DENVER – The Denver Pioneers hockey team's Massimo Rizzo was named as the NCHC Player of the Month for October while Boston Buckberger was selected as Rookie of the Month, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference announced on Tuesday.
 
Both Pioneers pick up their first such awards of their careers. This is Rizzo's second career NCHC monthly honor as he was chosen as Rookie of the Month in October 2021 as a freshmen. The two Denver players are now eligible to be selected for National Player of the Month awards, which will be announced on Wednesday by Hockey Commissioners' Association.
 
Rizzo is the first Pioneer to be named the NCHC Player of the Month since Mike Benning in February 2023. The junior forward led the conference during the month with nine assists and 14 points in six games and ranks second on DU with five goals. Nationally, Rizzo is tied for third in scoring and points per game (2.33).
 
The Burnaby, British Columbia, native is on a season-opening, six-game point streak and is also currently on a four-game goal streak, matching his career long from Nov. 26-Dec. 2022. He began the season with a seven-point weekend at Alaska Fairbanks on Oct. 7-8, the second-such performance of his collegiate career, as he matched a then-personal best with three assists in the season opener before setting a new high mark with four helpers the next day.
 
Rizzo was selected as the NCHC Forward of the Week for the third time of his career on Monday after he totaled three goals and one assist last weekend. He recorded his fifth career multi-goal game on Saturday against Air Force and also registered his sixth game-winner of his collegiate tenure in the outing. The center has also won double-digit faceoffs in each of the last three games, including matching a career best with 14 draw wins on Oct. 21 at No. 3 Boston College.
 
Buckberger, a defenseman, ranks first among all NCHC freshmen in scoring with seven points (two goals and five assists) in six outings. He is tied for sixth among rookies in the nation in scoring, and he is tied for first among all freshmen defensemen in both the country and conference with five assists (Ohio State's Theo Wallberg, Minnesota Duluth's Aaron Pionk).
 
The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native scored and had an assist in his NCAA debut on Oct. 7 at Alaska Fairbanks. He has registered at least one point in each of Denver's last four games (one goal, four assists) and has been recognized with NCHC honors each of the last two weeks: Defenseman of the Week on Oct. 23 and Rookie of the Week on Monday (Oct. 30). Buckberger had three points last weekend, tallying his second marker of the year on Friday against Augustana before earning two assists on Saturday against Air Force.
 
Buckberger is the first DU player to be named Rookie of the Month since Carter Mazur in March/April 2022 and the first defenseman in program history to be recognized with the honor. In NCHC history, he is just the fourth different blueliner and fifth overall to win Rookie of the Month, with Minnesota Duluth's Scott Perunovich being the last to do so in March/April 2018 (also: Perunovich, UMD, November 2017; Tanner Poolman, North Dakota, March/April 2015; Paul Ladue, North Dakota, February 2014).
 
North Dakota's Ludvig Persson was selected as the NCHC Goaltender of the Week after opening the 2023-24 campaign with a 4-1-1 record, 1.65 goals-against average and .933 save percentage.
 
 
UP NEXT: The Pioneers begin their Gold Pan series versus Colorado College this weekend. DU hosts the Tigers at Magness Arena on Friday at 7 p.m. MT before the teams meet again on Saturday at 6 p.m. MT at Ed Robson Arena in Colorado Springs.

TICKETS: Single-game tickets, as well as 5-game packs and full and half-season ticket plans are all available to purchase here.