Four NAHL alums honored this past week
October 30, 2013
It was another impressive week for NAHL alumni as several were honored throughout the NCAA for their weekly achievements in their respective conferences. Here is a look at those that were honored:
Michigan Technological University goaltender Pheonix Copley, who stopped 45 of 48 shots on goal as the Huskies split a home-and-home league series with Northern Michigan last weekend, has been named WCHA Men's Defensive Player of the Week. A 6-3, 175-pound sophomore from North Pole, Alaska, Copley recorded a .938 series save percentage, posted four shutout periods and held the Wildcats to just one power-play goal in 12 man-advantage opportunities. Through four games played this season, Copley ranks second among WCHA goaltenders overall in both goals-against average at 2.02 and save percentage at .939.His save percentage also ranks seventh nationally. Copley played in the NAHL during the 2010-11 season for the Corpus Christi IceRays, appearing in 42 games that season. During the 2009-10 season, he played for the California Titans 18U team of the NAPHL, appearing in 10 league games that season.
University of Massachusetts-Lowell goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was named the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week for his effort over the weekend. The sophomore goaltender from Commerce, Michigan, stopped 62 of 64 shots (.969 save%) on the weekend in leading the River Hawksto a pair of road wins over Big Ten opponents; including Michigan State (4-1) on Friday
and No. 4 ranked Michigan (2-1) on Saturday. Hellebuyck played in the NAHL during the 2011-12 season for the Odessa Jackalopes, appearing in 53 games. He won both the NAHL Goaltender and Rookie of the Year awards that season.
Canisius College sophomore goaltender Keegan Asmundson was named the Atlantic Hockey Association Travel Team USA Goaltender of the Week. The Inner Grove Heights, Minnesota native led the Griffs to a 4-1 victory against 17th-ranked Denver on Saturday, earning top star distinction in the upset win. Asmundson set a career-high with 36 saves against the Pioneers, yielding only a late power-play tally versus the perennial power. The win for Asmundson and the Griffs marked the sixth in the program’s history against a nationally-ranked foe and the first versus a non-conference foe. Asmundson played three seasons the NAHL. He spent the 2008-09 and 2009-10 season with the North Iowa Outlaws and the 2010-11 season with the Austin Bruins.
Miami University junior forward Austin Czarnik was named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Offensive Player of the Week. The Washington, Michigan native assisted on five of Miami’s six goals on the weekend at No. 8 Providence, with four helpers coming on the power play and one coming short-handed. The RedHawk captain dished out the primary assist on four of the goals, including both of Miami’s tallies on Friday to help tie the game in the third period before Miami fell in overtime. On Saturday, Czarnik had three assists in a 4-4 overtime tie, again bringing the RedHawks back from a two-goal deficit. The center put seven shots on goal against the Friars and blocked six shots in the two games. Czarnik played in the NAHL during the 2008-09 season, appearing in 42 games for the USNTDP team.
