COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Following a full slate of games to start December, four different teams are represented among the KJ Branding National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week for the week of Dec. 2-8, 2024. Garnering KJ Branding NCHC honors for Week 10 are:
- Forward – Tyson Gross, St. Cloud State, So.
- Defenseman – Abram Wiebe, North Dakota, So.
- Goaltender – Luke Pavicich, Arizona State, Sr.
- Rookie – Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth, forward
This is Gross’ first career NCHC Forward of the Week nod and second career NCHC weekly honor after earning Rookie of the Week to end last season. For Wiebe, Pavicich and Plante, these are the first career NCHC weekly honors of any kind.
FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Tyson Gross, St. Cloud State
Sophomore Forward
Calgary, Alberta
Gross had a monster weekend to power St. Cloud State to a win and four standings points against Omaha. The sophomore led all NCHC skaters with both five points and four goals on the weekend, including the first two multi-goal games of his career. On Friday, Gross scored two goals in less than two minutes late in the second period, flipping a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. His first goal came off a steal and snipe, which was unassisted. The next night, Gross tallied a career-high three points. He set up SCSU’s first goal on the power play, then scored his own power play goal to break a 1-1 tie in the second stanza, before sealing the 5-2 victory with a goal early in the third period. Gross was tabbed First Star of the Game Saturday after garnering Third Star on Friday.
Gross finished the series with four goals and an assist, becoming the first SCSU player with back-to-back two-goal games on a weekend since Kalle Kossila on Dec. 11-12, 2015. Gross also fired nine shots on goal in the series, was +1 and went 21-16 in the faceoff circle for 56.8 percent against the Mavericks. He had two points on the man advantage, helping SCSU go a perfect 3-for-3 on the power play on Saturday. On the season, Gross now has 10 points (6g/4a) in 15 games after doubling his point total this past weekend and tripling his goal total.
DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Abram Wiebe, North Dakota
Sophomore Defenseman
Mission, B.C.
Wiebe was a stalwart on the Fighting Hawks blue line, powering North Dakota to a sweep at Miami. He recorded four points in the series, with multiple points both nights. On Friday, the Vegas Golden Knights draft pick handed out a pair of assists on UND’s second and third goals to help them erase a two-goal deficit and rally for a 5-4 win. He also blocked three shots and was +2 in the series opener. The next night, Wiebe opened the scoring with a power play goal only 2:27 into the game, then set up North Dakota’s final goal, also on the man advantage, to seal a 4-2 victory.
Wiebe finished the sweep with a goal, three assists, four blocked shots and five shots on goal, while posting a +1 plus/minus. He also helped limit Miami to only 23 shot attempts on Friday, UND’s fewest allowed since 2020. Wiebe now has four multi-point games this season after entering the weekend with only two. He ranks third on the team and second among defensemen with 12 points (3g/9a) in 17 games this year, while his nine assists are also third on UND’s squad.
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Luke Pavicich, Arizona State
Senior Goaltender
Clarence Center, N.Y.
Pavicich was busy in net in Arizona State’s sweep of Minnesota Duluth, making at least 33 saves both nights as the Sun Devils were outshot in each game. In Friday’s opener, he compiled 35 saves, with double-digit saves each period, including 10 in the third as ASU held on for a 5-3 victory. The next night, he stopped 33 shots in a 3-2 overtime win, including a pair of saves in the extra session. Pavicich was named Second Star of the Game both nights with the 35 saves on Friday his second-highest total of the season and the 33 Saturday his third-most.
Pavicich totaled 68 saves on the weekend to lead all NCHC netminders, while his .932 save percentage led all goalies who played two games. The UMass Lowell transfer also posted a 2.41 goals-against average in the two wins against UMD, while running his win streak in net to five games. Pavicich improved to 6-4-0 on the season in 10 starts, while upping his season save percentage to .919 and lowering his GAA to 2.29.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth
Freshman Forward
Hermantown, Minn.
After missing 10 games with an injury, Plante is rounding back into form, tallying three points at Arizona State, including his first two career goals. In Friday’s opener, the Detroit Red Wings draft pick set up UMD’s first goal with a primary assist that tied the game at 1-1 in the first minute of the second period. He then scored his first collegiate goal in the third period, cutting the Bulldogs’ deficit to 4-2 in a 5-3 loss. The two points Friday tied his career high and marked his second multi-point game this season. The next night, Plante scored UMD’s first goal early in the third period to tie the game at 1-1 in an eventual overtime loss.
Plante ended the series with two goals, the only NCHC freshman to tally twice on the weekend, and an assist, while factoring into three of UMD’s five goals at ASU. He also fired 10 shots on goal, including six on Friday, while posting a +1 plus/minus in the series. Plante now has six points (2g/4a) in five games this season, with points in four of his five games.
OTHER NOMINEES:
Forward of the Week
Matteo Costantini, Western Michigan
Dylan Jackson, Arizona State
Carter King, Denver
Mac Swanson, North Dakota
Zach Urdahl, Omaha
Gleb Veremyev, Colorado College
Johnny Waldron, Miami
Defenseman of the Week
Zeev Buium, Denver
Zack Sharp, Western Michigan
Goaltender of the Week
Cameron Rowe, Western Michigan
Rookie of the Week
Sacha Boisvert, North Dakota
Jake Fisher, Denver
Zack Sharp, Western Michigan
