defenseman of the Week honor this season and fourth of his career, while it was his sixth career NCHC weekly award overall. Frank nabbed his first career NCHC weekly honor, while Jaillet garnered his ninth career NCHC Goaltender of the Week award and third this season.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Mikey Eyssimont, St. Cloud State
Junior Forward
Littleton, Colo.

Eyssimont led St. Cloud State to a sweep of Omaha last weekend with a four-point weekend. The Los Angeles Kings draft pick scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period Friday, which was his 100th career game, to break a 2-2 tie in an eventual 5-3 victory, while he also put four shots on goal. The next night, Eyssimont tied a career high with three points as he had a hand in each of SCSU’s first three goals to put the Huskies in front of Omaha, 3-0. He assisted on SCSU’s first goal early in the game, while scoring the second late in the opening period and capped his night with an assist on the game-winning goal early in the second stanza of an eventual 6-2 victory. The junior was +2 in the victory and earned First Star of the Game. Eyssimont finished the series with two goals, two assists, six shots on goal and a +2 plus/minus. On the season, he is second on the team with 28 points on 11 goals and 17 assists.

Defenseman of the Week

Louie Belpedio, Miami
Senior Defenseman
Skokie, Ill.

Belpedio helped Miami earn a split against Western Michigan last weekend, chipping in four points from the blue line while limiting the Broncos to five goals in the series. The team captain tallied two points each night with a goal and an assist in Friday’s 4-2 victory. Belpedio had the primary helper on MU’s second goal to go up 2-0 on the power play, while he potted Miami’s final goal to seal the victory. He fired six shots on goal Friday, blocked three shots and was named First Star of the Game. The next night, the Minnesota Wild prospect dished out two primary assists, setting up each of Miami’s first two goals to put the RedHawks in front 2-0 in an eventual 3-2 defeat. He was tabbed Second Star Saturday, also leading a penalty kill that went 4-for-4 in the loss. Belpedio finished the series with a goal, three assists, three blocked shots and nine shots on goal, while helping Miami go 7-for-8 on the penalty kill. On the season, he is second among NCHC blue liners with 26 points, while his nine goals are second nationally among defensemen and his 17 assists tie for the team lead.

Rookie of the Week

Ethen Frank, Western Michigan
Freshman Forward
Papillion, Neb.

Entering the weekend with only two goals all season, Frank more than doubled his season total in a split at Miami. On Friday, he scored the Broncos’ final goal in the third period of a 4-2 defeat. The next night, Frank logged his first career multi-goal game to rally WMU from a two-goal deficit. With the Broncos trailing 2-0, he scored back-to-back goals in the second period to tie the game, before WMU went on to earn the win, 3-2. He put four shots on goal, was +2 and garnered First Star of the Game in Saturday’s victory. Frank ended the weekend with three goals, five shots on goal and a +2 plus/minus, while also winning four of five faceoffs he took. On the season, he now has five goals, after his three last weekend, along with four assists for nine points.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Tanner Jaillet, Denver
Senior Goaltender
Red Deer, Alberta

Jaillet backstopped Denver to a sweep of Minnesota Duluth, allowing only three goals all weekend. On Friday, he pitched his ninth career shutout, stopping all 24 shots he faced, including 17 in the decisive third period, in a 1-0 DU win. He earned First Star of the Game for his efforts. The next night, Jaillet made 32 saves, with 14 coming in the third period, as he shut down any hopes of a UMD comeback in a 4-3 victory Saturday. Jaillet finished the series with 56 saves on 59 shots faced for a .949 save percentage, while posting a 1.50 goals-against average in the two wins and his fifth shutout of the season. On the season, Jaillet is 15-5-6 with a .927 save percentage and a 1.95 GAA, the latter two of which both rank in the top 10 nationally.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Offensive Player of the Week
None

Defenseman of the Week
Jimmy Schuldt, Jr., D, SCSU – Dished out two assists and was +2 in each game of a sweep of Omaha for a four-point weekend, as he finished +4 with seven shots on goal and one blocked shot.

Rookie of the Week
Easton Brodzinski, Fr., F, SCSU – Tallied a goal each night in a sweep of Omaha, scoring the game-winning goal on Friday, while putting seven shots on goal in the series.

Goaltender of the Week
Ben Blacker, So., G, WMU – In his only game of the weekend, allowed only two goals and made 26 saves, including eight on seven penalty kills, in a 3-2 win at Miami on Saturday.

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