Michigan schools sweep monthly WCHA honors for November

By @MichaelCaples –

The WCHA has announced its players of the month for November, and all four spots are claimed by Michigan residents.

The forward of the month award goes to Jake Lucchini of Michigan Tech; the defenseman of the month goes to Collin Saccoman of Lake Superior State; the goaltender of the month goes to Atte Tolvanen of Northern Michigan; and the rookie of the month goes to Jacob Nordqvist of LSSU.

Lucchini, a MTU senior forward from Trail, British Columbus, led the WCHA with six goals, seven assists, 13 points and two game-winning goals in the second month of the season. He played a crucial role in the Huskies’ return to the national rankings, as Michigan Tech went 6-2-1 in November.

Saccoman, a LSSU junior defenseman from Stillwater, Minn., led WCHA defensemen and tied for first in the country with five goals, while also contributing a team-best 15 blocked shots.

Tolvanen, a NMU senior goaltender from Vihti, Finland, led the conference in games and starts (nine), minutes (534:14), saves (227) and shutouts (two). In that timeframe, he posted a .930 save percentage, a 1.91 goals-against average and a 4-5-0 record…he didn’t get much offensive support in front of him, as Northern Michigan averaged only 1.78 goals per game.

Nordqvist, a LSSU freshman defenseman from Gothenberg, Sweden, recorded six assists, eight points, one game-winning goal and a +6 rating for the Lakers.