Bauer Players of the Week Archive

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After leading their teams to big wins last weekend, the four Bauer National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week for the week of Feb. 10-16, 2020 represent three different schools and include three NHL draft picks. Garnering Bauer NCHC honors for week 19 are North Dakota junior Collin Adams for Forward of the Week, Western Michigan sophomore Mattias Samuelsson for Defenseman of the Week, Colorado College defenseman Connor Mayer for Rookie of the Week, and UND junior Peter Thome for Goaltender of the Week.
 
This is the first career NCHC weekly honor for both Adams and Mayer. Samuelsson nabbed his first career NCHC Defenseman of the Week honor, while it’s his second career NCHC weekly honor (Rookie of the Week last year). Thome gloved his second Goaltender of the Week nod this season and fourth of his career.

Forward of the Week

Collin Adams, North Dakota
Junior Forward
Brighton, Mich.
 
Adams helped power North Dakota to a sweep of then-No. 6/5 Denver last weekend, as UND improved to 16-1-0 at home this season. The New York Islanders draft pick scored a goal in both games, while totaling three points in the series.
 
In Friday’s opener, Adams had a hand in UND’s final two goals in a 4-1 victory. First, he scored the third tally late in the second period, while picking up the lone assist on the final goal, which came on the power play in the third period. The next night, Adams was named First Star of the Game as he scored the game-winning goal midway through the second period to make it 2-0 in an eventual 3-1 win over DU.
 
Adams posted a +1 plus/minus both nights and finished the weekend with two goals, an assist, a +2 plus/minus and two shots on goal. He also won 69.0 percent of his faceoffs, going 20-9 in the center circle against Denver. Adams now has five points (3g, 2a) in his last three games and 26 points on the season on 10 goals and 16 assists.

Defenseman of the Week

Mattias Samuelsson, Western Michigan
Sophomore Defenseman
Voorhees, N.J.
 
Samuelsson was a force at both ends of the ice, helping Western Michigan earn four points at rival Miami last weekend. The Buffalo Sabres prospect tallied three points from the blue line, while helping limit the RedHawks to only three goals on the weekend.
 
On Friday, Samuelsson scored WMU’s second goal in the second period to make it 2-0 in an eventual 2-2 overtime tie. He was also +2 and put two shots on goal Friday. A night later, Samuelsson dished out a pair of assists in a 4-1 victory as he earned First Star of the Game honors. His first helper came on WMU’s first goal only 48 ticks into the game, which tied the game at 1-1, while his other assist came on the final goal of the night. He was +3 Saturday with three shots on goal, helped kill both Miami power plays and helped the Broncos hold MU to just 20 shots on goal, the first time WMU has held an opponent under two goals since Jan. 3.
 
Samuelsson ended the series with a goal, two assists, a +5 plus/minus, five shots on goal and two blocked shots. On the season, he now has two goals and 10 assists for 12 points and a +16 plus/minus.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Peter Thome, North Dakota
Junior Goaltender
Minneapolis, Minn.
 
Thome continued his stellar play of late, backstopping North Dakota to a sweep of rival and then-No. 6/5 Denver. The Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick allowed only one goal each night, while leading the NCHC in saves, save percentage and goals-against average on the weekend.
 
On Friday, Thome made 26 saves in a 4-1 victory, including 11 in the first period, as he earned Second Star of the Game. Six of his saves came short-handed Friday, as he helped kill 3-of-4 DU power plays. The next night, Thome stopped 25 more shots in a 3-1 win, including 10 in the third period with UND clinging to a 2-1 lead. He picked up Third Star of the Game honors Saturday.
 
Thome finished the series with 51 saves on 53 shots for a .962 save percentage and a 1.00 GAA in the two wins. He improved to 6-0-1 on the season, having started five straight for UND, while he upped his season save percentage to .940 and lowered his season GAA to a pristine 1.26.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Connor Mayer, Colorado College
Freshman Defenseman
Champlin, Minn.
 
In Colorado College’s only game of the weekend last Friday, Mayer had a major impact to help the Tigers retain the Pikes Peak Trophy from cross-town rival Air Force. He recorded his first career multi-goal game and was named First Star of the Game in the 6-2 win over the Falcons at the Broadmoor World Arena.
 
Mayer scored CC’s fourth and fifth goals in the victory. His first tally made it 4-0 early in the second period, while his second goal of the night came unassisted and made it 5-2 in the third period, halting an Air Force rally. It was his first career multi-goal game and doubled his season goal total. Mayer also fired three shots on goal in the win over their rival, finished with a +2 plus/minus and blocked two shots.

On the season, Mayer now has four goals and seven assists for 11 points. He and the Tigers conclude their series with the Falcons tonight (Monday) outdoors at Air Force’s Falcon Stadium.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Forward of the Week
Ben Copeland, So., F, CC – Dished out a career-high three assists in Friday’s win over Air Force and was +2.
 
Gordie Green, Sr., F, Miami – Handed out three assists against WMU, having a hand in each MU goal in the series, while also scoring in 3-on-3 overtime on Friday.
 
Defenseman of the Week
Jacob Bernard-Docker, So., D, UND – Totaled three points and was +3 in a sweep of Denver, tallying a goal and an assist Friday, while setting up the game-winner Saturday.
 
Goaltender of the Week
Brandon Bussi, Fr., G, WMU – Backstopped WMU to a tie and win at Miami, compiling 47 saves in the series for a .940 save percentage and a 1.44 GAA.
 
Rookie of the Week
Brandon Bussi, Fr., G, WMU – Backstopped WMU to a tie and win at Miami, compiling 47 saves in the series for a .940 save percentage and a 1.44 GAA.
 
Shane Pinto, Fr., F, UND – Scored a goal in Friday’s win over Denver and added an assist Saturday, finishing +1 in the sweep.