COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – It was a great weekend on the ice for NCHC teams, going a combined 12-2-1, and for individual performances, as the four KJ Branding National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week for the week of Oct. 7-13, 2024 led their teams to a pair of wins each. Earning KJ Branding NCHC Players of the Week for Week 2 are two Mavericks, who led Omaha to the Ice Breaker Tournament title, and two high-scoring forwards:

• Forward – Noah Laba, Colorado College, Jr.
• Defenseman – Jacob Guevin, Omaha, Jr.
• Goaltender – Simon Latkoczy, Omaha, Jr.
• Rookie – Austin Burnevik, St. Cloud State, Forward

Laba earned his second career NCHC Forward of the Week nod and third career NCHC weekly award. Latkoczy gloved his fourth career NCHC Goaltender of the Week award and fifth weekly honor overall from the conference. Guevin garnered his second career Defenseman of the Week honor and first since his rookie season. This is Burnevik’s first NCHC award.
 
FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Noah Laba, Colorado College
Junior Forward
Northville, Mich.
 
Laba was a playmaker all over the ice last weekend to lead Colorado College to a season-opening sweep of Northern Michigan. The New York Rangers prospect racked up six points to lead all NCHC players on the weekend, tallying two on Friday and four on Saturday. In Friday’s 4-3 victory, Laba scored the game-winning goal 21 seconds into overtime, after handing out the primary assist on the Tigers’ second goal with a no-look pass. On Saturday, he notched a career-high four assists, collecting a helper on each of CC’s last four goals in a 6-1 win, including two primary apples.
 
Laba finished the series with a game-winning goal and five assists. He fired a career-high six shots on goal on Friday and was +6 for the weekend (+3 each game).
 
DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Jacob Guevin, Omaha
Junior Defenseman
Drummondville, Quebec
 
Guevin was a force at both ends of the ice to help Omaha win the 2024 Ice Breaker Tournament in Las Vegas to begin the regular season. In Friday’s 3-2, overtime win over then-No. 14 Massachusetts, he handed out assists on each of Omaha’s first two goals, including the primary assist on Omaha’s opening goal that tied the game on the power play. In Saturday’s championship game, Guevin scored the overtime game-winning goal to beat then-No. 5 Minnesota, 2-1.
 
Guevin finished the Ice Breaker Tournament with three points on a goal and two assists. He also blocked a shot each night and helped the Mavericks only surrender three goals all weekend against top-15 teams. Guevin posted a +1 plus/minus at the tournament and played on a penalty kill that finished 7-for-8 in Las Vegas.
 
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Simon Latkoczy, Omaha
Junior Goaltender
Trencin, Slovakia
 
Latkoczy put on a show in Las Vegas to start the regular season, backstopping Omaha to the Ice Breaker Tournament title while earning Most Outstanding Player honors. He racked up 77 saves in Las Vegas, including a career-high 53 saves in a 2-1, overtime win against then-No. 5 Minnesota. The 53 saves in Saturday’s championship game tied the Omaha school record.  One night earlier in the semifinals, Latkoczy turned aside 24 shots in a 3-2, overtime win against then-No. 14 UMass.
 
Latkoczy finished the weekend with a 2-0-0 record in net, while compiling a 1.44 goals-against average and a .963 save percentage, both tops among NCHC goalies who played two games on the weekend. He also helped the penalty kill finish 7-for-8 at the tournament, making 12 saves while short-handed.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Austin Burnevik, St. Cloud State
Freshman Forward
Blaine, Minn.
 
Burnevik had a breakout weekend to power St. Cloud State to a sweep of in-state rival Bemidji State, tallying the first five points of his college career in the two wins. The Anaheim Ducks draft pick scored the first two goals of his collegiate career in Friday’s 4-3 home win over the Beavers, which were the Huskies first two goals of the game, giving SCSU a lead each time. The next night in Bemidji, Burnevik had a hand in all three of St. Cloud State’s goals in a 3-2 win. He scored a power play goal to start the scoring and added assists on the final two tallies, including the game-winner.
 
Burnevik finished the series with three goals, two assists and a +4 plus/minus. He is the first Husky to produce three goals and five points through the first three games of the season since Patrick Newell had six points (3-3-6) in 2018-19. His three goals and five points on the season lead the team.
 
OTHER NOMINEES:
 
Forward of the Week
Colby Ambrosio, Miami, Gr.
Austin Burnevik, St. Cloud State, Fr.
Dylan James, North Dakota, Jr.
Grant Slukynsky, Western Michigan, So.
Zach Urdahl, Omaha, Sr.

Defenseman of the Week
Noah Beck, Arizona State, Gr.
Ty Gallagher, Colorado College, Gr.
Brian Kramer, Western Michigan, Gr.
Abram Wiebe, North Dakota, So.
 
Goaltender of the Week
Bruno Bruveris, Miami, So.
Gibson Homer, Arizona State, RS-Jr.
Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College, Jr.
Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan, Fr.
 
Rookie of the Week
Philippe Blais-Savoie, Defenseman
Sacha Boisvert, North Dakota, Forward
Casper Nassen, Miami, Forward
Cullen Potter, Arizona State, Forward
Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan, Goaltender