Northern Michigan University’s Vincent de Mey, Nolan Kent earn WCHA weekly awards
In this case, the victors were the Northern Michigan University Wildcats in hockey, and the spoils were two WCHA Player of the Week honors.
After sweeping struggling Alaska-Anchorage at home over the weekend, NMU sophomore forward Vincent de Mey was named WCHA Forward of the Week and sophomore goalie Nolan Kent the WCHA Goaltender of the Week, the league announced Monday.
De Mey won a WCHA weekly honor for the fourth time in his collegiate career, all coming this season.
He picked up an assist Friday before notching a three-goal hat trick on Saturday. De Mey keyed a goal flurry early in the third period Saturday where Northern put in four goals in less than seven minutes, starting barely a minute after the Seawolves tied the game 2-2.
All three of de Mey’s goals came in the outburst, including his second one shorthanded. The first goal, coming 3:20 into the third, followed him spinning outside the crease and tucking it in on a last-ditch effort, according to a report from NMU Sports Information.
De Mey led the nation with his three goals for the weekend and the four points tied for tops in the country. In addition, his plus-4 on-ice rating led the WCHA.
Kent won his third league weekly award and second consecutive after earning it after the Wildcats swept Bowling Green State a week earlier.
Against Anchorage, he stopped a league-high 56 shots for a .938 saves percentage for the weekend to run his winning streak to five games and career record to 9-2-0.
Kent is fourth nationally and second in the WCHA in winning percentage at .818. Since his second-game win over Minnesota State-Mankato in mid-December, he’s the only league goalie to start more than two games and be undefeated in the stretch, which is also tied for tops nationally.
He has a .930 saves percentage that is third and 2.13 goals against average which is fifth in the WCHA in 12 league games this season.
His 8-1-0 league record is second to Mankato’s Dryden McKay.
Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.