COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Following the first full weekend of non-conference action, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced its Players of the Week for week two of the 2022-23 season on Monday, with three teams claiming the honors. The NCHC Players of the Week for the week of Oct. 3-9, 2022 are Colorado College junior Hunter McKown for Forward of the Week, North Dakota grad student Chris Jandric for Defenseman of the Week, Miami junior Ludvig Persson, who repeats as Goaltender of the Week, and CC forward Noah Laba for Rookie of the Week.

This is McKown’s first career NCHC Forward of the Week honor and second NCHC weekly honor, earning Rookie of the Week once. Persson nabbed NCHC Goaltender of the Week for the second straight week and the sixth time in his career. These are the first NCHC weekly honors for both Jandric and Laba.

FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Hunter McKown, Colorado College
Junior Forward
San Jose, Calif.

McKown had a monster weekend to lead Colorado College to a regular-season-opening sweep of Alaska Anchorage. The CC assistant captain racked up five points in the series, tallying at least one goal and multiple points both nights. In Friday’s 6-2 win, he scored a pair of power play goals and dished out an assist to earn First Star of the Game. A night later, McKown tallied the Tigers’ third goal in a 4-1 win and added a primary helper on the final tally.

All three of McKown’s goals against the Seawolves came on the power play, as did both of his assists, as he contributed to all five CC power play goals in the series. The three power play goals match his season total from last year. He also fired eight shots on goal in the series. McKown’s five points on the season lead the Tigers and tie for the early NCHC lead.

DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Chris Jandric, North Dakota
Grad Student Defenseman
Prince George, B.C.

Jandric was productive at both ends of the ice in North Dakota’s season-opening sweep of Holy Cross. He chipped in four points from the blue line, while helping limit the Crusaders to only one goal all weekend. In Friday’s 6-0 shutout, he tallied a career-high three assists, with all his helpers coming on the power play, including on the game’s first goal, which served as the game-winner. Jandric added his third primary assist of the weekend on Saturday in a 4-1 victory.

Along with his four assists, Jandric blocked three shots in the series with Holy Cross and finished with a +3 plus/minus. He also fired four shots on goal from the blue line and helped UND’s penalty kill finish 8-for-8 on the weekend. Jandric’s four assists lead the team after opening weekend.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Ludvig Persson, Miami
Junior Goaltender
Hindas, Sweden

Persson repeated as Goaltender of the Week after backstopping Miami to a split at No. 15 UMass Lowell. He racked up 73 saves in the two games, including 38 saves Friday when the RedHawks topped the River Hawks, 3-1. Persson nearly had a shutout Friday, as the only goal allowed came with 40 seconds left in the game and a UML extra attacker on the ice. He made 35 more saves in Saturday’s 4-2 defeat.
 
Persson compiled a .936 save percentage against UMass Lowell and posted a 2.54 goals-against average. He also helped Miami’s penalty kill go 7-for-8 on the weekend, including eight short-handed saves Friday and 12 short-handed saves in the series. Persson led Miami to its first unbeaten start through three games since the 2012-13 season. On the season, the Swede is now 2-1-1 with a .938 save percentage and a 1.98 GAA.
 
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Noah Laba, Colorado College
Freshman Forward
Northville, Mich.
 
Laba had a strong opening weekend of the regular season, tallying three points to help Colorado College sweep Alaska Anchorage. The New York Rangers fourth-round draft pick scored his first collegiate goal short-handed on Friday, which was also CC’s first goal of the season and tied the game at 1-1 in an eventual 6-2 victory. Laba then scored a power play goal Saturday and had the primary assist on the game-winning goal in a 4-1 victory over UAA for his first multi-point game as a Tiger.
 
Laba finished his first full weekend of college hockey with two goals and an assist. He also posted a +2 plus/minus in the series and was on the ice for all five CC power play goals against the Seawolves. Laba fired six shots on goal in the series, with three each night.
 
OTHER NOMINEES:
 
Forward of the Week
Joe Cassetti, Sr., Miami
Gavin Hain, 5th, North Dakota
Carter Mazur, So., Denver
 
Defenseman of the Week
Bryan Yoon, Gr., Colorado College
 
Goaltender of the Week
Matt Davis, So., Denver
Drew DeRidder, 5th, North Dakota
Matt Vernon, Sr., Colorado College
 
Rookie of the Week
Jackson Blake, F, North Dakota
Max Dukovac, F, Miami