Finlandia’s Rezansoff and Adrian’s Babintsev
Earn NCHA Men’s Hockey Weekly Honors
Finlandia University sophomore Alex Rezansoff (F - Red Wing, Minn.) is the NCHA Men’s Offensive Player of the Week and Adrian College sophomore Nikita Babintsev (G - Birmingham, Mich.) is the NCHA Men’s Defensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.
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Rezansoff played a key role as Finlandia picked up a pair of victories on the weekend to leapfrog into a tie for third place in the standings. He earns NCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors after a four-point performance, coming through with a crucial goal and key assist in each win. On Friday, he helped get the Lions on the board with an assist after trailing early, 2-0. He then scored just 29 seconds into the second period to tie things up and send his team on its way to a 7-4 win. Saturday, he again helped cap a comeback after falling behind Northland College, 2-0. His assist made it a new game at 2-2 and his goal ended up the game-winner with just over three minutes to play in a 4-2 win (a late empty-netter iced it).
Babintsev picks up NCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors after coming through in a big way after stepping into the starting lineup following an injury. With four-year starter Kevin Entmaa out, Babintsev helped the Bulldogs top MSOE (3-1) and Concordia Wisconsin (5-3) at home. For the week, he compiled a 2-0 record, 1.08 goals-against average and .953 save percentage in 110:38 of action. He was particularly solid against the Falcons, making several sprawling glove saves among 21 stops in 50 minutes, while allowing just one goal. He is 3-0 with a 1.08 and .948 save percentage on the season.
2018-19 NCHA WEEKLY TOP PERFORMERS
George Argiropoulos, Lake Forest
Argiropoulos turned in two more stellar performances between the pipes as Lake Forest won twice to remain atop the NCHA standings. He stopped all 21 shots on goal he faced in Friday night’s 2-0 blanking of Marian and turned away 18 of 19, including 11 in the final period, in a 4-1 triumph over Lawrence on Saturday. He is now ranked among the top four in the nation in goals-against average and save percentage this season.
Conner Blanck, Marian
Blanck scored the game-winning goal as Marian defeated Aurora 1-0 on the road.
Brendon Gysbers, St. Norbert
Gysbers led St. Norbert’s blueliners in a pair of wins this past weekend. Gysbers had two assists in the Green Knights’ 7-0 win over Northland on Friday. He then added three assists in Saturday’s 7-2 win over St. Scholastica on Saturday. Three of his helpers came on power-play goals as St. Norbert was 6-for-10 on the power play in the two games.
Cullen Kane, Lake Forest
Kane helped start the scoring in both of Lake Forest’s victories over the weekend. He connected for what proved to be the game-winner in the second period of a 2-0 shutout of Marian Friday night as the Foresters won the match-up of division leaders. On Saturday he assisted on the game’s first goal and scored the last in a 4-1 triumph over Lawrence.
Matt McNair, Adrian
In a week when Adrian used a balanced offense while picking up home wins against NCHA foes MSOE (3-1) and CUW (5-3), Matt McNair led the team with three points on two goals and an assist. He also had a plus-3 and six shots on goal. He broke a 1-1 tie midway through the third period in the two-goal win against the Raiders on Friday. On Saturday versus the Falcons, he assisted on the go-ahead goal that gave the Bulldogs the lead for good 2-1.
Keegan Milligan, St. Norbert
Milligan scored one goal and one assist in St. Norbert’s 7-0 win over Northland on Friday. He then followed up with two goals and one assist for three points in Saturday’s 7-2 win over St. Scholastica.
Santeri Seppinen, Finlandia
Seppinen, stopped 24 of 26 shots and limited Northland power play to 1 for 3 on the night.
Gianni Vitali, Trine
Vitali came up with three big points in the Thunder’s victory over MSOE on Saturday. After a 3-3 tie with Concordia on Friday, Vitali started the scoring in the first period against MSOE before assisting on the eventual game-winner later in the same stanza. He then set back the Raiders’ comeback attempt with a goal in opening minute of the third.
Hunter Vorva, Marian
Vorva made 57 saves on the weekend and finished with a 1.03 goals against average. Vorva posted his second shutout of the season with a 24-save performance against Aurora.
Brett Young, Trine
Young finished the weekend undefeated after starting both games for Trine as the team went 1-0-1 for the weekend. Despite allowing the game-tying goal in the final minutes of regulation, Young buckled down and kept visiting Concordia off the board to preserve the point. Then on Saturday, Young held MSOE to just one goal to secure the win.