COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The four KJ Branding National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week for the week of Feb. 17-23, 2025 all led their teams to unbeaten weekends in regulation. Garnering KJ Branding NCHC honors for Week 19 are a pair of North Dakota Fighting Hawks and a pair of sophomores:

• Forward – Kyle Smolen, Arizona State, So.
• Defenseman – Boston Buckberger, Denver, So.
• Goaltender – T.J. Semptimphelter, North Dakota, Gr.
• Rookie – Sacha Boisvert, North Dakota, forward

Semptimphelter repeats as Goaltender of the Week, his third time gloving the award this season. Boisvert bagged his fourth NCHC Rookie of the Week nod this season, the most of any freshman. Smolen collected his first career NCHC weekly honor, while Buckberger picked up his first Defenseman of the Week award this season and second of his career. He was also Rookie of the Week once last season.
 
FORWARD OF THE WEEK Sophomore Forward
Crystal Lake, Ill.
 
Smolen was part of a big offensive effort from the Sun Devils to earn a win and four conference points against then-No. 3 Western Michigan. The sophomore tallied three points on the weekend, including two points in Friday’s 5-3 victory. Smolen assisted on the game-wining goal Friday that broke a 3-3 tie in the third period. He then sealed the victory with an empty-net goal directly off a defensive zone faceoff from 180 feet away. The next night, Smolen opened the scoring with a goal 4:54 into the first frame in an eventual, 4-3 overtime loss.
 
Smolen finished the series with two goals and an assist, while stretching his goal-scoring streak to three games and his point streak to five games. He fired four shots on goal, posted a +2 plus/minus and did not commit a penalty on the weekend. On the season, Smolen now has 29 points (12g/17a) in 32 games, tying for 10th in the NCHC in scoring.
 
DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Boston Buckberger, Denver
Sophomore Defenseman
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
 
Buckberger continued his strong play of late, contributing at both ends of the ice in Denver’s sweep at Miami over the weekend. Offensively, he chipped in a pair of assists, while also helping limit the RedHawks to three goals all series. In Friday’s opener, Buckberger picked up an assist on a power play goal late in the first period, which ended up as the game-winner in a 5-1 victory. He also tied a career high with three blocked shots on Friday. In Saturday’s finale, Buckberger doled out the primary assist on the game’s opening goal with a shot from the point, as DU went on to win, 5-2.
 
Buckberger finished the series with two assists, five blocked shots, one shot on goal and a +4 plus/minus, going +2 each night. The +4 rating tied for the NCHC lead on the weekend, while he played on a penalty kill unit that went 4-for-5 in the series. Buckberger now has nine points in his last eight games (3g/6a) and is up to 22 points on the season, which ties for eighth among NCHC blueliners. He has six goals and 16 assists in 32 games this season, while his +24 plus/minus leads the NCHC.
 
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
T.J. Semptimphelter, North Dakota
Graduate Student Goaltender
Marlton, N.J.
 
Semptimphelter repeated as Goaltender of the Week after backstopping North Dakota to a sweep of Minnesota Duluth over the weekend. The Arizona State transfer allowed only three goals in the two wins, including two even strength. In Friday’s 4-2 victory, Semptimphelter racked up 30 saves, including 8-for-8 in the third period, to earn Second Star of the Game. A night later he made 27 saves, with 12 in the final frame, in a 6-1 victory, coming 58 seconds short of a shutout as UMD’s lone late tally came on the power play.

Semptimphelter compiled 57 saves on 60 shots faced in the series for a .950 save percentage, which led all NCHC goalies on the weekend. His 1.50 goals-against average was tops among NCHC goalies with two games played and second among all goalies. Semptimphelter has now won three straight games and is 4-1-0 in his last five starts, improving to 14-8-2 on the season with a .909 save percentage and a 2.54 GAA.
 
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Sacha Boisvert, North Dakota
Freshman Forward
Trois-Rivières, Québec
 
Boisvert picked up his fourth Rookie of the Week nod after a three-goal weekend in a sweep of Minnesota Duluth. The Chicago Blackhawks first round draft pick scored UND’s third goal in Friday’s 4-2 victory, which made the contest a 3-1 game in the second period and served as the game-winner. It was his first goal since Jan. 11, snapping an eight-game drought. The next night, Boisvert recorded his first career multi-goal game in a 6-1 victory, tallying UND’s first and fourth goals, the latter on the power play. That was enough for the Quebecer to be named Third Star of the Game on Saturday.
 
Boisvert finished the series with three points on his three goals, which led all NCHC players on the weekend. He fired eight shots on goal, blocked two shots and was +2 against the Bulldogs. On the season, Boisvert is second among NCHC rookies and first on the team with 12 goals, while ranking fourth among NCHC freshmen with 23 points in 30 games.
 
OTHER NOMINEES:
 
Forward of the Week
Jack Devine, Denver
Barrett Hall, St. Cloud State
Owen McLaughlin, North Dakota
Zach Nehring, Western Michigan

Defenseman of the Week
Jake Livanavage, North Dakota
Ty Murchison, Arizona State
Samuel Sjolund, Western Michigan

Goaltender of the Week
Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan
 
Rookie of the Week
Jake Fisher, Denver, F
Zach Nehring, Western Michigan, F
Cullen Potter, Arizona State, F
Gavyn Thoreson, St. Cloud State, F