DENVER – University of Denver hockey freshmen Zeev Buium and Sam Harris have been recognized by the National Collegiate Hockey Conference with Player of the Week awards. Buium is the NCHC Defenseman of the Week while Harris was selected as the NCHC Rookie of the Week.
 
The rookies helped a balanced Pioneer attack that had 11 different goal scorers over the weekend and outscored then-No. 15 St. Cloud State Huskies 13-4 overall. DU won 6-2 on Friday and 7-2 on Saturday to earn its first weekend sweep at St. Cloud since Dec. 7-8, 2007.
 
Buium combined for three assists and a plus-seven rating in Denver's two wins. He had an assist, two penalty minutes and had a plus-three rating on Friday before contributing two helpers on Saturday for his 10th multi-point game and seventh multi-assist outing of the season. He finished the series finale with a game-high, plus-four rating (tied) and two blocked shots.
 
The San Diego, California, native has 41 points on the season, ranking fifth among all freshmen and first for all defensemen in the nation in scoring. His 32 assists are fifth overall in the NCAA and most among all D-men.
 
This is Buium's fourth conference weekly award of the season, and his third top defenseman honor (also Nov. 27, Jan. 22). He was named Rookie of the Week on Dec. 4.
 
Harris earned his first career NCHC weekly award after scoring twice on Friday at St. Cloud State for his second multi-goal game of the campaign, and he tallied his first career game-winning goal in contest. He had his career-long, four-game goal and five-game goal streak (six goals, one assist) come to an end on Saturday after being held off the scoresheet.
 
Also from San Diego, California, Harris is sixth on the team with 11 goals and has also added three assists for 14 points this season. He is the fifth different Denver freshmen to be selected as an NCHC Rookie of the Week; the Pioneers have won 20 total conference weekly honors  in 2023-24.
 
North Dakota picked up the other two honors, as Owen McLaughlin was selected as Forward of the Week and Ludvig Persson was chosen as Goaltender of the Week. Denver sophomore Aidan Thompson (forward) and junior Matt Davis (goaltender) were award finalists this week.
 
UP NEXT: The No. 4 Pioneers wrap up their regular season this weekend with a top-10 matchup against the No. 10 Colorado College Tigers. DU begins the home-and-home set on Friday at 8 p.m. MT in a nationally-televised game on CBS Sports Network before the teams face off on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. MT at Magness Arena for senior night.

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