Denver’s Stapley, UMD’s Hughes Lead HCA December Honorees
Wednesday, January 5, 2022
Here are the men’s and women’s monthly honorees and runners-up for December as chosen by the Hockey Commissioners Association.
Men’s Player of the Month: Brett Stapley,
SR Forward, Denver (Campbell River, BC)
Stapley went 5-4-9 in five games (1.8 PPG), leading the Pioneers to a 4-1-0 mark. Included in numbers: his first collegiate hat trick at Arizona State and the GWG vs. Alaska.
Runner-Up:
Georgii Merkulov, FR F, Ohio State,
(Ryazan, Russia) (7 GP, 6-3-9, 1.4 PPG)
Women’s Player of the Month: Gabbie Hughes,
SR Forward, Minnesota Duluth (Lino Lakes, MN)
Led the WCHA with 4-5-9 (1.8 PPG) in December’s five games, also leading the NCAA in points-per-game on the month. Making the numbers even more impressive: all five games came against Top Ten opponents. The Bulldogs split with #2 Ohio State and #3 Minnesota before winning at #10 Harvard on the last day of the month.
Runners-Up:
Sydney Herrington, JR F, Dartmouth
(Bow, NH) (5 GP, 3-3-6, 1.2 PPG)
Maude Poulin-Labelle, SR D, Vermont
(Sherbrooke, PQ) (4 GP, 1-4-5, 1.25 PPG)
Men’s Rookie of the Month: Corson Ceulemans, FR Defenseman,
University of Wisconsin (Beaumont, ALTA)
Named the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off Best Defenseman of the Tournament and was outstanding at both ends of the ice. Was 2-5-7 in four games (1.75 PPG) and led the Badgers to a 2-1-1 mark. Was in on seven of Wisconsin’s 13 goals in the month.
Runners-Up:
Carter Mazur, Denver, FR F,
(Jackson, MI) (5 GP, 2-6-8, 1.6 PPG)
Matt Crasa, UMass Lowell, FR F
(New York, NY) (5 GP, 4-2-6, 1.2 PPG)
Austin Swankler, Bowling Green, FR F
(North Huntingdon, PA) (6 GP, 1-6-7, 1.2 PPG)
Women’s Rookie of the Month: Sophie Matsoukas, FR G,
Union College (Ottawa, ON)
Allowed just two goals in 166+ minutes, making 91 saves in the process and recording her first career shutout. In all, she enjoyed a 0.72 GAA and a save percentage of .978.
Runners-Up:
Athena Vasdani, FR F, RIT
(Oakville, ON) (4 GP, 1-3-4, 1.3 PPG)
Nicole Vallario, FR F, St. Thomas
(Lugano, Switzerland) (4 GP, 2-2-4, 1.0 PPG)
Men’s Goaltender of the Month: Dryden McKay, SR Goalie,
Minnesota State University (Downers Grove, IL)
McKay went 5-0 in December, allowing a single goal in each of the five contests and capping the month with a 26-save 2-1 win over #6 Minnesota Duluth. For the month, McKay had a 0.99 GAA with a save percentage of .946.
Runners-Up:
Drew Comesso, SO G, Boston University
(Norwell, MA) (3 GP, 1.59 GAA, 2-0-1, .944)
Drew DeRidder, SR G, Michigan State University
(Fenton, MI) (4 GP, 1.75 GAA, 2-2-0, .953)
Women’s Co-Goaltender of the Month: Calla Frank, JR Goalie,
Minnesota State University (Hugo, MN)
Frank had a phenomenal December, allowing only six goals in six games
(0.99 GAA, 4-1-1), stopping 140 of 146 shots (.959). On consecutive weekends against St. Thomas and St. Cloud, Frank and the Mavericks swept four
games, taking 3-0 and 3-1 wins from each opponent.
Women’s Co-Goaltender of the Month: Josie Bothun, SO Goalie,
Penn State University (Wyoming, MN)
She only played two games but Bothun was perfect, going 45-for-45 in a pair of 3-0 road shutouts at UNH. With 25 wins in 38 starts, Bothun set the PSU career win record and her two shutouts gave her eight, also a PSU record.
Runner-Up:
Sandra Abstreiter, GR G, Providence College
(Freising, Germany) (0.50, .986, 2-0-0)
