NAHL Alumni Update

Former Minnesota Wilderness forward Zach Jordan was named the ECHL Player of the Week.

Atlantic Hockey Goalie of the Week: Jason Grande, Holy Cross (Amarillo Bulls) - Junior Jason Grande held Air Force to just three goals in the Crusaders’ two-game sweep of the Falcons. The West Chester, Pa., native finished the weekend with a 1.51 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage, while stopping 46-of-49 shots. Two of the goals were even strength as he backstopped a Holy Cross penalty kill that snuffed out 11-of-12 Air Force power plays. This is Grande’s second career Atlantic Hockey weekly honor. He won his first on Dec. 5 this season.

Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Week: Nicholas Niemo, F, Bentley (Lone Star Brahmas) - Freshman forward Nicholas Niemo led Bentley with six points, on a goal and five assists, in their weekend sweep at RV/UR Niagara. The Middlebury, Vt., native skated on a line that combined to score four goals on the weekend. In Friday's 6-3 series-opening win, he notched two assists then registered one goal and three assists in Saturday's 6-1 win to complete the sweep. This is his first career Atlantic Hockey weekly honor.

CCHA Forward of the Week: Brendan Furry, Minnesota State (Amarillo Bulls) - Furry led all CCHA skaters with four points last week on two goals and two assists. Posting a +2 while leading then-No. 17 Minnesota State to a road sweep of Arizona State, he opened the weekend by recording the game-winning goal and an assist in a 3-1 victory over the Sun Devils. On Saturday, he scored and assisted on two more goals, while totaling nine shots on the weekend. He also won 60% (18-of-30) face-offs.

CCHA Defenseman of the Week: Jared Kucharek, Lake Superior State (Lone Star Brahmas) - Kucharek helped the Lakers to a weekend split with Ferris State. He scored a goal for a point and was a +1 with three shots and three blocked shots at the defensive end of the ice. On Saturday, he scored and was +2 in Lake Superior State’s 4-1 victory.

CCHA Goaltender of the Week: Keenan Rancier, So., Minnesota State (Minot Minotauros) - Rancier went 2-0-0 with a 0.50 goals-against average and a .982 save percentage, including his first collegiate shutout, in a road sweep of Arizona State last week. On Friday, he made 30 saves in a 3-1 victory, before stopping all 26 shots he faced in a 5-0 win on Saturday. For the week, he stopped 56-of-57 shots, including all eight while the Mavericks were shorthanded, helping the penalty go 4-for-4.

ECAC Rookie of the Week: Alex Krause, F, Dartmouth (El Paso/Northeast) - Alex Krause (Fr., Dartmouth) made his debut for the Big Green this weekend, scoring one goal in each of his appearances for his first tallies of the season and of his collegiate career. On Friday, Krause capitalized in the final seconds of the second period to tie the game at one apiece, then scored Dartmouth’s fourth goal of the game on Saturday as part of a comeback attempt that fell just short.

Hockey East Rookie of the Week: Kristaps Skrastins, F, New Hampshire (Amarillo Wranglers) - Skrastins recorded his first collegiate game winner in a 3-1 win at No. 17 UMass on Sunday. With the game tied at 1-1, he broke the tie just 2:15 into the third period to deliver UNH its third-straight win and fourth in its last six outings.

ECHL Player of the Week: Zach Jordan, Jacksonville (Minnesota Wilderness) – Zach Jordan of the Jacksonville Icemen is the Inglasco ECHL Player of the Week for Jan. 9-15. Jordan scored five goals and added an assist for six points in three games last week. The 26-year-old scored two goals and added an assist in a 7-3 win against Florida on Wednesday, scored a goal in a 5-3 loss to Atlanta on Friday and had two goals in a 5-3 victory at Atlanta on Saturday. Under contract to Hartford of the American Hockey League, Jordan has 18 points (12g-6a) in 25 games with the Icemen this season while also skating in one game with the Wolf Pack.

ECHL Goalie of the Week: Pat Nagle, Reading (St. Louis Bandits) - Pat Nagle of the Reading Royals is the ECHL Goaltender of the Week for Jan. 9-15. It is the seventh time in his career that he has received the weekly honor, which is tied for the third most in ECHL history. Nagle went 2-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and a save percentage of .967 in two appearances against Adirondack last week. The 35-year-old made 24 saves in a 5-1 win on Friday and turned aside 37 shots in a 3-1 victory on Saturday. Under contract to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League, Nagle is 9-3-0 with one shutout in 12 appearances with the Royals this season and ranks fourth in the ECHL with a 2.21 goals-against average and eighth with a .920 save percentage. He has also appeared in six games with the Phantoms.