CCHA Players of the Week: Jan. 9-10

The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) has announced its Players of the Week for January 9-10 and four student-athletes from four different programs have been recognized. Max Koskipirtti (Michigan Tech) was named Forward of the Week, while Jack Mesic (Ferris State) collected Defenseman of the Week honors. Josh Kotai (Augustana) claimed his second Goaltender of the Week award this season and Ty Higgins (Bowling Green) garnered Rookie of the Week.

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CCHA Forward of the Week: Max Koskipirtti, Jr., Michigan Tech (Espoo, Finland) 

Koskipirtti led Michigan Tech to a road sweep of Bemidji State scoring two goals with one assist for three points. Netting one game-winning goal, he had four shots on net and won 52.8% of his face-offs across 20:27 of average ice time. On Friday, he scored twice, including the game-winner in a 5-2 Tech win. He then set up the eventual game-winning tally in a 4-3 Huskies victory on Saturday night.

CCHA Defenseman of the Week: Jack Mesic, Sr., Ferris State (Plymouth, Mich.) 

Mesic led conference blueliners with two goals last week, scoring one power-play tally on seven shots on goal. An even rating against Bowling Green, he had two blocks and averaged 20:50 minutes per game. On Friday, he scored a goal and was a +1 in Ferris State’s 3-1 loss the Falcons. He then tallied on the power play in a 5-1 defeat on Saturday.

CCHA Goaltender of the Week: Josh Kotai, Jr., Augustana (Abbotsford, B.C.) 

Kotai stopped all 45 shots he faced in Augustana’s road sweep of Northern Michigan, leading the Vikings to wins of 3-0 and 2-0. The fourth goaltender in the nation to post back-to-back shutouts this season, he opened the weekend with an 18-save outing in a 3-0 victory on Friday. He then stopped 27 shots in a 2-0 triumph on Saturday night. He stopped five shots while the Vikings were shorthanded, helping them going 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.

CCHA Rookie of the Week: Ty Higgins, Fr., Bowling Green (Stratford, Ont.) 

Higgins led conference skaters with four assists last weekend, helping the Falcons to a road sweep of Ferris State. Posting a +1 rating, he had four shots on goal and averaged 17:14 minutes per game. On Friday, he had one helper in a 3-1 win over the Bulldogs. He then dished out a career-high three assists in a 5-1 victory on Saturday night.

Men’s Ice Hockey 1/13/2026 10:00:00 AM Michael Weisman

KJ Branding NCHC Players of the Week: January 5-11, 2026

WMU’s Michaels, UMD’s Hanson, Miami’s Drobac and CC’s Lindgren honored for Week 14

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• NCHC Players of the Week Archive

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – For the second straight week, four different teams are represented among the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week presented by KJ Branding for the week of Jan. 5-11, 2026. Earning KJ Branding NCHC Week 14 honorees are:

• Forward – Owen Michaels, Western Michigan, Jr.
• Defenseman – Ty Hanson, Minnesota Duluth, So.
• Goaltender – Matteo Drobac, Miami, So.
• Rookie – Mats Lindgren, Colorado College, D

These are the first career NCHC weekly honors for both Michaels and Lindgren. Hanson captured Defenseman of the Week accolades for the third time this season, while it’s his fourth career NCHC weekly award. Drobac gloved Goaltender of the Week for the third time this season, as well, but first time during conference play.

FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Owen Michaels, Western Michigan
Junior Forward
Northville, Mich.

Michaels powered No. 3 Western Michigan to a sweep at then-No. 7 Denver, totaling four points in the series. In Friday’s opener, the WMU captain dished out the primary assist on the Broncos final goal, a short-handed empty-netter, to seal a 4-1 victory. A night later, Michaels erupted for a season-high-tying three points in a 6-2 win, including two goals. His first tally broke a 1-1 tie late in the opening period, while he made it a 3-1 contest in the second stanza, which served as the game-winning goal. Michaels handed out another primary assist on WMU’s final goal Saturday, as well. He was named First Star of the Game in the series finale.

Michaels finished the series with two goals and two assists, with the two markers tying for second in the NCHC on the weekend. He also led the conference with a +4 plus/minus on the weekend, while going 26-25 in the faceoff circle at Denver (51.0 percent) and putting four shots on goal. With points in both games, Michaels is now riding a four-game point streak with six points (4g/2a) in that span. In 22 games this season, he’s now fifth on the team with 17 points on seven goals and 10 assists.

DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Ty Hanson, Minnesota Duluth
Sophomore Defenseman
Hermantown, Minn.

Hanson helped lead an offensive outburst for the sixth-ranked Bulldogs in their sweep of Lindenwood over the weekend to wrap up non-conference play. The sophomore was a force on special teams, recording three assists on the man advantage while helping UMD go 7-for-14 on the power play against the Lions. In Friday’s 6-3 win, Hanson handed out a trio of helpers, including two on the power play, with his first breaking a 2-2 tie. He added another power play assist on the Bulldogs’ second goal in Saturday’s 8-4 victory.

Hanson totaled four points and four assists in the series, both of which tied for the NCHC lead among defensemen on the weekend. The UMD assistant captain also anchored a penalty kill unit that went 3-for-4 against the Lions. Hanson posted a +3 plus/minus in the series, while firing six shots on goal and blocking a shot. He averaged 23:09 time on ice per game. On the season, Hanson is tied for first among NCHC blueliners with 24 points in 22 games, while his 18 assists lead NCHC defensemen by himself.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Matteo Drobac, Miami
Sophomore Goaltender
Oakville, Ont.

Drobac posted his best weekend as a RedHawk last weekend at Arizona State, allowing only two goals all series in an overtime win and a loss. In Friday’s opener, he racked up 37 saves, including 13 in the third period, every one of which was needed in a 2-1 overtime victory. The 37 stops were the most saves in a Miami win since Feb. 25, 2023, as the RedHawks were outshot, 38-23. A night later, Drobac again only allowed a single goal, while making 25 saves in a tough-luck, 1-0 loss.

Drobac led the NCHC with both a .969 save percentage and a 0.99 goals-against average among goalies with two games played on the weekend. He totaled 62 saves on 64 shots faced, while helping Miami go a perfect 7-for-7 on the penalty kill against ASU with eight short-handed stops. After going 1-1 against the Sun Devils, Drobac now carries an 11-8-2 record in 21 starts this year with a .905 save percentage and a 2.93 GAA.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK 
Mats Lindgren, Colorado College
Freshman Defenseman
North Vancouver, B.C.

Lindgren was a force at both ends of the ice in Colorado College’s overtime win and loss to then-No. 4 North Dakota. Despite only playing in his third and fourth games for the Tigers since joining the team in 2026, the Buffalo Sabres draft pick totaled three points from the blue line, including his first two collegiate goals. In Friday’s opener, he assisted on CC’s game-winning goal in overtime in a 3-2 victory. The next night, he scored both of the Tigers’ goals in a 5-2 defeat, while earning Third Star of the Game.

Lindgren tied for the NCHC rookie lead on the weekend with both two goals and three points. He also blocked three shots against North Dakota, fired seven shots on goal and finished with a +2 plus/minus. Lindgren also helped CC go 5-for-6 on the penalty kill. His 23:57 average time on ice led NCHC rookies last weekend and was seventh among all NCHC blueliners. Since joining the team over winter break, Lindgren has four points (2g/2a) in four games, including a current three-game point streak.