Bauer NCHC Players of the Week Archive

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – For the first time since week 4 and only the third time all season, four different teams are represented among the Bauer National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week. Garnering Bauer NCHC weekly honors for week 16 (Jan. 24-30, 2022) are North Dakota sophomore Riese Gaber for Forward of the Week, Denver freshman Sean Behrens for Defenseman of the Week, Colorado College junior Matt Vernon for Goaltender of the Week and Miami forward Red Savage for Rookie of the Week.

This is Savage’s NCHC-best fourth Rookie of the Week honor this season and the third Defenseman of the Week nod for Behrens this year. These are the first career Forward and Goaltender of the Week awards for Gaber and Vernon, respectively, though each was previously a NCHC Rookie of the Week.

Forward of the Week

Riese Gaber, North Dakota
Sophomore Forward
Gilbert Plains, Manitoba

Gaber led North Dakota to a five-point weekend against St. Cloud State by scoring four points himself. In Friday’s 7-1 win, the sophomore tallied a career-high four points, potting two goals and adding two assists, including one on the game-winning goal. He scored UND’s third and final goals in the big victory over the Huskies, for his fourth career multi-goal game. Gaber fired a career-high six shots on goal Friday and put three more on net in Saturday’s 3-3 tie.

Gaber finished the series with two goals, two assists, nine shots on goal and a +2 plus/minus. He now has a team-best 26 points this season on a team-leading 11 goals and 15 assists.

This is Gaber’s second career NCHC weekly honor, but first Forward of the Week nod.

Defenseman of the Week

Sean Behrens, Denver
Freshman Defenseman
Barrington, Ill.

Behrens paced Denver at both ends of the ice in a pair of wins at Miami. On Friday, the Colorado Avalanche draft pick dished out the primary assist on the first tally of a two-goal comeback to force overtime. He also blocked two shots in Friday’s 5-4 overtime win. The next night, Behrens scored a highlight-reel goal and also assisted on the game-winning goal in the third period, breaking a 2-2 tie in an eventual 4-2 victory. He blocked three more shots on Saturday, as well.

With his goal and two assists, Behrens stretched his point streak to a career-long six games (2g/6a). He also fired four shots on goal in the two wins, blocked five shots and posted a +2 plus/minus. On the season, Behrens now leads all DU defensemen with 21 points (3g/18a), which is third nationally among freshman blue liners.

This is Behrens third NCHC Defenseman of the Week honor this season and second in three weeks.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Matt Vernon, Colorado College
Junior Goaltender
Calgary, Alta.

Vernon started both games against No. 16 Omaha last weekend, backstopping Colorado College to a series split. On Friday, he made 31 saves, tying a season high, while allowing only a power-play goal in a 4-1 victory over the Mavericks. It was his first win of the season in net. The next night, he made 27 saves in 3-2 defeat.

Vernon finished the weekend with 58 saves on 62 shots faced for a .935 save percentage and a 2.04 goals-against average. He also helped kill two of three Omaha power plays in the series. Vernon upped his season save percentage to .930 and lowered his GAA to 2.15 on the year, while improving to 1-4-1 in nine appearances in net.

This is Vernon’s first career NCHC Goalie of the Week honor, but he was a two-time Rookie of the Week as a freshman.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Red Savage, Miami
Freshman Forward
Scottsdale, Ariz.

Savage continued his strong rookie season for the RedHawks by compiling three points in the series with No. 5 Denver. In Friday’s 5-4 overtime loss, he put Miami in front, 4-2, with a pair of goals late in the first and in the third periods for his second multi-goal game of the month. The next night, the Detroit Red Wings prospect handed out an assist on the RedHawks’ tying goal that made it 2-2 in an eventual 4-2 defeat.

Savage finished the weekend with two goals, an assist, four shots on goal and a +1 plus/minus. He also blocked two shots each night for four in the series. On the season, Savage is third on the RedHawks with 15 points in 25 games, scoring six goals and adding nine assists.

his is Savage’s fourth NCHC Rookie of the Week honor this season, the most of any freshman.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Forward of the Week
Matt Miller, So., Omaha
Josh Passolt, Gr., WMU
Kobe Roth, RS-Sr., UMD
Brett Stapley, Sr., Denver

Defenseman of the Week
Nicklas Andrews, So., CC
Ethan Frisch, Jr., UND
Hunter Lellig, Sr., UMD
Hampus Rydqvist, So., Miami

Goaltender of the Week
Zach Driscoll, Sr., UND
Ludvig Persson, So., Miami

Rookie of the Week
Matteo Costantini, F, UND
Massimo Rizzo, F, Denver

--#NCHCHockey--