Bauer NCHC Players of the Week Archive

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After leading their teams to dominant performances in weekend sweeps, three St. Cloud State Huskies and one North Dakota Fighting Hawk garnered National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) weekly honors for games played Jan. 20-24, 2021. Earning Bauer NCHC Player of the Week honors for week 7 are St. Cloud State junior Nolan Walker for Forward of the Week, SCSU junior Nick Perbix for Defenseman of the Week, UND junior Adam Scheel for Goaltender of the Week and St. Cloud State forward Veeti Miettinen for Rookie of the Week.

This is Walker’s second career Forward of the Week honor, but first since his freshman season. Perbix picked up his third Defenseman of the Week nod this season and of his career, while he was also a one-time Rookie of the Week. Miettinen has now captured two Rookie of the Week honors and three NCHC weekly awards overall, also receiving Forward of the Week once this season. Scheel gloved his second Goaltender of the Week honor in three weeks, while it marks his seventh career Goalie of the Week nod from the conference.

Forward of the Week

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

Walker tied a pair of NCHC records in helping St. Cloud State sweep Miami over the weekend. After a SCSU 3-2, come-from-behind win in Friday’s series opener, the Alaska native exploded for a career-high four goals and five points in Saturday’s 8-2 sweep-clinching win. Walker became only the third player to score four goals in an NCHC game and the fifth NCHC player to do it overall, including the first since his teammate Zach Okabe last year (Dec. 28, 2019). The five points also tied an NCHC record for points in a game, including the second time it’s happened this season.

Walker scored SCSU’s second goal on Saturday on the power play to make it 2-0, then potted the game-winning goal to break a 2-2 tie after Miami had rallied in the second period. He then completed his hat trick with his second power play goal of the game later in the second stanza to double SCSU’s lead to 4-2, before tying the NCHC record with his fourth marker, which was the Huskies’ seventh goal.

Along with his four goals and assist, Walker won 70.0 percent of his faceoffs against the RedHawks, going 21-9 in the center circle. He finished the series with five shots on goal and a +2 plus/minus. Walker more than doubled his season goal total in Saturday’s win, as he now has seven goals and 14 points this season.

Defenseman of the Week

Nick Perbix, St. Cloud State
Junior Defenseman
Elk River, Minn.

Perbix was a force at both ends of the ice to lead St. Cloud State to a sweep of Miami. He helped limit the RedHawks to two goals each night, while chipping in a pair of assists in both wins. On Friday, he helped the Huskies rally from a goal down twice, setting up the game-tying goal to make it 1-1 and 2-2, before SCSU won, 3-2. A night later, the Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick had the primary helper on the Huskies’ second goal and set up their fourth goal, both of which came on the power play, in an 8-2 victory.

Along with his four assists, three of which came on the power play, Perbix blocked two shots in the sweep and fired six shots on goal. He also played on a SCSU penalty kill unit that finished 7-for-8 in the series. On the season, Perbix leads all NCHC defensemen with 17 points, including five goals and 12 assists.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Adam Scheel, North Dakota
Junior Goaltender
Lakewood, Ohio

Scheel was dominant once again against Colorado College, allowing only one goal all weekend while backstopping North Dakota to a sweep. He totaled 18 stops in a 4-1 win Saturday, then made 15 more saves Sunday in a 5-0 victory for his NCHC-leading third shutout of the season and sixth of his career. Scheel was also key on the penalty kill, helping UND finish a perfect 9-for-9 in the series.

On the weekend, Scheel went 2-0-0 with a 0.50 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage, totaling 33 saves. He improved to 11-2-1 on the season and has allowed one goal or fewer in half of his starts (7 of 14), including five of the last six and three consecutive. Scheel leads the NCHC with a 1.77 GAA this season, while his .928 save percentage ranks second.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Veeti Miettinen, St. Cloud State
Freshman Forward
Espoo, Finland

Miettinen continued his rousing rookie season with a goal and an assist each night in a sweep of Miami to lead NCHC rookies in scoring on the weekend with four points. On Friday he scored SCSU’s first goal on the power play, then had the primary assist on the game-winning goal in the third period of the 3-2 victory. The next night, the Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick assisted on SCSU’s second goal, which came on the man advantage, and scored the team’s sixth in an 8-2 rout.

Miettinen finished the series with two goals, two assists, eight shots on goal and a +3 plus/minus. The Finn is tied for the NCAA rookie scoring lead with 18 points (9g/9a) this season, while his nine goals are also a team best and tie for second in the NCHC.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Forward of the Week
Jackson, Cates, Jr., Minnesota Duluth
Shane Pinto, So., North Dakota
Taylor Ward, Jr., Omaha

Defenseman of the Week
Connor Kelley, Fr., Minnesota Duluth
Matt Kiersted, Sr., North Dakota

Goaltender of the Week
Zach Stejskal, Fr., Minnesota Duluth

Rookie of the Week
Connor Kelley, D, Minnesota Duluth
Jake Sanderson, D, North Dakota

--#NCHCHockey--