Adrian College’s Balsamo and Entmaa
Sweep NCHA Men’s Hockey Weekly Honors
Adrian College junior Dino Balsamo (F - Sterling Heights, Mich.) is the NCHA Men’s Offensive Player of the Week and senior teammate Kevin Entmaa (G - Milton, Ontario) is the NCHA Men’s Defensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.
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Balsamo earns NCHA Offensive Player of the Week accolades after helping Adrian to a pair of victories over Salve Regina in a tough battle of nationally-ranked teams. Balsamo led the Bulldogs offensively in the sweep (winning 2-0 Friday and 6-3 Saturday) of the fifth-ranked Seahawks, totaling four points and nine shots. On Saturday, he tied his personal-best with those four points - which included his first career hat trick - tallying a goal and assist on the power play while also accounting for the game-winner. The award is his second of the season.
Entmaa wins a tight race for NCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors after posting back-to-back victories over No. 5 Salve Regina, the 2018 NCAA runner-up. He recorded his third shutout of the season Friday by stopping all 40 shots he faced, with the 40 saves ranking fourth in Adrian single-game history and the most-ever by a Bulldog goalie in a shutout. He followed that up with 22 saves Saturday, not allowing a second goal until the Bulldogs had the game in hand with a 5-1 lead in the third period. He finished the weekend with a .954 save percentage and 1.50 GAA to earn his third career weekly award.
2018-19 NCHA WEEKLY TOP PERFORMERS
Rock Boynton, MSOE
Boynton played well to lead MSOE to a 3-2 victory over Bethel, recording 19 saves in the 3-2 overtime victory.
Mark DerManulian, Lake Forest
DerManulian posted a pair of two-point games as Lake Forest prevailed 4-0 at Aurora before falling 4-2 at home to Stevens Point, the top-ranked team in the nation. The sophomore defenseman assisted on one score and hit the empty net for his first career goal, a short-handed tally, on Friday. He also set up both of the Foresters’ power play goals on Saturday.
Cole Golka, St. Scholastica
In a weekend sweep of MIAC-foes Gustavus Adolphus College and Saint John’s University, Golka recorded three goals. In Friday night’s win at Gustavus Adolphus scored an empty-netter to seal the Saints the victory. Then on Saturday, Golka scored a spectacular goal, which proved to be the game-winner and then added another empty-netter to down the Johnnies. Golka has recorded a point in four straight games.
Jeff Makowski, MSOE
Makowski tallied a pair of points (1G/1A) as MSOE downed Bethel. He scored the game’s first goal and assisted the game-winner in overtime.
Nick Monfils, Marian
Monfils had a hand in two of the three Marian goals as the Sabres earned a tie against No. 6/8 UW-Eau Claire. Monfils assisted the opening Marian goal before lighting the lamp for the sixth time this season in the second period.
Nick Trenciansky, St. Scholastica
Trenciansky was stellar in goal for the Saints again over the weekend, stopping 66 of 68 shots. He gave a lone power-play goal in Friday night’s win at Gustavus Adolphus and then a 4-on-4 goal Saturday against Saint John’s. He currently leads the NCHA and ranks in the top-5 nationally in save percentage and goals-against-average.
Hunter Vorva, Marian
In a relief effort, junior Hunter Vorva didn’t allow a goal to No. 6/8 UW-Eau Claire to earn a tie. Vorva played the final 36:44 for the Sabres stopping all 17 shots he faced. Vorva now ranks 13th in the nation with a 1.73 goals against average and ninth in the country with a .938 save percentage.