This past week, six former BCHL players earned recognition in their NCAA conferences through weekly and monthly awards.
CCHA Forward of the Month
Sam Morton – Graduate – Minnesota State University (Wenatchee Wild)
Morton paced all conference skaters in goals (six), goals per game (0.75), shots (38), shots per game (4.75), power-play goals (two) and plus-minus (+6) in January, while ranking second in points (nine) and faceoff wins (82). Leading the Mavericks to a 5-1-2 record in the month, he registered at least one point in five of six contests, including two multi-point outings. Closing out the month on a five-game point streak, he also recorded three blocked shots at the defensive end of the ice.
Morton was a standout in the BCHL with the Wenatchee Wild for two years from 2016 to 2018. In his second year in the league, he notched 54 points in 58 games and another 25 in in 20 playoff games, helping Wenatchee to a Fred Page Cup championship. After a year and a half of NCAA hockey at Union College, Morton returned to the Wild to finish the 2019-20 campaign, posting 31 points in 26 games, before committing to Minnesota State.
Atlantic Hockey Goaltender of the Month
Tommy Scarfone – Junior – Rochester Institute of Technology (Surrey Eagles)
Scarfone led Atlantic Hockey with a .950 save percentage and a 1.55 goals-against average, while also leading the nation with two shutouts in seven January appearances. The Montreal, Que. native made a career-high 46 saves to preserve a 1-1 tie against St. Lawrence on Jan. 6 and also made 33 saves during a 4-0 shutout of Clarkson on Jan. 5. He combined to stop 44 of 45 shots faced in a two-game sweep of Bentley on Jan. 26 and 27, including a 3-0 victory for his eighth career shutout – the most among active Atlantic Hockey goaltenders. Scarfone ended the month ranked second nationally with a .932 save percentage and tied for fourth in wins with a 15-7-1 record, while his 2.15 GAA ranks seventh. He also surpassed the 2,000-save mark for his career during the month.
Scarfone played for the Surrey Eagles for two seasons from 2019 to 2021. He finished his BCHL stint with a career save percentage of .922 and a goals-against average of 2.50. During the shortened 2020-21 pod season, he backstopped the Eagles to first place in the Coquitlam Pod.
Atlantic Hockey Defensive Player of the Month
Hunter Sansbury (D) – Junior – Sacred Heart University (Salmon Arm SIlverbacks)
Sansbury led the NCAA in blocked shots with 30 in 10 January games. The Lomita, Calif. native also chipped in five points on a goal and four assists and recorded 26 shots on goal. He blocked a career-high seven shots at home against Holy Cross on Jan. 19, then equaled that high with seven more blocks the next night on the road against the Crusaders. Sansbury blocked at least four shots in four of the month’s 10 games.
The 23-year-old spent two seasons with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, totaling 37 points in 74 career games.
Atlantic Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Aiden Hansen-Bukata (D) – Senior – Rochester Institute of Technology (Nanaimo Clippers)
Hansen-Bukata scored the game-tying goal with 41 seconds left in regulation as RIT came back for a 2-1 overtime win over Bentley on Saturday. On Friday, the Delta, B.C. native assisted on what proved to be the game-winning goal and blocked a season-high five shots in a 3-0 win over the Falcons. His seven blocks on the weekend led all Atlantic Hockey skaters. He has scored a point in four straight games since returning from a three-game injury absence, notching a goal and five assists the last two weekends.
The 24-year-old played two BCHL seasons with the Nanaimo Clippers from 2018 to 2020. He registered 62 points over 106 regular-season games during his junior career and was named a Second-Team All-Star after his rookie season.
ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Week
Vinny Duplessis – Senior – Quinnipiac University (Merritt Centennials)
Duplessis turned in a solid performance in the crease for the Bobcats last week, guiding them to a 2-0-0 weekend and the CT Ice Championship. Duplessis recorded a shutout in the opening game of the tournament, denying all 14 shots faced. In the championship game, the 24-year-old made 28 saves against UConn to secure a 4-3 victory. The senior netminder posted a 1.51 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage through the tournament.
Duplessis played two years in Merritt, but saw the majority of his action during the 2018-19 season where he had a 9-8-1 record in 20 appearances and finished with a .906 save percentage.
ECAC Hockey Defender of the Week
Cullen Ferguson (D) – Junior – Union College (Cowichan Valley Capitals)
Ferguson scored an equalizer in the second period of Union’s 5-2 victory and added a pair of assists, concluding the game with a three-point performance. Ferguson rounded out the weekend with a plus-minus of plus-one.
The 2001-born defender suited up for the Cowichan Valley Capitals during the 2019-20 campaign, finishing his year with a goal and 12 assists in 56 games.
