The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) has announced its Players of the Month for January and four student-athletes from four different programs have been recognized. Liam Malmquist (St. Thomas) claimed Forward of the Month honors, while Travis Shoudy (Ferris State) was named Defenseman of the Month. Josh Kotai (Augustana) was the conference’s Goaltender of the Month and Ryan Manzella (Michigan Tech) earned Rookie of the Month.
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CCHA Forward of the Month: Liam Malmquist, Sr., St. Thomas (Edina, Minn.)
Malmquist led all CCHA skaters in points (13) and points per game (1.44) during January, scoring six goals with seven assists and a +8 rating, which was good for third in the league and second among forwards. He recorded a conference-best five multi-point games and was fourth in shots (30). Putting together a six-game point streak that included five contests with multiple points, his month was highlighted by netting a hat trick on January 10 against Ferris State in a 9-6 Tommies win.
CCHA Defenseman of the Month: Travis Shoudy, Jr., Ferris State (Marysville, Mich.)
Shoudy paced league blueliners with 10 points last week, scoring four goals and assisting on six more with a CCHA-best +9 rating. Netting one game-winning goal, he was fourth among all skaters in helpers, with 22 shots on goal. His month was highlighted by a pair of three-point games, including a two-goal, one-assist outing in a 5-1 road victory over Bemidji State on January 31. His four-game point streak from January 10-18 was the second-longest of his collegiate career.
CCHA Goaltender of the Month: Josh Kotai, So., Augustana (Abbotsford, B.C.)
Kotai went 5-0-2 with a 1.39 goals-against average and a .958 save percentage in seven January starts. He led CCHA netminders in wins, save percentage and saves per game (32.6), while ranking second in total saves (228). Posting a 33-save shutout at Bowling Green on January 24, he matched a career-high with 45 saves in a 3-2 Vikings win at then-No. 8 Colorado College on January 4. For the month, he had 25+ saves in six of his seven outings, while stopping 40+ in two.
CCHA Rookie of the Month: Ryan Manzella, Fr., Michigan Tech (Eagan, Minn.)
Manzella posted a 5-0-0 record in six January appearances (5 starts), registering CCHA-bests in goals-against average (1.23) and shutouts (3). In 342:10 minutes, he totaled 132 saves (22.0 per game), stopping a season-high 31 shots in a 1-0 road shutout of then-No. 12 Minnesota State on January 18. Also turning in shutouts at Northern Michigan (22 saves) and against Lake Superior State (21 saves), he notched 20 or more caroms in four games during the month.
