Previous Bauer NCHC Players of the Week

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Four different teams are represented among the Bauer National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week for the week of Oct. 18-24, 2021. Garnering Bauer NCHC honors for week 4 are Minnesota Duluth sophomore Blake Biondi for Forward of the Week, Western Michigan senior Michael Joyaux for Defenseman of the Week, Colorado College sophomore Dominic Basse for Goaltender of the Week and Miami forward Red Savage for Rookie of the Week. All four are first-time weekly award winners this season.

Forward of the Week

Blake Biondi, Minnesota Duluth
Sophomore Forward
Hermantown, Minn.

Biondi had a big weekend to power Minnesota Duluth to a sweep of its in-state rival and fourth-ranked Minnesota. He racked up three points in the two games to double his season total. On Friday, the Montreal Canadiens draft pick notched his first collegiate multi-point game with a goal and an assist in a 5-3 victory. Biondi scored the game’s opening goal only 1:53 into the contest and had the primary assist to double UMD’s lead six minutes later. On Saturday, he scored the game-winning goal late in the first period of a 2-1 victory, his second game-winner of the season.

Biondi finished the weekend with two goals, an assist, five shots on goal and a +3 plus/minus. With the three points, he now has six on the season (3g, 3a), already surpassing his freshman year total of five points.

This is Biondi’s first career NCHC weekly honor.

Defenseman of the Week

Michael Joyaux, Western Michigan
Senior Defenseman
Bloomingdale, Ill.

Joyaux played a big role on special teams and at both ends of the ice as Western Michigan nearly swept in-state rival and top-ranked Michigan last weekend. He recorded multiple points both nights against the Wolverines, while limiting their high-powered offense to five goals all weekend. In Friday’s 5-2 win in Ann Arbor, Joyaux dished out a pair of primary assists, his first on the game-winning goal to make it 3-0 in the second period, while he also set up WMU’s final goal. He blocked seven shots, as well, and helped the penalty kill go a perfect 6-for-6 to hand Michigan its first loss of the season. A night later in Kalamazoo, Joyaux assisted on both WMU goals, including on the game-tying, power play goal in the second period of an eventual 3-2, overtime defeat.

Joyaux ended the series with four assists (three primary), seven blocked shots and four shots on goal. He also played on a penalty kill unit that finished the weekend 10-of-11 against Michigan, while helping the power play go 3-for-9, setting up all three tallies. Joyaux is now tied for the team lead with six assists on the season.

This is Joyaux’s third career NCHC Defenseman of the Week nod, but first this season.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Dominic Basse, Colorado College
Sophomore Goaltender
Alexandria, Va.

Basse was stellar in net for the Tigers, backstopping them to a split with a pair of top-20 teams out east, while surrendering only four goals. On Friday, the Chicago Blackhawks prospect racked up 40 saves, including 29 in the final two periods, as the Tigers upset No. 10 Boston College, 5-3, to give head coach Kris Mayotte his first career victory. A night later, Basse allowed only one goal while making 28 stops in a tough-luck, 1-0 loss at No. 20 Northeastern. He also helped kill both Huskies power plays on Saturday, with the one goal allowed tying his career best.

Basse totaled 68 saves on the weekend, facing 72 shots for a .944 save percentage, while compiling a 2.04 goals-against average and earning his first win of the season. On the season, Basse is 1-3-2 with a .923 save percentage and a 1.99 goals-against average.

This is Basse’s first career NCHC Goaltender of the Week nod, but second NCHC weekly honor, earning Rookie of the Week once last season.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Red Savage, Miami
Freshman Forward
Scottsdale, Ariz.

Savage had a breakthrough weekend against Bowling Green, recording the first three points of his collegiate career. On Friday, the Detroit Red Wings draft pick notched his first point, a primary assist, on Miami’s second goal of an eventual 2-2, overtime tie. The next night, Savage dished out two assists in a 6-4 loss for his first multi-point game at Miami. He had the lone assist on the RedHawks’ first goal, which opened the scoring only 35 ticks into the game, then added another helper on his brother Ryan’s goal to make it 3-1 in the second stanza.

Savage finished the weekend with three assists and a +2 plus/minus. He also went 13-11 in the faceoff circle for a .542 win percentage, including 7-5 on draws in Friday’s tie with BGSU. Savage now has three points, all assists, on the season.

This is his first career NCHC weekly award.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Forward of the Week
Kevin Fitzgerald, Gr., SCSU
Connor Ford, Gr., UND
Chase Gresock, Sr., Miami
Drew Worrad, Sr., WMU

Defenseman of the Week
Wyatt Kaiser, So., UMD
Nick Perbix, Sr., SCSU
Jake Sanderson, So., UND
Bryan Yoon, Sr., CC

Goaltender of the Week
Jaxon Castor, Jr., SCSU
Zach Driscoll, Sr., UND
Ryan Fanti, Jr., UMD

Rookie of the Week
Matteo Costantini, F, UND
Josh Luedtke, D, SCSU

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