DENVER – After sweeping Omaha this past weekend, the Denver Pioneers hockey team swept all four National Collegiate Hockey Conference Players of the Week awards for the week of Jan. 10-16, 2022. Week 14 honors are DU sophomore Carter Savoie for Forward of the Week, freshman Sean Behrens for Defenseman of the Week, junior Magnus Chrona for Goaltender of the Week and forward Carter Mazur for Rookie of the Week.
 
Denver is the first team to sweep all four NCHC weekly honors since North Dakota did so for the week of Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2019. Savoie captured his third Forward of the Week honor this season, the most of any NCHC forward, while Behrens, Chrona and Mazur each collected their second weekly award of the season.
 
FORWARD OF THE WEEK – CARTER SAVOIE
 
After missing Denver's last series, Savoie showed no signs of rust, racking up four points to help lead the Pioneers to a sweep of Omaha. In Saturday's series opener, the Edmonton Oilers draft pick dished out an assist on DU's second goal in a 5-2 victory. A night later, Savoie recorded his fourth three-point game of the season with a goal and two assists. He scored the game's first goal on the power play, which turned out to be the game-winner in a 4-0 victory, and then added primary assists on the Pioneers' second and fourth goals to seal the win.
 
Savoie fired six shots on goal in the series, including five in Sunday's shutout. He finished the weekend with a goal, three assists and a plus-1 rating, while two of his points came on the man advantage. He now has six multi-point games on the season and leads Denver with 13 goals. His 1.44 points per game rank fifth nationally on the season, as he has 26 points (13g/13a) in 18 games this year.
 
This is Savoie's third career NCHC Forward of the Week honor and fourth career NCHC weekly honor, earning Rookie of the Week once.
 
DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK – SEAN BEHRENS
 
Behrens was rock-solid on Denver's blue line, helping limit Omaha to only two goals all weekend, while chipping in three points. In Saturday's series opener, he set up DU's second goal with the primary assist and helped the Pioneers go 6-for-7 on the penalty kill. The next night, the Colorado Avalanche prospect dished out two more assists, including the primary helper on the game-winner, while helping blank the Mavericks in a 4-0 victory. Behrens also played on a penalty kill unit that finished 9-for-9 on Sunday. It was his fourth multi-point game of the season and his first time tallying points in back-to-back games since Nov. 12-13.
 
Along with his three assists, Behrens blocked three shots in the sweep, including two on Sunday, and posted a plus-1 rating in the series. He helped Denver finish a sparkling 15-for-16 on the penalty kill (.938 kill percentage) in the series and chipped in two points on the power play.
 
On the season, Behrens is tied for second on the Pioneers with 15 assists and has 16 points overall, including 11 power-play points. He ranks fourth nationally among freshmen defensemen in scoring, while his 15 helpers are second among NCAA rookie blueliners.
 
Behrens' other NCHC Rookie of the Week award this season came back in Week 3 (Oct. 11-17).
 
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK – MAGNUS CHRONA
 
Chrona crushed it against Omaha last weekend, backstopping Denver to a sweep and keeping the Pioneers unbeaten on home ice. He allowed only two goals all weekend, while recording his second shutout of the season in the series finale. In Saturday's opener, the San Jose Sharks prospect made 20 saves and allowed only one even-strength goal in a 5-2 victory. He also made seven short-handed saves as DU went 6-for-7 on the penalty kill. The next night, Chrona turned aside all 31 shots he faced for his fifth career shutout in a 4-0 victory, with the 31 stops his most ever in a whitewash. He made four more short-handed saves on Sunday to help kill off all nine Omaha power plays.
 
In the two wins, Chrona finished with a combined .962 save percentage and a 1.00 goals-against average, totaling 51 saves on 53 shots faced. On the season, he is now 13-4-1 with a .909 save percentage and a 2.24 GAA, with his GAA ranking third in the NCHC and 16th nationally.
 
Chrona is now a three-time winner of the NCHC Goaltender of the Week for his career, including twice this season, and a four-time NCHC weekly award winner (Rookie of the Week once).
 
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – CARTER MAZUR
 
Mazur continued his strong rookie campaign, chipping in four points in Denver's sweep of Omaha. In Saturday's opener, the Detroit Red Wings draft pick handed out a career-high three assists, tying his career high for points. All three helpers were primary assists in the 5-2 win, including on the game's first goal and DU's third goal, which served as the game-winner. On Sunday, Mazur scored his 10th goal of the season late in the game on the power play to secure a 4-0 victory.
 
Mazur finished the sweep with a goal, three assists, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating. He also fired seven shots on goal in the series, including four on Sunday.
 
On the season, Mazur ranks fifth nationally among freshmen with 22 points, while his 10 goals are tied with teammate Massimo Rizzo for second among NCAA rookies. Mazur earned his first NCHC Rookie of the Week honor back in Week 7 (Dec. 3-4 weekend).
 
OTHER NOMINEES:
Forward of the Week
Kobe Roth, RS-Sr., UMD
Red Savage, Fr., Miami
 
Defenseman of the Week
Darian Gotz, So., UMD
 
Goaltender of the Week
Ludvig Persson, So., Miami
 
Rookie of the Week
Nick Donato, D, Miami
Owen Gallatin, D, UMD