COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Four different teams are represented among the KJ Branding NCHC Players of the Week for the week of Oct. 30 through Nov. 5, 2023, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference announced Monday. Garnering KJ Branding NCHC honors for Week 5 are:

• Forward – Joe Molenaar, St. Cloud State, Sr.
• Defenseman – Griffin Ludtke, Omaha, So.
• Goaltender – Matthew Thiessen, Minnesota Duluth, 5th-Yr.
• Rookie – Freddie Halyk, Denver, goaltender

These are the first career NCHC honors for Molenaar, Ludtke and Halyk, while Thiessen gloved his second career NCHC Goaltender of the Week award and first this season. He’s the second UMD netminder to claim the honor this year, joining Zach Stejskal, who’s won it twice this season.
 
FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Joe Molenaar, St. Cloud State
Senior Forward
Minnetonka, Minn.
 
Molenaar had a career weekend to lead St. Cloud State to a sweep of Miami on the opening weekend of conference play. He compiled four points, including his first collegiate hat trick, while handing out an assist. In Friday’s 3-2 win, he set up the game’s opening goal early in the first period. The next night, Molenaar erupted for his first hat trick, which was also his first career multi-goal game, book-ending the scoring and tallying SCSU’s fourth goal in a 6-0 win. His first goal was the game-winner and came unassisted off a steal midway through the second period.
 
Molenaar finished his four-point weekend with a +3 plus/minus, while firing seven shots on goal. His five goals on the season already tie his single-season career best and tie for the team lead. His six points in eight games tie for third on the Huskies and are only two shy of tying his career high for a season.
 
DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Griffin Ludtke, Omaha
Sophomore Defenseman
Elko, Minn.
 
Ludtke had a hand in three of Omaha’s five goals against Western Michigan last weekend, while also patrolling the Mavericks’ blue line. On Friday, he tallied his first career multi-point game, scoring the game’s first goal, while handing out the primary assist on UNO’s second goal, which made it a 2-1 game in an eventual 5-2 defeat. A night later, he set up the game’s opening goal to break a deadlock in the second period of an eventual, 3-2 overtime win.
 
Ludtke’s +3 plus/minus in the series tied for second among NCHC defensemen on the weekend. He also played on a penalty kill unit that went 6-for-7 against the Broncos. He fired four shots on goal over the weekend, with two each night, and blocked a shot in Saturday’s win. After no points as a freshman, Ludtke now has two goals, four assists and a team-best six points in six games this season.
 
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Matthew Thiessen, Minnesota Duluth
Fifth-Year Goaltender
Steinbach, Manitoba
 
Thiessen was called into action off the bench last weekend against then-No. 6 Minnesota and delivered with two strong performances. On Friday, he entered for the final 9:51 of the game on the road in Minneapolis after a Zach Stejskal injury, making eight saves and allowing no goals. The next night, Thiessen started and made a career-high 47 saves in a 3-3 overtime tie, including five in overtime and several highlight-reel stops. The Vancouver Canucks draft pick also denied both shots he faced in the ensuing shootout as UMD topped the Gophers in the shootout.
 
Thiessen finished the series with 55 saves and a .948 save percentage, while posting a 2.40 goals-against average. In doing so, he upped his season save percentage to .891 and lowered his season GAA to 3.44 in four outings (1-1-1 record).
 
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Freddie Halyk, Denver
Freshman Goaltender
Cochrane, Alberta
 
After logging a shutout in his first collegiate start two weekends ago, Halyk continued his hot play, allowing only one goal each night in a sweep of rival Colorado College. On Friday, he made 19 saves in a 6-1 win, while the next night he stopped 20 more shots in a 5-1 victory as DU secured the Gold Pan for a fifth straight year. Halyk did not allow a goal in the second or third period of either game, while making nine short-handed saves to help the Pioneers penalty kill finish 9-for-9 in the series.
 
Halyk ended the weekend with a NCHC-best .951 save percentage, while totaling 39 saves on 41 shots faced. He also logged a 1.00 goals-against average and now carries a .098 GAA on the season, which leads the NCHC. His .957 save percentage in four games is also tops in the conference, posting a 3-0-0 record.
 
OTHER NOMINEES:
 
Forward of the Week
Jackson Blake, North Dakota, So.
Matteo Costantini, Western Michigan, Jr.
Carter King, Denver, Jr.
 
Defenseman of the Week
Dylan Anhorn, St. Cloud State, 5th-Yr.
Sean Behrens, Denver, Jr.
Carter Berger, Western Michigan, Gr.
 
Goaltender of the Week
Dominic Basse, St. Cloud State, Sr.
Freddie Halyk, Denver, Fr.
Cameron Rowe, Western Michigan, Sr.
 
Rookie of the Week
Tanner Ludtke, Omaha, forward
Owen Michaels, Western Michigan, forward
Miko Matikka, Denver, forward
Jayden Perron, North Dakota, forward