Bauer NCHC Players of the Week Archive

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – For only the fourth time this season, four different teams are represented among the Bauer National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week after each honoree led their team to victory during the week of Feb. 14-20, 2022. Garnering Bauer NCHC honors for week 19 are Denver junior Bobby Brink for Forward of the Week, Omaha junior Brandon Scanlin for Defenseman of the Week, North Dakota senior Zach Driscoll, who three-peats as Goaltender of the Week, and Colorado College forward Brett Chorske for Rookie of the Week.

Driscoll becomes only the third netminder in NCHC history to win three straight Goaltender of the Week awards, with Miami’s Ludvig Persson the last to do so in December and January of last season. Chorske earned his second Rookie of the Week nod this season, while these are the first honors this year for both Brink and Scanlin.

Forward of the Week

Bobby Brink, Denver
Junior Forward
Minnetonka, Minn.

Brink continued his offensive tear of late, compiling five points in Denver’s split at No. 6 Western Michigan. The Philadelphia Flyers draft pick recorded multiple points both nights to stretch his point streak to a career-long 14 points (7g/21a). In Friday’s 4-1 win, Brink had a hand in three goals, all on the power play, scoring the game-winning goal to break a 1-1 tie, while setting up DU’s first and fourth goals. He earned First Star of the Game on Friday. A night later, Brink scored a pair of special teams goals. He opened Denver’s scoring with his first career short-handed goal, while also tallying DU’s second goal on the power play for his first multi-goal game this season.

Brink finished the weekend with three goals, two assists and five shots on goal. Four of his points came on the power play, with his other point coming short-handed. On the season, Brink leads NCAA men’s hockey with 49 points and 36 assists, but saw his 13-game assist streak snapped in Saturday’s 6-4 loss.

This is Brink’s first career NCHC Forward of the Week honor, but he was a two-time Rookie of the Week in 2019-20.

Defenseman of the Week

Brandon Scanlin, Omaha
Junior Defenseman
Hamilton, Ont.

Scanlin was a force at both ends of the ice to help lead Omaha to a sweep of then-No. 8 St. Cloud State. In Friday’s 5-2 victory, he tied his career high with three points on a goal and two assists. Scanlin set up UNO’s opening goal on the power play, then scored a power play goal of his own to break a 1-1 tie in the third period. He added another assist on Omaha’s fourth goal to help seal the victory, while blocking three shots in the win to earn First Star of the Game. The next night, Scanlin blocked four more shots and fired four shots on goal, while anchoring a penalty kill that went 3-for-3 in a 5-1 win.

Scanlin ended the weekend with a goal, two assists, seven blocked shots and eight shots on goal. He also played on a penalty kill that finished 4-for-5 on the weekend against the nation’s top power-play unit in SCSU. On the season, Scanlin ranks second among NCHC defensemen and is tied for fourth nationally among blue liners with 29 points (5g/24a) in 32 games.

This is Scanlin’s first career Defenseman of the Week honor, but second career NCHC weekly award, earning Rookie of the Week once in 2019-20.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Zach Driscoll, North Dakota
Senior Goaltender
Apple Valley, Minn.

Driscoll continued to have the hot hand, gloving his third straight Goaltender of the Week award after backstopping North Dakota to a sweep at then-No. 7 Minnesota Duluth. Driscoll made a season-high 36 saves in Friday’s 4-3 win, with 26 of the stops coming in the first 40 minutes. A night later, he made 33 more saves, including 18 in the third period, as UND held on to a 3-2 victory. Of his 33 saves, 10 came with UND short-handed, including eight stops on two UMD power plays in the third period. Driscoll earned Second Star of the Game both nights after logging back-to-back 30-save performances for the first time this season.

Driscoll finished the series 2-0-0 with a .932 save percentage and a 2.50 goals-against average. He compiled 69 saves in the sweep, making 10 saves short-handed to help UND finish 4-for-5 on the penalty kill. Driscoll is now 5-1-0 with a .939 save percentage and a 1.82 GAA in February, improving to 17-9-1 with a .903 save percentage and a 2.44 GAA overall on the season.

Driscoll is now a four-time NCHC Goaltender of the Week this season, including winning each of the last three. Only Miami’s Ludvig Persson (2020-21) and North Dakota’s Cam Johnson (2015-16) have also achieved the feat of three straight Goaltender of the Week awards.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Brett Chorske, Colorado College
Freshman Forward
Edina, Minn.

Chorske chipped in three points to help Colorado College knock off Miami twice in overtime last weekend. In Friday’s 4-3 extra-session win, he scored to tie the game at 2-2 in the third period and earned Second Star of the Game. The next night, Chorske dished out assists on each of CC’s two goals in regulation, with his second helper tying the game in the third period and forcing overtime in an eventual 3-2 victory. It was only his second career multi-point game with the two points tying a career high.

Chorske ended the series with a goal, two assists, three shots on goal and a +3 plus/minus. He also blocked a shot in Friday’s win. On the season, Chorske now has four goals and five assists for nine points in 18 games.

This is Chorske’s second Rookie of the Week honor this season (Oct. 25-31).

OTHER NOMINEES:

Forward of the Week
PJ Fletcher, So., Miami
Louis Jamernik, So., UND
Hunter McKown, So., CC
Drew Worrad, Sr., WMU

Defenseman of the Week
Derek Daschke, Sr., Miami
Tyler Kleven, So., UND
Bryan Yoon, Sr., CC

Goaltender of the Week
Matt Vernon, Jr., CC

Rookie of the Week
Luke Bast, D, UND
Carter King, F, Denver
Ty Mueller, F, Omaha

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