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NAHL Alumni Update

January 30, 2019

Former NAHL and New Jersey Titans forward Nick Boyagian was the Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Week.

NCAA #1 Star of the Week: Matt Jurusik, Michigan Tech (Janesville Jets)
The LaGrange, Illinois native registered his first two shutouts of the season as he kept Alaska Anchorage of the scoreboard the entire weekend. The junior goaltender made 18 saves in Friday’s 3-0 blanking of the Seawolves. On Saturday, he stopped all 21 Alaska Anchorage shots in a scoreless tie. He lowered his season’s goals-against average to 2.40, while increasing his save percentage to .908.
 
NCHC Goaltender of the Month: Hunter Shepard, Minnesota-Duluth (Bismarck Bobcats)
Shepard continued his strong season in net, backstopping the Bulldogs to a 5-1-0 record this month for an .833 win percentage, which was tops in the NCHC in January. He also led the conference with a 1.34 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage during the first month of 2019. His 1.34 GAA ranked third nationally in January, while his .944 save percentage ranked fifth in the country. Shepard recorded two shutouts, tying for the NCAA lead, while all other NCHC goaltenders combined for only two shutouts in January. He allowed more than two goals only once in his six games, which came in his only loss of the month to top-ranked St. Cloud State, while allowing only three power play goals in 23 opportunities in January.Shepard opened 2019 with a 30-save performance in a 3-1 win over No. 1 St. Cloud State, earning him First Star of the Game, before making 18 stops in his only loss, a 4-2 defeat, in the series finale. The following weekend he recorded back-to-back shutouts in a sweep at Miami, compiling 23 saves on Jan. 18 and 17 saves the next night to complete the double whitewash. Shepard was Third Star in the series opener and First Star of the Game on Jan. 19, while he garnered NCHC Goaltender of the Week and NCAA Third Star of the Week for his two blankings. He then closed out January giving up only three goals in a sweep of Omaha, stopping 15 shots in the opener Jan. 25, while making a season-high 33 saves in a 3-1 win in the series finale to earn First Star of the Game. Shepard totaled 136 saves during the month with eight goals allowed (five even strength). On the season, he leads the NCHC with a 1.72 GAA, four shutouts and 16 wins (16-6-2), while his .925 save percentage ranks third in the conference.
 
Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Week: Nick Boyagian, Sacred Heart (New Jersey Titans)
Boyagian has started to make an impact in the Sacred Heart lineup after not dressing for eight of the first 12 games of the year. The freshman forward recorded the second multi-point game of his season in Friday’s 5-2 win over Holy Cross, netting a goal and adding two assists for three points. His goal was one of four scored in the third period as the Pioneers broke a 1-1 tie and pulled away for the victory.  
 
ECAC Goaltender of the Week: Gavin Nieto, Brown University (Fairbanks/Janesville)
Gavin Nieto (Brown) allowed just two goals this weekend to lead Brown to a pair of league wins. The junior made 45 saves, including 26 in Saturday’s win over No. 16 Union, finishing the week with a .957 save percentage. The 19-save shutout against RPI on Friday was his first of the season.
 
NCHC Goaltender of the Week: Trevor Gorsuch, Western Michigan (Michigan Warriors)
Gorsuch was stellar in backstopping Western Michigan to a home sweep of then-No. 4/3 Denver. On Friday, he totaled 21 saves, including 14 in the third period, in a 3-1 victory, to earn Third Star of the Game. Nine of his saves also came short-handed as he helped kill all six Denver power plays Friday. The next night in a 5-1 win, Gorsuch totaled 36 saves, his second-highest total this season, with a whopping 19 saves coming in the final frame to garner First Star of the Game. The only goal allowed came on a power play, though he still made 12 short-handed saves to help WMU’s penalty kill finish 7-for-8 Saturday. Gorsuch finished the series with 57 saves, a 1.00 goals-against average (only one even strength goal allowed) and a .966 save percentage, the latter two tops in the NCHC on the weekend, to improve to 13-4-1 on the season
 
WCHA Forward of the Week: Dallas Gerads, Minnesota State (Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees)
Gerads had three goals and two assists for five points to help lead Minnesota State to two wins at Northern Michigan last weekend. The sophomore registered six shots on goal and was +2 in the two victories over the Wildcats. He had a goal and an assist for two points in Friday's 3-2 win. Posted two goals and one assist for three points and a +2 rating in Saturday's 8-2 triumph. The Blaine, Minn., native has 12 goals, five assists and 17 points in 26 games this year. His goals and points totals are career highs.
 
WCHA Goaltender of the Week: Justin Kapelmaster, Ferris State (Wichita Falls Wildcats)
Ferris State University junior netminder Justin Kapelmaster had a big weekend for the Bulldogs as FSU earned a road split against then-No. 9 Bowling Green. Kapelmaster had a league-high 76 saves in the weekend series and allowed only two goals while going the distance between the pipes both nights. He notched his first victory and first shutout win of the year on Saturday night while making an impressive 41 saves in FSU's 3-0 triumph over the Falcons. The shutout was the fourth of his collegiate career. Overall, he posted a 1.03 goals against average and .974 save percentage in the two-game weekend set.
 
ECHL Player of the Week: John McCarron, Florida Everblades (Motor City Machine)
John McCarron of the Florida Everblades has been named the Inglasco ECHL Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 21-27. McCarron scored two goals, added three assists and was a +4 last week as the Everblades picked up a pair of wins against Jacksonville. The 26-year-old notched a pair of assists in a 3-0 win on Friday and scored two goals while adding an assist in a 5-1 victory on Saturday. A native of Macomb, Michigan, McCarron is tied for 14th in the ECHL with 40 points (18g-22a) in 36 games this season. McCarron has tallied 194 points (85g-109a) in 212 career ECHL games with Florida and Wheeling. He also has seen action in 16 career American Hockey League games with St. John’s, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Stockton.
 
Former NAHL and Corpus Christi goalie Anthony Stolarz helped the Philadelphia Flyers stay hot with a shutout on Tuesday night (read)
 
Former NAHL and Coulee Region goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks has grown in Year 2 in the AHL (read)
 
 
 
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