Bauer NCHC Players of the Week Archive
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – A pair of juniors and a pair of freshmen captured National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) weekly honors for the week of Feb. 1-7, 2021. Garnering Bauer NCHC Players of the Week for week 9 are Minnesota Duluth junior Cole Koepke for Forward of the Week, Western Michigan junior Michael Joyaux for Defenseman of the Week, UMD freshman Zach Stejskal for Goaltender of the Week and St. Cloud State forward Veeti Miettinen for Rookie of the Week.
This is Koepke’s second career NCHC Forward of the Week honor and first this season, while it is also Joyaux’s second career NCHC Defenseman of the Week nod, but first since his rookie campaign. Miettinen is now a three-time NCHC Rookie of the Week and a four-time NCHC weekly award winner this season, while Stejskal gloved his first career NCHC weekly honor.
Forward of the Week
Cole Koepke, Minnesota Duluth
Junior Forward
Hermantown, Minn.
Koepke had a five-point, four-goal weekend to power Minnesota Duluth to a second straight sweep of Miami. In Friday’s opener, the Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick recorded his first career hat trick to lead UMD to an 8-1 win. The next night, Koepke added another two points in a 3-1 victory. He scored the game-winning goal to break a 1-1 tie in the third period on the power play, then added an assist on an empty-net goal to seal the victory.
Koepke fired an NCHC single-game record 15 shots on goal in Saturday’s win and finished the series with 19 shots on goal, scoring four goals and assisting on another. He ended +3 on the weekend with two of his goals coming on the power play. Koepke is now tied for the NCHC lead with 11 goals this season and has 18 points overall. He sits on a six-game point streak, scoring eight goals in his last five contests.
Defenseman of the Week
Michael Joyaux, Western Michigan
Junior Defenseman
Bloomingdale, Ill.
Joyaux made NCHC history in Western Michigan’s split at St. Cloud State, becoming the first defenseman in the conference to record a hat trick. After WMU fell to SCSU in Friday’s opener, the Broncos bounced back for a 5-4 overtime win Saturday, led by Joyaux. He scored the Broncos’ first and third goals in the game, then potted the game-tying goal with an extra attacker with 18 seconds left in regulation to force overtime and complete his hat trick.
Joyaux fired six shots on goal in Saturday’s win, after none Friday, and scored on half his shots. He had only one goal all season entering the game and now has four goals and 10 points in 20 games this season.
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Zach Stejskal, Minnesota Duluth
Freshman Goaltender
Cohasset, Minn.
In his only start of the weekend and fourth career start, Stejskal backstopped Minnesota Duluth to a 3-1 win over Miami on Saturday, completing a series sweep for UMD. He made a career-high 30 saves in the victory, including 13 in the decisive third period, while allowing only one goal.
Stejskal posted a .968 save percentage in Saturday’s win (30 saves on 31 shots) and a 1.01 goals-against average. On the season, he has a .951 save percentage and a 1.23 GAA with a 3-1-0 record.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Veeti Miettinen, St. Cloud State
Freshman Forward
Espoo, Finland
Miettinen captured Rookie of the Week honors for the second straight weekend the Huskies were in action, tallying three points in St. Cloud State’s split with Western Michigan. The Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick dished out an assist in Friday’s 5-1 win, then doled out two more in Saturday’s 5-4 overtime loss. His first apple Saturday was primary on the game’s first goal, while he also helped break a 3-3 tie in the third period, with both assists coming on the power play.
Miettinen finished the series with three assists, four shots on goal and a +2 plus/minus. On the season, he leads all NCAA rookies with 21 points on nine goals and 12 assists.
OTHER NOMINEES:
Forward of the Week
Cole Guttman, Jr., Denver
Chayse Primeau, Jr., Omaha
Defenseman of the Week
Justin Lee, So., Denver
Goaltender of the Week
None
Rookie of the Week
None
--#NCHCHockey--