COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – With the 2017-18 season complete, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced its final monthly award winners for a combined March and April, as Denver junior forward Troy Terry was selected the NCHC Player of the Month, while Minnesota Duluth defenseman Scott Perunovich garnered NCHC Rookie of the Month. This is Terry’s first career NCHC monthly honor, though he is the second Pioneer to claim the award this season (Henrik Borgström in November), while Perunovich was also the NCHC Rookie of the Month for November.

NCHC PLAYER OF THE MONTH

Troy Terry, Denver
Junior Forward
Highlands Ranch, Colo.

Terry led the Pioneers to a 6-2-1 record to close the regular season and in the postseason, racking up 15 points in nine games, while averaging 1.67 points per game, which was tops in the conference over that span. His 15 points and 12 assists in March both led the entire country during the final six weeks of the season, while his +9 plus/minus was also tops in the NCHC and tied for second nationally in March and April. The now Anaheim Ducks forward tallied three goals down the stretch, with two of them serving as game-winners, tying for first in the NCAA over the final six weeks. Terry recorded four multi-point games throughout March, including three with at least a trio of points, and had a point in six of his nine contests.

Terry opened March with a bang, dishing out a career-high-tying four assists in a 6-3 win over Miami on the penultimate night of the regular season to earn Second Star of the Game March 2. The Second-Team All-NCHC selection then compiled six points in Denver’s NCHC Quarterfinal series win over rival Colorado College. After being held pointless in the best-of-three series opener, Terry rallied DU with two third-period goals, including the game-winner, to keep the Pioneers alive in a 3-2 win March 10. The next night, he again tied a career high with four assists, including one on the game-winner, in a 6-1 quarterfinal-series clinching win over the Tigers.

Terry doled out an assist on Denver’s first goal in a 3-1 semifinal win over Minnesota Duluth in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff March 16, and helped the Pioneers capture the program’s second NCHC Tournament title the next night. In the NCAA Midwest Regional, the assistant captain totaled four points en route to earning NCAA All-Midwest Region Team honors. In Denver’s 5-1 regional semifinal win over host Penn State March 24, Terry scored the game-winning goal and also handed out a pair of helpers, while setting up the Pioneers’ lone goal in a season-ending 5-1 loss to Ohio State in the regional final a day later.

Terry finished with 16 shots over his final nine games with DU. In his last campaign with the Pioneers, he totaled 14 goals and 34 assists for 48 points in 39 games and was named an AHCA First-Team West All-American. Terry made his NHL debut with the Ducks on March 27.

Terry is now a candidate for Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) National Player of the Month for March/April, which will be announced later this week. The other nominees for NCHC Player of the Month were North Dakota junior forward Nick Jones and Minnesota Duluth sophomore goaltender Hunter Shepard.

NCHC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH

Scott Perunovich, Minnesota Duluth
Freshman Defenseman
Hibbing, Minn.

Perunovich helped lead the Bulldogs to the program’s second national championship, compiling seven points in 10 games during March and April, ranking second among NCHC and NCAA freshmen in scoring. He tied for the national rookie lead with three goals over the final six weeks, while also dishing out four assists from the blue line. The draft-eligible blue liner logged a pair of multi-point games, while posting a +5 plus/minus, second among NCHC rookies, firing 18 shots on goal and blocking nine shots in those 10 contests.

Perunovich closed out the regular season strong with two points in a 4-1 win over Omaha March 3, scoring the game-winning goal and adding an assist to earn the game’s Second Star. The NCHC Rookie of the Year then tied a career high with three points to open the playoffs, scoring a goal and handing out two helpers in a 5-0 shutout of Western Michigan March 9. Perunovich helped UMD record another shutout the next night to complete an NCHC Quarterfinal series sweep of the Broncos.

At the NCHC Frozen Faceoff, Perunovich scored UMD’s lone goal in a 3-1 loss to Denver in the semifinals March 16. Following the Bulldogs’ NCAA West Regional semifinal win over Minnesota State, he dished out an assist on the game-winning goal against Air Force March 24 as the 2-1 win clinched the West Regional and sent UMD on to the Frozen Four. Despite being held scoreless in Saint Paul, he posted a +2 plus/minus in the national championship game to help Minnesota Duluth top Notre Dame, 2-1, April 7 and win UMD’s first NCAA crown since 2011. Perunovich was named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team for his efforts, putting four shots on goal in the two games. He also earned the Tim Taylor Award as HCA National Rookie of the Year on April 6, the day after UMD took down Ohio State in the national semifinals, with UMD’s blue line limiting OSU to only one power play goal in the 2-1 win.

Perunovich finished his rookie campaign with 11 goals, 25 assists and 36 points in 42 games, while logging a +22 plus/minus. His 36 points ranked third nationally among freshmen and tops among rookie defensemen, while his +22 led all NCAA rookies. Like Terry, he was selected an AHCA First-Team West All-American this year.

Perunovich is now a candidate for Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) National Rookie of the Month for March/April, which will be announced later this week. Other nominees for NCHC Rookie of the Month included North Dakota forward Jordan Kawaguchi and Denver defenseman Ian Mitchell.

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