COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Despite only five National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) teams opening the regular season with non-conference action between Oct. 4-6, there were plenty of standout performances in Week 1 of the 2024-25 season. Earning the first KJ Branding NCHC Players of the Week this season are a pair of Sun Devils and a pair of single-game standouts:

• Forward – Bennett Schimek, Arizona State, Jr.
• Defenseman – Noah Beck, Arizona State, Gr.
• Goaltender – Isak Posch, St. Cloud State, So.
• Rookie – Jayson Shaugabay, Minnesota Duluth, Forward

These are the first NCHC weekly honors for Arizona State as a program as they make their debut season in the conference. Posch garners his first career NCHC Goaltender of the Week nod and second career NCHC weekly honor, earning Rookie of the Week once last season.
 
FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Bennett Schimek, Arizona State
Junior Forward
Mendota Heights, Minn.
 
Schimek shined in his first games with Arizona State, posting a four-goal, six-point weekend in a split at Air Force. The Providence transfer recorded his first career hat trick in Friday’s season opener, tallying ASU’s first, third and seventh goals in an 8-1 beating. Schimek’s first two goals Friday both came short-handed, becoming the first Sun Devil to score two short-handed goals in a game. He capped his hat trick with a power play tally, while also handing out a primary assist in the win.
 
On Saturday, Schimek scored the game’s opening goal only 27 seconds into the contest. He finished with two points in the series finale, also setting up ASU’s go-ahead goal with a minute left in regulation of an eventual, 4-3 overtime loss.
 
Schimek ended the series against the Falcons with four goals, two primary assists, six shots on goal and a +3 plus/minus.
 
DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Noah Beck, Arizona State
Graduate Student Defenseman
Richmond Hill, Ontario
 
Beck produced at both ends of the ice in his debut with Arizona State. He chipped in five points from the blue line, while producing a +5 plus/minus in a split at Air Force to open the season. On Friday in his first game with ASU, the Clarkson transfer dished out three assists, including two primary helpers, setting up the game-winning goal, a short-handed goal and a power play goal in an 8-1 win. The next night, Beck doled out two more primary helpers on ASU’s first two goals (in the first 5:31 of the game) in an eventual, 4-3 overtime loss.
 
Beck finished the series with five assists, including four primary apples, while going +3 in Friday’s opener and posting a +2 mark on Saturday. He also fired three shots on goal in Friday’s win.
 
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Isak Posch, St. Cloud State
Sophomore Goaltender
Umea, Sweden
 
Posch was a rock in net in St. Cloud State’s regular-season debut, blanking No. 20 St. Thomas on Sunday in SCSU’s lone non-conference game of the weekend. The Swede stopped all 34 shots he faced, including 12 in the third period, in a 1-0 road victory for his second career clean sheet. It marked the seventh time in his Huskies career he topped the 30-save mark. Posch made six short-handed saves to help SCSU finish 4-for-4 on the penalty kill in the win, as well.
 
In Saturday’s exhibition game against Minnesota, Posch made seven saves and allowed no goals in the first period, though those stats did not count. With Sunday’s showing against the Tommies, Posch lowered his career goals-against average to 2.73 and upped his career save percentage to .909. He was named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team last season.
 
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Jayson Shaugabay, Minnesota Duluth
Freshman Forward
Warroad, Minn.
 
Shaugabay wasted little time acclimating to college hockey, tallying three points in his collegiate debut Saturday against Bemidji State. The Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick scored two goals and added an assist in a 4-3 overtime loss, as he had a hand in all three of the Bulldogs goals. Shaugabay scored UMD’s first goal of the season with 2 seconds left in the first period to tie the game, then tied the game again in the second period on the power play. He helped the Bulldogs tie the game a third time late in the third period with an assist to force overtime.
 
Shaugabay finished with a +1 plus/minus in his collegiate debut, while recording his first career goal, assist, multi-goal and multi-point game. He also fired three shots on goal in the loss to BSU.
 
OTHER NOMINEES:
 
Forward of the Week
Colby Ambrosio, Miami, Gr.
Jack Devine, Denver, Sr.
Jayson Shaugabay, Minnesota Duluth, Fr.

Defenseman of the Week
Zeev Buium, Denver, So.
Conner Hutchison, Miami, Sr.
 
Goaltender of the Week
Bruno Bruveris, Miami, So.
Matt Davis, Denver, Sr.
Gibson Homer, Arizona State, Jr.
 
Rookie of the Week
Casper Nassen, Miami, Forward
Cullen Potter, Arizona State, Forward
Colin Ralph, St. Cloud State, Defenseman
James Reeder, Denver, Forward