COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – A pair of seniors and a pair of freshmen have earned KJ Branding National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week for the first week of November, the Conference announced Monday. Earning NCHC Week 6 honors presented by KJ Branding are Western Michigan senior Jason Polin for Forward of the Week, Denver senior Kyle Mayhew for Defenseman of the Week, Colorado College freshman Kaidan Mbereko for Goaltender of the Week and WMU forward Ryan McAllister, who repeats as Rookie of the Week.

McAllister earned his Rookie honor for the second straight week and third time in four weeks already this season. Polin, Mayhew and Mbereko each garnered their first career NCHC weekly award on Monday.

FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Jason Polin, Western Michigan
Senior Forward
Holt, Mich.

Polin made history over the weekend, becoming the first NCHC player to record back-to-back hat tricks on the same weekend. The Broncos’ captain racked up eight points to power Western Michigan to a sweep of rival Miami. In Friday’s 7-1 victory, Polin scored WMU’s second goal, which served as the game-winner, then tacked on the Broncos’ third and sixth goals to record his second career hat trick. His final goal came short-handed, as well.

The next night, Polin tallied a career-high five points, having a hand in all five goals in a 5-2 victory. He scored WMU’s first three goals to stake the Broncos to a 3-1 lead, with his final goal again being the game-winner to complete his second hat trick in as many nights. He also doled out assists on Western Michigan’s final two goals in the sweep-clincher.

Polin finished the weekend with six goals, including both game-winners, and two assists. He posted a +7 plus/minus in the series and fired seven shots on goal, for an .857 shooting percentage. Polin tripled his goal total on the weekend, going from three to nine, which ties for third nationally. He also doubled his point total, with his 16 points (9g/7a) in 11 games ranking fifth in the NCAA in scoring.

DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Kyle Mayhew, Denver
Senior Defenseman
Anaheim Hills, Calif.

Mayhew was a solid contributor at both ends of the ice to help Denver earn four points in conference play against No. 4 St. Cloud State. On Friday, he dished out an assist that helped put DU ahead, 2-1, in an eventual overtime loss. The assistant captain also blocked two shots in the series opener and led the Pioneers to go 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. A night later, Mayhew scored his first goal of the season on the power play, putting Denver in front, 3-1, in an eventual 3-2 victory. His goal served as the game-winner, his second career game-winning goal, which was one of two shots on goal he fired on the night.

Mayhew ended the weekend with a game-winning goal, an assist, a +1 plus/minus and two shots on goal. He also played on a penalty kill unit that finished the weekend 5-for-7. Mayhew tripled his season point total against SCSU, entering with only an assist on the year. He is now riding a career-long-tying three-game point streak after a point each night against the Huskies.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College
Freshman Goaltender
Aspen, Colo.
 
Mbereko had the best weekend of his young, CC career, backstopping the Tigers to a split with then-No. 19 Minnesota Duluth. On Friday, he made a career-high 34 saves to record his first collegiate shutout in a 5-0 victory over the Bulldogs. Ten (10) of his 34 saves came short-handed to help kill all five UMD power plays Friday. Mbereko earned CC’s first shutout by a freshman since Alex Leclerc on Dec. 28, 2016. A night later, the Colorado native made 32 more saves, including 27 over the final 40 minutes, tying the second-highest save total of his career in a 3-1 defeat, with UMD’s final goal an empty-netter.
 
Mbereko allowed only one even-strength goal to the Bulldogs all weekend, racking up 66 saves on 68 shots in the split for a .971 save percentage. He also compiled a 1.02 goals-against average against the Bulldogs. His save percentage and GAA both led the NCHC on the weekend, while he improved to 2-3-0 on the season with a .915 save percentage and a 2.58 GAA.
 
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Ryan McAllister, Western Michigan
Freshman Forward
London, Ont.

After a five-point weekend last weekend, McAllister repeated his NCHC Rookie of the Week honor following a six-point weekend in a sweep of Miami to open conference play. The undrafted freshman dished out three assists both nights against the RedHawks, giving him four three-point games already this season. The three assists were a career high. In Friday’s 7-1 victory, McAllister handed out helpers on WMU’s first two goals, with the second being the game-winner, as well as another power play assist to make it a 4-1 contest. On Saturday, he provided the primary assist for all three goals of Jason Polin’s hat trick, which were the Broncos first three goals of the game (all even strength) in a 5-2 victory.

McAllister totaled six assists in the sweep of Miami, including setting up both game-winning goals. He also fired four shots on goal in the series and finished with a +5 plus/minus.

McAllister now ranks second nationally in scoring with 19 points this season, while his 14 assists are first in the NCAA. He is now riding a four-game point streak with multiple points in all four games (2g/9a over that span).

OTHER NOMINEES:
 
Forward of the Week
Grant Cruikshank, 5th, St. Cloud State
Riese Gaber, Jr., North Dakota
Massimo Rizzo, So., Denver
 
Defenseman of the Week
Ethan Frisch, Sr., North Dakota
Jack Peart, So., St. Cloud State
Bryan Yoon, Gr., Colorado College
 
Goaltender of the Week
Magnus Chrona, Sr., Denver
Drew DeRidder, 5th, North Dakota
Jake Kucharski, Sr., Omaha
Cameron Rowe, Jr., Western Michigan
 
Rookie of the Week
Kaidan Mbereko, G, Colorado College
Owen McLaughlin, F, North Dakota