Over the last two weeks, fans have voted in the 2021-22 NCHC Play of the Year Tournament built by ACME Tools, and for the first time in NCHC history, the winning play comes from Colorado College. CC junior goaltender Matt Vernon's save from week 19, the tournament's No. 7 seed, was revealed as the 2021-22 NCHC Play of the Year, as selected by fans. This marks the second straight season that a save has won NCHC Play of the Year (North Dakota's Adam Scheel last year), after none in the first seven editions of the tournament.

In the ninth ever NCHC Play of the Year, Vernon robs Miami of a goal with a lightning-quick glove save in the top corner of the net after what appeared to be a yawning cage. The save occurred on Friday, Feb. 18 in front of the CC faithful at Ed Robson Arena in Colorado Springs.

Vernon won the final match-up over fellow netminder Brandon Bussi of Western Michigan, earning a very narrow victory with 51 percent of the vote to Bussi's 49. It was a difference of only 44 votes (1182-1138).

Previous winners for NCHC Play of the Year include:
2014 - Drake Caggiula, F, UND
2015 - Justin Kovacs, F, WMU
2016 - Nick Schmaltz, F, UND
2017 - Tyson Jost, F, UND
2018 - Ryan Poehling, F, SCSU
2019 - Sam Hentges, F, SCSU
2020 - Jordan Kawaguchi, F, UND
2021 - Adam Scheel, G, UND

Video of Vernon's save is below, while the entire bracket can be seen at the bottom of the page.