COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The first weekend in February saw several stellar performances, with five student-athletes being tabbed KJ Branding National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week for the week of Jan. 29-Feb. 4, 2024, the NCHC announced Monday. Garnering KJ Branding NCHC honors for Week 16, including a pair of blue liners, are:

• Forward – Jackson Blake, North Dakota, So.
• Co-Defenseman – Logan Britt, North Dakota, Gr.
• Co-Defenseman – Kirby Proctor, Omaha, Gr.
• Goaltender – Dominic Basse, St. Cloud State, Sr.
• Rookie – Matthew Perkins, Minnesota Duluth, Forward

This is Blake’s first career NCHC Forward of the Week honor and second NCHC weekly honor in his college career, earning Rookie of the Week once last year. Britt and Proctor both snagged their first career NCHC weekly award, while Perkins is now a two-time NCHC Rookie of the Week this season. Basse gloved his first NCHC Goaltender of the Week nod this season and fourth of his career (second at SCSU), while he was also a one-time Rookie of the Week while at Colorado College.
 
FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Jackson Blake, North Dakota
Sophomore Forward
Eden Prairie, Minn.
 
Blake led the NCHC with five points last weekend and also led UND to a five-point sweep at Miami. The Carolina Hurricanes draft pick recorded multiple points both nights, including a three-point night in the opener. In Friday’s win, Blake dished out two assists, including on UND’s first goal, before scoring the overtime game-winning goal to complete a 5-4, comeback victory. He also fired five shots on goal and was named First Star of the Game after his third overtime game-winner of the season. The next night, Blake handed out another pair of helpers on the game’s first and last goals in a 4-1 win on Saturday.
 
Blake finished the weekend with a game-winning goal and four assists, while posting a +3 plus/minus. He also put seven shots on goal in the series. Blake is now riding a 10-game point streak, with multiple points in four straight, and ranks third in the NCHC and tied for third nationally with 39 points this season. He’s scored 17 goals on the year, which ties for fourth in the conference and ninth in the NCAA.
 
CO-DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Logan Britt, North Dakota
Grad Student Defenseman
Crystal Lake, Ill.
 
Britt had a career-best weekend offensively, leading all NCHC players with three goals in a sweep of Miami. On Friday, down 4-2, he scored UND’s third goal to ignite a third period rally as the Fighting Hawks stormed back for a 5-4, overtime win. The next night, the Sacred Heart transfer recorded his first career multi-goal game, tallying UND’s first and third goals in a 4-1 victory, with his second goal cushioning NoDak’s lead to 3-1. Britt was +3 in Saturday’s win and named First Star of the Game.
 
All three of Britt’s goals came even strength, while he fired five shots on goal at Miami. Defensively, he finished +5 with two blocked shots in the series, while not committing a penalty or being on the ice for a goal against all weekend. On the season, Britt now has a career-high five goals and 10 points in 28 games, with his last goal prior to this weekend coming back on Nov. 10.
 
CO-DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Kirby Proctor, Omaha
Grad Student Defenseman
Okotoks, Alta.
 
Proctor had a career weekend to power Omaha to its first NCHC sweep of the season. The fifth-year blue liner recorded four points in a pair of wins over Minnesota Duluth, while helping limit UMD to four goals all series. On Friday, Proctor tallied a career-high three points in a 5-1 victory to earn First Star of the Game. He put the Mavericks up, 2-0, in the first period, with his goal serving as the eventual game-winner. The Albertan then assisted on UNO’s third and fifth goals to seal the win. A night later, Proctor scored only 17 seconds into the game to earn Third Star of the Game in a 4-3 victory.
 
Proctor completed the sweep with two goals and two assists, leading all NCHC defensemen with four points on the weekend. The series with UMD marked only the second time in his career he scored a goal in back-to-back games (also as a junior in 2021-22). In addition to his offense, Proctor posted a +5 plus/minus, including +3 on Friday, while blocking three shots in the series. On the season, Proctor has already tied his career high with five goals, and has 11 points in 26 games, one shy of tying his career high for points (12) in 2021-22.
 
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Dominic Basse, St. Cloud State
Senior Goaltender
Alexandria, Va.
 
Facing his former team and a hostile environment, Basse shined in net, leading the NCHC with 70 saves on the weekend in a split at then-No. 14 Colorado College. On Friday, the Chicago Blackhawks draft pick made a career-high 44 saves in a 2-1, overtime win to earn First Star of the Game. He made 20 saves in the third period alone, and three more in overtime, including his final save, which directly started the Huskies rush for the game-winner. Of Basse’s 44 saves Friday, 11 came short-handed on four CC power plays with the Tigers only goal coming on the man advantage. The next night, he stopped 26 more shots and gave up four goals in a 5-3 loss.
 
Basse, who played his first two collegiate seasons with the Tigers, finished the series with a .933 save percentage and a 2.42 goals-against average, both of which ranked in the top three in the NCHC on the weekend. Of his five goals allowed, only three came even strength, while helping SCSU finish 5-for-7 on the penalty kill. The senior on the Mike Richter Award Watch List is now 11-9-2 in 22 starts this season, while upping his season save percentage to .901 and lowering his season GAA to 2.65. His three shutouts this year tie for third in the NCAA.
 
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Matthew Perkins, Minnesota Duluth
Freshman Forward
Balgonie, Sask.
 
After missing last week’s games, Perkins jumped right back in the Bulldogs lineup and made an instant impact, tallying three points at Omaha to lead all NCHC freshmen in scoring on the weekend. The Vancouver Canucks draft pick had a hand in three of UMD’s four goals in the series, including scoring the Bulldogs’ lone goal in Friday’s 5-1 loss, which cut the deficit to 2-1 at the time. The next night, Perkins notched his second multi-point game of the season in a 4-3 defeat. He had the primary assist on UMD’s first goal Saturday to tie the game at 1-1, while he scored in the final minute of regulation with an extra attacker to bring the Bulldogs within one.
 
Perkins finished the series with two goals and an assist, while putting three shots on goal and blocking one shot. In doing so, he tallied goals in back-to-back games for the first time in his college career, while also doubling his season goal total. He also went 10-for-21 in the faceoff circle at Omaha. Perkins now has four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 25 games this season.
 
OTHER NOMINEES:
 
Forward of the Week
Sam Colangelo, Western Michigan
Tommy Middleton, Colorado College
Albin Nilsson, Miami
Zach Urdahl, Omaha

Defenseman of the Week
None

Goaltender of the Week
Simon Latkoczy, Omaha
Ludvig Persson, North Dakota
Cameron Rowe, Western Michigan
 
Rookie of the Week
Alex Bump, Western Michigan
Verner Miettinen, St. Cloud State