Photo credits: Rob Rasmussen (De Jong, Tufto), Justin Wolford/Colgate Athletics (Verboon)
In the final edition of the NCAA Roundup for 2020, we highlight the BCHL alums who took home all three weekly awards in the ECAC Hockey conference.
ECAC Hockey 1st Star of the Week
Odeen Tufto – Senior – Quinnipiac University (Vernon Vipers)
Tufto registered 10 points on a goal and nine assists in four games last week. He recorded his 100th career assist in Saturday’s 8-3 win over AIC, becoming just the eighth player in Quinnipiac history to achieve the feat. Tufto extended his point streak to five consecutive games and is now ranked first in scoring in all of college hockey with 15 points.
The Chaska, Minn. native played the 2015-16 season in Vernon where he led the team in goals (25), assists (40) and points (65).
ECAC Hockey 2nd Star of the Week
Ethan De Jong – Junior – Quinnipiac University (Prince George Spruce Kings)
De Jong averaged nearly a point per-game with seven (4G, 3A) in four games last week. He scored once in each game, all of which came with the man advantage, as the forward has now tallied a power-play goal in five straight contests. Two of his goals were also game-winners, including the go-ahead score in Sunday’s 3-2 win over AIC.
De Jong played two seasons in Prince George from 2016 to 2018. During the 2017-18 campaign, the North Vancouver, B.C. native finished ninth in league scoring with 63 points and fifth in assists with 46. During the playoffs, he led the Spruce Kings to an appearance in the Fred Page Cup final and finished third in scoring with 27 points in 24 postseason contests.
ECAC Hockey 3rd Star of the Week
Matthew Verboon – Sophomore – Colgate University (Salmon Arm Silverbacks)
Verboon played hero in Colgate’s overtime victory over Clarkson last Wednesday, scoring two of the Raiders five goals. He notched his first in the second period to put give his team a 4-3 lead, before burying the overtime game-winner that secured the upset win. Verboon has now tallied three points in Colgate’s first two games.
The 20-year-old spent the 2018-19 campaign in Salmon Arm, leading the team in goals (28), assists (28) and points (56). A duel citizen of Canada and Switzerland, Verboon played for the Swiss national team at the 2019 and 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, registering seven points in 12 games over the two tournaments.
