Men's Ice Hockey 1/2/2021 3:15:00 AM By NCHC

North Dakota's Kawaguchi Claims NCHC December Player of the Month

Denver’s Savoie earns Rookie of the Month; Miami’s Persson picks up Goaltender of the Month

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – With the first month of the 2020-21 season in the books, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference revealed its December Players of the Month with a senior and two freshmen garnering monthly honors for their performance in the NCHC Pod. North Dakota senior forward Jordan Kawaguchi was tabbed the NCHC Player of the Month for December, while Denver forward Carter Savoie captured NCHC Rookie of the Month and Miami freshman Ludvig Persson gloved NCHC Goaltender of the Month.

This is Kawaguchi’s third career NCHC Player of the Month honor, garnering the award twice last season in November and January.

Player of the Month

Jordan Kawaguchi, North Dakota
Senior Forward
Abbotsford, B.C.

Kawaguchi tied for the NCHC scoring lead in December with his teammate Shane Pinto, tallying 13 points during his 10 games in the NCHC Pod. The senior captain was the only NCHC player to record a point in every game in the Pod, scoring three goals and adding a NCHC-best 10 assists. Kawaguchi recorded three multi-point games in the Pod and had a hand in five game-winning goals to help UND finish 7-2-1 during December.

The undrafted free agent dished out two assists in an 8-2 win over Western Michigan Dec. 6, in which he set up the game-winner, and again in a 2-2 tie with Minnesota Duluth Dec. 10. Kawaguchi assisted on three-game winning goals and scored two, both in overtime. His first game-winning goal came Dec. 4 in a 4-3 victory over Denver, while he also potted the overtime game-winner Dec. 16, again 4-3 over St. Cloud State, which was his third multi-point game of the month. Kawaguchi fired 24 shots on goal in 10 games, while posting a +1 plus/minus, with seven of his points coming on the power play. Last year's Hobey Hat Trick finalist enters the second half of the season on an NCAA-best 10-game point streak.

Kawaguchi is now eligible for Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) National Player of the Month, which will be announced next week. Other nominees for NCHC December Player of the Month included Colorado College junior forward Grant Cruikshank, Omaha junior forward Chayse Primeau and St. Cloud State junior defenseman Nick Perbix.

ROOKIE OF THE MONTH

Carter Savoie, Denver
Freshman Forward
St. Albert, Alberta

Savoie had a sizzling start to his collegiate career, tallying 11 points in his first 10 games, all taking place in the Pod, to lead all NCHC freshmen. He scored seven goals, which ties for the NCAA lead among all skaters, while chipping in four assists. The Edmonton Oilers draft pick scored four of his goals and seven points on the power play, including the game-winning goal late in the third period in a 3-2 victory over North Dakota on Dec. 8, helping him earn NCHC Co-Rookie of the Week.

Savoie recorded a point in eight of his 10 games, including each of his first six outings as a Pioneer, with three multi-point games. He scored his first goal for DU in the opener Dec. 2 against Minnesota Duluth, a 2-1 defeat, while potting two goals two days later in an overtime loss to UND. Savoie had a goal and an assist each Dec. 5 vs. St. Cloud State and Dec. 10 vs. Miami, while firing 32 shots on goal during the Pod, as well.

Savoie is now eligible for HCA National Rookie of the Month, which will be announced next week. Other nominees for NCHC December Rookie of the Month included North Dakota forward Riese Gaber and St. Cloud State forward Veeti Miettinen.

Goaltender of the Month

Ludvig Persson, Miami
Freshman Goaltender
Hindas, Sweden

Persson stormed on to the scene in the NCHC Pod, backstopping Miami to a 2-2-1 record in his five starts, allowing only six goals in those five games (303:07 minutes). He posted a .962 save percentage in the Pod, which ranks second nationally and leads the NCHC, while his 1.19 goals-against average also led the conference and is fourth nationally. The Swede recorded two shutouts in the Pod (only five were pitched total), tying for the NCAA lead this season, while he was named NCHC Goaltender of the Week each of the final two weeks of the Pod.

Persson logged his first whitewash Dec. 12 with a 30-save blanking of Omaha to get Miami its first win of the season, before turning aside all 26 shots in his next outing, a 3-0 win over Denver on Dec. 17. He finished his time in the Pod with a career-high 38 saves in a 1-1 tie with Colorado College, racking up 152 saves on 158 shots in December. Persson had a shutout streak of 162:02, spanning four games in the Pod, before allowing CC’s lone goal.

Persson is now eligible for HCA National Goaltender of the Month, which will be announced next week. Other nominees for NCHC December Goaltender of the Month included Omaha sophomore Isaiah Saville and North Dakota junior Adam Scheel.

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