BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Anthony Nellis and Collin Saccoman have been named Western Collegiate Hockey Association Players of the Week, as announced by conference officials on Monday.
Nellis (14-15—29), a senior winger from Breakeyville, Quebec who is majoring in finance and economics, was named the WCHA Forward of the Week. He scored a WCHA-leading three goals and added two assists to tie with senior center Diego Cuglietta for the WCHA lead in points (5) on the week. Nellis tied with freshman winger Ashton Calder for the WCHA lead in power-play goals (2), while leading the WCHA in power-play points (3), shots on goal (11) and shots on goal per game (5.50). Nellis also tied for the most goals scored and the most power-play goals scored in the nation.
Nellis began the week with two goals and one assist for three points as Lake Superior State (18-8-2, 13-7-2-0 WCHA) defeated Ferris State 6-3 on Friday. He then went on to tally one goal and one assist for two points in Saturday's 4-2 victory, recording a +2 rating on the weekend. He was also named the Madigan/Pingatore Insurance Athlete of the Week, as announced by the Lake Superior State athletic department on Monday.
Nellis and Cuglietta are both nominees for the 2019 Hobey Baker Award. Fan voting for the 2019 Hobey Baker Award is ongoing. Fans are allowed to cast a vote for one player each day by going to https://www.hobeybaker.com/vote.
Saccoman (9-10—19), a junior defenseman from Stillwater, Minnesota who is majoring in criminal justice, was named the WCHA Defenseman of the Week. He tallied a goal (game-winner) and two assists in Lake Superior State's weekend road sweep at Ferris State. Saccoman also tallied nine blocked shots on the weekend, which ties for the NCAA Division I men's hockey lead. In the Lakers' 6-3 win on Friday in Big Rapids, Michigan, Saccoman notched an assist, five blocked shots and a +1 rating. On Saturday, he helped lead the Lakers to a 4-2 victory over the Bulldogs with the game-winning goal, four blocked shots and a +2 rating.
This is Saccoman's second WCHA weekly award of the season and third of his career. Saccoman was named WCHA Defenseman of the Month for two consecutive months (November and December) during the current season. This is Nellis' first WCHA weekly award of the season and second of his career. With these two awards, Lake Superior State players have received a total of 11 WCHA weekly awards this season.
Lake Superior State has a break in game action this weekend with a bye week. They'll be back in action at Taffy Abel Arena on Feb. 15-16 when they will be facing WCHA foe Michigan Tech. The 11th annual Check.Slash.Survive game will be held on Saturday, Feb. 16 when the Lakers face off against the Huskies at 7 p.m. Check.Slash.Survive, the revamped "Pink in the Rink" fundraiser, focuses on raising funds for local organizations that help battle all types of cancer. For this year's Check.Slash.Survive game, the Check.Slash.Survive committee voted to place an emphasis on drawing awareness to childhood cancer.
Tickets may be purchased at the Norris Center Ticket Office or online. For additional ticket information, call (906) 635-2602.
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