Tolvanen, Schilkey, Marody sweep NCAA weekly stars

By @MichaelCaples –

The latest NCAA three stars of the week list has a distinct Michigan flavor to it.

Northern Michigan’ Atte Tolvanen takes the top spot on this week’s list, while Michigan natives Nick Schilkey (Ohio State) and Cooper Marody (Michigan) follow behind.

Tolvanen, the Wildcats netminder, stopped all 75 shots he faced in back-to-back shutouts on the road at Bowling Green.

Tolvanen, a native of Vihti, Finland, stopped all 75 shots sent his way over the weekend – the only goalie in the country to post two scoreless marks over the weekend.

He stopped 35 shots in a 3-0 win Friday night, then stopped 40 more in a 2-0 win the next night.

Tolvanen has now played in three straight games of scoreless hockey, posting a NMU program-best 215:42 scoreless streak. In his team’s 5-0-2 stretch, Tolvanen holds a .966 save percentage and a 0.98 goals-against average; the Wildcats’ seven-game unbeaten streak is the second-longest active streak in the country.

Schilkey, a senior forward from Marysville and captain of the Buckeyes, was named the B1G’s second star of the week, while Marody, a sophomore forward for the Wolverines, was named third star.

Schilkey recorded six points – tied for best in the country – as the Buckeyes split the weekend series with their rivals in Ann Arbor. He recorded his 20th goal of the season on Saturday, the first Buckeye to reach that mark since Ryan Dzingel in 2014.

Five of his six points came in the third period of the contests, including his game-winning goal with 30 seconds left on Saturday.

Marody, a Brighton native, also posted six points on the weekend, including a Big Ten-leading four goals.

He recorded his first career hat trick on Friday, scoring his third goal in the second period to lead the Wolverines to a victory.