Four Mavericks Finalists For NCHC Awards
Mar 9, 2017 | Hockey
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Four members of the Omaha hockey team are finalists for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference's year-end awards.
Senior Austin Ortega is one of four finalists for Forward of the Year. Already a member of the NCHC All-Conference First Team, he leads the NCHC in scoring for all games played with 19 goals and 26 assists for 45 points. His assist and point totals are career bests. Ortega has been named the NCHC's Offensive Player of the Week three times this season and was the conference's Player of the Month in December. Earlier this season, he tied the NCAA record by scoring his 23rd career game-winning goal.
Junior Luc Snuggerud is one of three finalists for Offensive Defenseman of the Year. He is second in scoring among NCHC defensemen for all games played with 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points, all career highs. His goal total is best among NCHC defensemen. A fifth round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2014, Snuggerud is tied for second among all NCHC players with 18 power play points. He was named to the NCHC All-Conference Second Team on Wednesday.
Junior Tyler Vesel is one of four finalists for the Sportsmanship Award. Along with Snuggerud, he is an alternate captain. Vesel has had just three minor penalties all season and has accumulated just 10 minutes in 110 career games. A sixth round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2014, he currently ranks second in team scoring with a career high 33 points while he also ranks third on the team and fourth among forwards in the NCAA with 50 blocked shots.
Senior Justin Parizek is one of two finalists for the Senior Scholar Athlete Award. Parizek currently carries a cumulative grade point average of 3.79 in business and has been a member of both the Chancellor's List (4.0) and the Dean's List (3.5 and above). He also is a three-time member of the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team. The Mavericks' captain has 11 goals and 18 points in 30 games this season.
The winners will be announced and presented their awards on March 16 at the annual NCHC Awards Celebration at Muse Event Center in Minneapolis on the eve of the fourth annual NCHC Frozen Faceoff.
Senior Austin Ortega is one of four finalists for Forward of the Year. Already a member of the NCHC All-Conference First Team, he leads the NCHC in scoring for all games played with 19 goals and 26 assists for 45 points. His assist and point totals are career bests. Ortega has been named the NCHC's Offensive Player of the Week three times this season and was the conference's Player of the Month in December. Earlier this season, he tied the NCAA record by scoring his 23rd career game-winning goal.
Junior Luc Snuggerud is one of three finalists for Offensive Defenseman of the Year. He is second in scoring among NCHC defensemen for all games played with 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points, all career highs. His goal total is best among NCHC defensemen. A fifth round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2014, Snuggerud is tied for second among all NCHC players with 18 power play points. He was named to the NCHC All-Conference Second Team on Wednesday.
Junior Tyler Vesel is one of four finalists for the Sportsmanship Award. Along with Snuggerud, he is an alternate captain. Vesel has had just three minor penalties all season and has accumulated just 10 minutes in 110 career games. A sixth round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2014, he currently ranks second in team scoring with a career high 33 points while he also ranks third on the team and fourth among forwards in the NCAA with 50 blocked shots.
Senior Justin Parizek is one of two finalists for the Senior Scholar Athlete Award. Parizek currently carries a cumulative grade point average of 3.79 in business and has been a member of both the Chancellor's List (4.0) and the Dean's List (3.5 and above). He also is a three-time member of the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team. The Mavericks' captain has 11 goals and 18 points in 30 games this season.
The winners will be announced and presented their awards on March 16 at the annual NCHC Awards Celebration at Muse Event Center in Minneapolis on the eve of the fourth annual NCHC Frozen Faceoff.
Players Mentioned
Tuesday, September 01
Wednesday, August 26
Friday, August 21
Tuesday, April 21
