St. Norbert’s Michael and St. Scholastica’s Thomeczek
Earn Final NCHA Women’s Hockey Weekly Honors
St. Norbert College senior Lauren Michael (F - Livonia, Mich.) is the NCHA Women’s Offensive Player of the Week and College of St. Scholastica junior Lexi Thomeczek (G - St. Louis, Mo.) is the NCHA Women’s Defensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.
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Michael is the NCHA Offensive Player of the Week after leading the way for St. Norbert to clinch an NCHA Slaats Cup Playoff berth with a sweep of Northland College this past weekend. Michael assisted on the game-winning goal in the third period in Friday’s 2-1 win. She then scored the game’s first two goals - both shorthanded markers - in Saturday’s 5-0 victory, which provided the difference to send the Green Knights into the postseason. Michael’s two “shorties” marked the first time in St. Norbert history a player has scored shorthanded twice in a game.
Thomeczek is the NCHA Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in her career after helping the Saints to the No. 2 seed in the final NCHA regular-season standings with a weekend sweep of Lake Forest College. She actually went 3-0 on the week (also defeating Superior, 2-1) while posting some jaw-dropping stats. For the three contests, Thomeczek allowed just one goal on 107 shots, finishing with a 3-0 record, 0.33 goals-against average and .991 save percentage. She shut down a potent Forester attack with back-to-back shutouts, making 24 saves Friday (a 1-0 win) and 40 more Saturday (2-0 win). She became the program’s winningest goalie following he result Tuesday, while setting the program record for shutouts (6) in a season after the weekend was over.
2018-19 NCHA WEEKLY TOP PERFORMERS
Rachel Anderson, St. Scholastica
Anderson led the Saints to a 3-0 week. In a conference showdown with Lake Forest over the weekend, Anderson had a hand in all three St. Scholastica goals. On Friday night, her goal in the third period was the difference in a 1-0 victory. Then on Saturday, she assisted Taylor Thompson both times in the 2-0 win as the Saints locked up the No. 2 seed.
Anais Aurard, St. Norbert
Aurard won both games in a series sweep of Northland this past weekend as St. Norbert clinched an NCHA Slaats Cup Playoffs berth. Aurard made 20 saves in Friday’s 2-1 win over the Lumberjills and followed up with 17 stops in Saturday’s 5-0 victory.
Morgan Bolin, Marian
Bolin scored a pair of power play goals as Marian closed out the season at Adrian.
Kailey Cameron, Trine
Cameron led the Thunder offensively on the weekend finishing with three points including a goal and two assists. On Friday, she started the scoring for Trine picking up the team’s lone goal in the first period. On Saturday, she added her two assists. The first coming on the team’s game-winning goal in the second and the other coming on the team’s insurance goal in the third.
Nicole McKernan, Aurora
McKernan scored four goals including a hat-trick in AU’s weekend sweep of Finlandia.
Chiara Pfosi, Aurora
Pfosi posted a shutout win in her last action of the season, a 9-0 win over Finlandia.
Molly Scarborough, Trine
Scarborough finished off the regular season with two crucial wins. On Friday, she allowed just two goals with 27 saves securing the Thunder their first appearance in the NCHA Slaats Cup Playoffs in just the programs second season. On Saturday, she started the game with two shutout periods and finished with 29 saves as the team secured their first home NCHA sweep and the #4 seed.
Lindsey Strainis, Marian
Strainis set a new single-season record for saves after making 78 stops at Adrian to close out the season. In the finale, Strainis made 46 saves to earn a tie, her third game with 40 or more saves this season.