COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Following an exciting weekend of conference action, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced its KJ Branding Players of the Week for the week of Dec. 4-10, 2023, which are the final weekly honors of the calendar year. Three teams are represented among the KJ Branding NCHC Week 10 honorees:

• Forward – Sam Colangelo, Western Michigan, Sr.
• Defenseman – Samuel Sjolund, Western Michigan, So.
• Goaltender – Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College, So.
• Rookie – Miko Matikka, Denver, Forward

Colangelo collected his second NCHC Forward of the Week honor this season. Mbereko also gloved his second Goaltender of the Week nod this year and the fifth of his career. Matikka is now a three-time NCHC Rookie of the Week, all coming in the last five weeks, while Sjolund picked up his first career NCHC honor on Monday.
 
The next KJ Branding NCHC Players of the Week will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 9 and encompass all regular-season games played between Thursday, Dec. 28 and Monday, Jan. 8.
 
FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Sam Colangelo, Western Michigan
Senior Forward
Stoneham, Mass.
 
Colangelo tied for the NCHC lead in points last weekend to help the Broncos split with then-No. 4 Denver, while earning four of six points in the standings. In Friday’s 7-3 victory, the Anaheim Ducks draft pick recorded his second hat trick of the season to earn First Star of the Game. His first two goals came on the power play, while he sealed the win with an empty-netter.

The next night, Colangelo dished out two assists, twice setting up tying goals. His first helper was the primary assist that knotted the game at 4-4, while his other helper came on an extra attacker tally with only 14 seconds remaining in regulation that forced overtime.
 
Colangelo finished the series with three goals, two assists and seven shots on goal. He is now second on the team with 11 goals this season, while his 19 points are third on the Broncos.
 
DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Samuel Sjolund, Western Michigan
Sophomore Defenseman
Stockholm, Sweden
 
Sjolund was a big contributor offensively from the blue line to help Western Michigan pick up four points against then-No. 4 Denver last weekend. In Friday’s 7-3 victory, he had the primary assist on WMU’s third goal, which put the Broncos ahead, 3-2. The next night, Sjolund recorded his first multi-point game and his first collegiate goal. He set up WMU’s first goal Saturday, then scored his first career goal early in the third period to tie the game at 4-4 in an eventual overtime loss.

Sjolund finished the weekend with three points, including two assists, and fired an NCHC-high nine shots on goal, including eight on Saturday. The Dallas Stars draft pick also blocked three shots against Denver, including two on Friday, and had an even plus/minus. Sjolund now has seven points, including six assists, in 16 games in his first year playing college hockey.
 
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College
Sophomore Goaltender
Aspen, Colo.
 
Mbereko backstopped Colorado College to a pair of overtime wins at then-No. 1 North Dakota last weekend, earning the Tigers four of six possible points in the standings. With Mbereko allowing only two goals each night, the Tigers earned their first sweep at UND in 30 years. On Friday, he made 32 saves in a 3-2 overtime victory to earn First Star of the Game. The next night, Mbereko turned aside another 22 shots in another 3-2 overtime win.
 
Mbereko totaled 54 saves on the weekend for a .931 save percentage, which led all NCHC goalies who played two games last weekend. Of his 54 stops, six came short-handed to help CC go 4-for-5 on the penalty kill at UND. Mbereko also posted a 1.94 goals-against average in the series, lowering his season GAA to 2.52. He improved to 9-6-1 in net this season with a .912 save percentage, which ranks third in the NCHC.
 
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Miko Matikka, Denver
Freshman Forward
Helsinki, Finland
 
Matikka continued his torrid scoring pace of late, potting four goals in a split at then-No. 13 Western Michigan. He scored two goals each night to stretch his point streak to 11 games, while he has at least one goal in eight of his last 10 games. In Friday’s 7-3 loss, the Arizona Coyotes draft pick scored DU’s final two goals, both of which came even strength and tied the game each time (2-2 and 3-3). The next night, Matikka struck for two more goals to earn Third Star of the Game in a 6-5 overtime victory. He scored the Pioneers’ second and fourth goals in the win, with his first goal Saturday coming on the power play.
 
Matikka’s four goals on the weekend led all NCHC players, while Friday and Saturday marked his second and third career multi-goal games (also Nov. 10 at Arizona State). He fired seven shots on goal in the series. Matikka leads all NCHC rookies and is tied for third among all NCHC players with 11 goals this season. He has 15 points on the year, all of which have come during his active 11-game point streak.
 
OTHER NOMINEES:
 
Forward of the Week
PJ Fletcher, Miami, Sr.
Kyler Kupka, St. Cloud State, 5th
Miko Matikka, Denver, Fr.
Ben Steeves, Minnesota Duluth, So.
Logan Will, Colorado College, Sr.

Defenseman of the Week
Zeev Buium, Denver, Fr.
Chase Foley, Colorado College, Sr.
Owen Gallatin, Minnesota Duluth, Jr.
Garrett Pyke, North Dakota, 5th

Goaltender of the Week
Dominic Basse, St. Cloud State, Sr.
Zach Stejskal, Minnesota Duluth, Sr.
 
Rookie of the Week
Max Burkholder, Colorado College, Defenseman
Barrett Hall, St. Cloud State, Forward