DENVER – Denver Pioneers hockey goaltender Johnny Hicks has been named the NCHC Rookie of the Week, the National Collegiate Hockey League announced on Tuesday.
 
This marks the first time in Hicks' career that he's earned weekly honors from the conference. He is the third first-year Pioneer to achieve the award this season, joining fellow netminder Quentin Miller on Nov. 11 and forward Kyle Chyzowski on Dec. 9.
 
Hicks' was a key contributor in Denver's two-game sweep of Minnesota Duluth this past weekend, stopping 48-of-49 shots faced and earning his first individual shutout on Saturday night.
 
In DU's 4-3 win on Friday, Hicks made 29 saves on 30 shots in 50:34 before exiting midway through the third period with a lower-body injury. Despite the setback, the Kamloops, British Columbia, native returned to the net on Saturday and stopped all 19 shots in a 1-0 overtime win against the Bulldogs.
 
Hicks played in five of the 10 games in the month of January and started the last three contests—the first of his career—as Miller has been out with a lower-body injury. In seven appearances this season, he has posted a .980 save percentage, 0.53 goals-against average and has won each of this three starts while joining Miller in a combined team shutout on Jan. 24 versus St. Cloud State.
 
The other NCHC winners were Arizona State's Bennett Schimek as Forward of the Week, Colorado College's Mats Lindgren as Defenseman of the Week and Matteo Drobac of Miami as Goaltender of the Week.
 
UP NEXT: Denver Pioneers hockey resumes this week by concluding its season series against longtime rival Colorado College. The Pioneers face the Tigers on Friday in Ed Robson Arena in Colorado Springs before the teams meet at Magness Arena on Saturday. Both Friday and Saturday's games start at 7 p.m. MT and both will be broadcast on NCHC.tv. The Pios just need one point in the weekend to secure the Gold Plan trophy.

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