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NCAA Roundup: 7 alumni claim weekly awards

The NCAA season is in full swing and BCHL alumni have been consistently producing since the puck was dropped last month. Last week was no different as seven former BCHL players claimed weekly awards in their respective conferences.

ECAC Hockey Player of the Week

Ben Berard – Junior – Cornell University (Powell River Kings)

Berard recorded his second career hat trick in Saturday’s win at Dartmouth, scoring the final goal with six seconds remaining in regulation to give his team the victory. He also registered an assist on Friday, finishing the weekend with four points. Despite having played just four games so far this season, Berard ranks in the top-10 of the league in scoring.

The 22-year-old played with the Powell River Kings for three seasons from 2016 to 2019, notching 115 points in 135 regular-season games. His best year came in 2017-18 when he finished in a tie for sixth in league scoring with 67 points in 58 games.

ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Week

Yaniv Perets – Sophomore – Quinnipiac University (Penticton Vees)

Perets continued his outstanding start to the season with back-to-back shutouts on the road at Yale and Brown. Backstopping an outstanding Bobcats defensive unit, Perets made 12 saves in each game, en route to a weekend sweep and six conference points. His 0.74 goals-against average now leads all of college hockey and his .953 save percentage is third in the country.

Perets played the 2019-20 season with the Penticton Vees, posting the third-best goals-against average in the league at 2.19, the second-most shutouts with five and a .918 save percentage.

Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Week

Carter Wilkie – Freshman – Rochester Institute of Technology (Chilliwack Chiefs/West Kelowna Warriors)

Wilkie tipped home the game-winning goal with 3:43 left in overtime to lead RIT to a 3-2 victory at American International College Sunday afternoon. The Calgary, Alta., native also assisted on the Tigers’ second goal which tied the game with 12:33 left in the second period. Wilkie leads all Atlantic Hockey newcomers, and is tied for sixth nationally, in points this season with eight on four goals and four assists. This is his fourth Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Week honour this season.

The 21-year-old forward played three seasons in the BCHL, split between the Chilliwack Chiefs and West Kelowna Warriors. Over his career, he notched 87 points in 127 games.

CCHA Forward of the Week

Mikey Colella – Sophomore – Northern Michigan University (Trail Smoke Eaters)

Colella had a career-high night on Saturday, scoring his first collegiate hat trick, recording an assist and receiving first star of the game honours. He also had an assist on Friday night’s game-winning goal for a five-point weekend. With eight goals this season, Colella is now tied with teammate, and fellow BCHL alumnus, AJ Vanderbeck for most in the conference. His 12 total points ranks sixth overall. His eight goals is tied for second most in all of college hockey.

Colella starred for the Trail Smoke Eaters during the 2019-20 season, finishing third in league scoring with 68 points in 58 games while playing on a line with BCHL MVP and eventual fifth-overall NHL draft pick Kent Johnson.

CCHA Defenceman of the Week

Trevor Cosgrove – Graduate – Northern Michigan University (Alberni Valley Bulldogs)

Cosgrove recorded a career-high night Saturday with a goal and two assists. He doubled his season point total in one game to now boast six points off two goals and four assists as a Wildcat. He scored on the power play Saturday night and assisted on two others with the man advantage as Northern Michigan scored four power-play goals on the night.

The 24-year-old played the 2016-17 season with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs before making the jump to college the following year. In his lone BCHL campaign, he had 16 goals and 33 assists for 49 points in 53 games to finish in a tie for third in scoring among all defencemen.

NCHC Defenceman of the Week

Seamus Donohue – Graduate – St. Cloud State University (Penticton Vees)

Donohue played a key role at both ends of the ice to help St. Cloud State pick up five points in a pair of wins at Colorado College to open NCHC play. Offensively, he tallied three points in the series, while helping limit the Tigers to three goals all weekend. On Friday, Donohue handed out a pair of primary assists in a 3-2 overtime victory, setting up the tying goal late in the third period, then again on the overtime game-winner. The next night, Donohue dished out another assist, was +2 and helped the penalty kill go 2-for-2 in a 4-1 victory.

The 25-year-old from North Oaks, Minn. suited up for the Penticton Vees during the 2015-16 campaign and contributed 13 points in 40 regular-season games.

NCHC Goaltender of the Week

Zach Driscoll – Graduate – University of North Dakota (Penticton Vees)

Driscoll put together a pair of sparkling performances in goal to backstop North Dakota to a sweep of Denver, allowing only one goal each night. On Friday, he stopped 22 of the 23 shots he faced, including 11 in the third period, as UND skated away with a 3-1 win. He also helped the penalty kill finish 3-for-3. A night later, Driscoll made 21 more stops in a 4-1 victory as the Bemidji State transfer improved to 4-1-0 at home this season.

The 24-year-old played the 2015-16 season with the Penticton Vees and led the BCHL in both save percentage (.933) and goals-against average (1.90), while recording five shutouts and finishing the year with a record of 21-4-0. His save percentage that year is tied for the fifth-best mark all-time for a single season, while his goals-against average is the seventh-lowest in BCHL history. Driscoll finished his tenure with the Vees by winning the BCHL’s Top Goaltender award.