COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Month for December finished the 2025 calendar year on a high note to earn the third set of NCHC monthly honors this season, which were announced on Monday. Collecting NCHC December Player of the Month accolades are skaters from three different teams, including two from North Dakota:

• Forward – Bennett Schimek, Arizona State, Sr.
• Defenseman – Jake Livanavage, North Dakota, Jr.
• Goaltender – Quentin Miller, Denver, Fr.
• Rookie – Jan Špunar, North Dakota, G

Schimek picks up his first career NCHC monthly honor, while this is Livanavage’s first Defenseman of the Month nod but second career NCHC monthly award after earning Rookie of the Month in January of 2024. Miller repeats as NCHC Goaltender of the Month, the first to do that since Colorado College’s Kaidan Mbereko won three straight Goalie of the Month honors in 2023-24. Like Schimek, this is the first career NCHC monthly award for Špunar, as well.
 
All four NCHC honorees are now eligible for Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) national December monthly awards, which will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 8.
 
FORWARD OF THE MONTH
Bennett Schimek, Arizona State
Senior Forward
Mendota Height, Minn.
 
Despite only playing four games last month, all away from home, Schimek shined in December, leading the NCHC with seven points and 1.75 points per game, all against top-10 competition. The ASU co-captain recorded points in three of his four December games, including his second career hat trick. Schimek was second in the conference with four assists in four games last month, while his three goals were fourth in the NCHC. He also led the National with a +7 plus/minus in December and fired 11 shots on goal.
 
After being held pointless to start December, Schimek recorded points in each of the remaining three games last month. In the series finale at then-No. 5 Minnesota Duluth on Dec. 13, he totaled five points in a 6-3 win, including his first hat trick of the season to go with two assists. That earned him NCHC Forward of the Week honors. The five points are the second-most in ASU program history in a single game and the most by an NCHC player in a game this season. Schimek then doled out an assist in each game of a split at then-No. 8 Dartmouth on Dec. 27-28, including in ASU’s 5-1 win to open the series.
 
Schimek helped the Sun Devils to a 2-2-0 record in December, all away from Mullett Arena. On the season, Schimek is now second in the NCHC (behind teammate Cruz Lucius) with 31 points in 22 games, while his 21 assists are tops in the conference. He also has 10 goals in his senior campaign so far, which is 10th in the NCHC.
 
DEFENSEMAN OF THE MONTH
Jake Livanavage, North Dakota
Junior Defenseman
Phoenix, Ariz.
 
Livanavage helped lead North Dakota to a perfect 4-0 record in December, leading all NCHC defensemen with five points last month. His 1.25 points per game were also tops among NCHC blueliners in December, while he recorded a point in all four games. The UND assistant captain tied for the conference defenseman lead with both two goals and three assists in December, one of only three NCHC rearguards with two markers last month. His +4 plus/minus tied for first among NCHC defensemen in December, while he also blocked five shots during the month.
 
Livanavage opened December with a three-point weekend in a sweep at St. Cloud State on Dec. 5-6. He dished out an assist in the first game, before scoring two goals in a 4-2 victory the next night, including the short-handed game-winner. That earned him NCHC Defenseman of the Week honors. The following weekend, Livanavage handed out an assist in both games of a sweep of Omaha on Dec. 12-13.
 
Livanavage finished December averaging 25:16 time on ice, which was second among NCHC blueliners last month, while firing six shots on goal. In addition to his performance with North Dakota, he also helped the U.S. Collegiate Selects earn a silver medal in their debut at the Spengler Cup at the end of December, recording an assist while logging heavy minutes for the college all-star team in Switzerland. In NCAA play this season, Livanavage is now fourth among NCHC defensemen with 18 points (3g/15a) in 20 games.
 
GOALTENDER OF THE MONTH
Quentin Miller, Denver
Freshman Goaltender
Montreal, Quebec
 
Miller repeated as Goaltender of the Month, posting a 3-1-0 record in December, starting all four games for Denver. The Montreal Canadiens draft pick led all NCHC goalies with at least two games played in December with both a .940 save percentage and a 1.80 goals-against average, while the three wins tied for first. Miller was the lone NCHC netminder to record a shutout in December, while his 109 saves were third in the conference last month (27.25 saves per game).
 
Miller began December by backstopping DU to a sweep of then-No. 19 Miami on Dec. 5-6, making 22 saves each night while allowing only two goals all weekend. He recorded his third shutout of the season in the series opener on Dec. 5 in a 4-0 win, helping him earn NCHC Goalie of the Week honors. Miller repeated as Goaltender of the Week the next week, leading Denver to a split at St. Cloud State, while totaling 65 saves. He stopped 37 of 38 shots in the opener with SCSU on Dec. 12 in a 5-1 victory. Despite 28 more saves a night later, the Pioneers’ 4-3 loss on Dec. 13 snapped Miller’s 12-game streak without a loss in regulation.
 
On the season, Miller is now 11-6-2 in 19 starts this year, including starting each of Denver’s last 16 games. His .926 save percentage this season is second in the NCHC, while his 2.08 GAA ranks third in the conference.
 
ROOKIE OF THE MONTH
Jan Špunar, North Dakota
Freshman Goaltender
Olomouc, Czechia
 
Špunar continued his strong start to his college career, backstopping North Dakota to a perfect 3-0 record last month, as he started three of UND’s four December games in net. The Czech’s three wins tied for the NCHC lead last month, while his .934 save percentage was second among NCHC netminders with at least two games played. His 2.01 goals-against average also sat second in the conference in December, as he allowed only six goals in the three games. Špunar compiled 85 saves in the three wins, averaging 28.3 saves per game in the month.
 
Špunar started both games in a sweep at St. Cloud State to start the month on Dec. 5-6. After turning aside 20 shots in a 4-3 win in the opener, he racked up a career-high 35 saves in a 4-2 victory the next night. The following Friday on Dec. 12, the freshman compiled 30 more saves in a 4-1 win over Omaha to wrap up his month. That was enough to earn him NCHC Rookie of the Week honors.
 
Špunar is now a perfect 10-0-0 on the season, while he leads the NCHC with both a .936 save percentage and a 1.50 goals-against average so far on the year.
 
OTHER NOMINEES:
 
Forward of the Month
David Deputy, Miami
Tyson Gross, St. Cloud State
William Whitelaw, Western Michigan
 
Defenseman of the Month
Eric Pohlkamp, Denver
Theo Wallberg, Western Michigan
 
Goaltender of the Month
Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan
Jan Špunar, North Dakota
 
Rookie of the Month
Kyle Chyzowski, Denver, F
Bobby Cowan, Western Michigan, F
David Deputy, Miami, F