DENVER – The University of Denver hockey team picked up three player of the month awards from the National Collegiate Hockey Conference for March/April and had two Pioneers earn national accolades as well.
 
Freshman Johnny Hicks was named the NCHC Goaltender of the Month, junior Garrett Brown was picked as Defenseman of the Month and forward Clarke Caswell was chosen as the conference's Rookie of the Month. Additionally, Hicks was named the National Goalie of the Month and Caswell was selected as the Co-Rookie of the Month by the Hockey Commissioners Association.
 
The Denver trio helped the Pioneers go undefeated with an 8-0 record during the postseason in March/April, winning the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship and their 11th NCAA National Championship. DU beat Miami, Western Michigan and Minnesota Duluth to capture its fourth conference tournament title on March 21 and dispatched Cornell, WMU, Michigan and Wisconsin to pick up its third NCAA Championship in the past five seasons on April 11 in Las Vegas.
 
Hicks capped off a historic season by going 8-0-0 and registering a 1.24 goals-against average and .956 save percentage during playoffs. He posted two shutouts by stopping 23 shots in Game 1 of the NCHC Quarterfinals against Miami on March 6 and saved 24 shots against Cornell in the NCAA West Regional Semifinals on March 27. Hicks recorded career highs by making 49 saves on 52 shots faced in a double-OT victory against Michigan in the NCAA Frozen Four Semifinals on April 9 and made 29-of-30 saves on April 11 in the national championship game versus Wisconsin, including all 20 stops in the final two periods of play.
 
The Kamloops, British, Columbia, native finished the year with 21 appearances and 16 starts, and he earned decisions in each of the final 17 games beginning on Jan. 24 versus St. Cloud State after Quentin Miller left early in that outing with a lower-body injury. Hicks set a Denver record by going unbeaten at 16-0-1 to begin his college career, while his .957 save percentage set an NCAA record for a single season and his 1.19 goals-against average is tied with Jimmy Howard for second-best all-time. He finished with three overall individual shutouts and joined Miller for team shutout of St. Cloud in that first game on Jan. 24.
 
Brown registered five assists in five games played in March/April, with each of his helpers coming at key times. After missing four games with an upper-body injury from Feb. 28-March 14, Brown had his first career two-assist game on March 21 against Minnesota Duluth in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship. He had the primary assist on Caswell's tying marker in the final minutes of the Frozen Four contest against Michigan on April 9 before recording his second, two-assist outing and third career multi-point game with helpers on each of DU's goals in the championship contest versus Wisconsin on April 11.
 
The San Jose, California, native finished the season by matching a career high with two goals while producing personal bests with 12 assists and 14 points. He also totaled 29 blocked shots, 12 penalty minutes and finished with a +12 plus/minus rating while appearing in 34 games. A 2022 NHL draft pick of Winnipeg (No. 99 overall), Brown signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Jets on April 16.
 
Caswell led all NCHC rookies and was second among all league forwards in March and April with nine points in eight games. His four goals were tied for the most by a conference freshman with teammate Kyle Chyzowski and were tied for the most overall in the NCHC. He recorded points in six of the contests and went on a four-game assist/point streak from March 21-April 9 (3g/4a), registering multiple points in three of those outings. He scored the tying goal late in the third period against Michigan and also had an assist during that Frozen Four Semifinal on April 9.
 
The Brandon, Manitoba, native led the Pioneers during the season with 26 assists while his 34 points were fourth on the squad and the most among freshmen. Caswell finished third in power-play scoring with 10 points (all assists) and also had a +11 plus/minus rating, six penalty minutes and 16 blocked shots while playing in all 43 games.
 
This is Brown and Caswell's first career monthly honors, while Hicks earned the NCHC's top goalie award in back-to-back months after also being honored in February. The Pioneers captured four total Goaltender of the Month awards from the conference (Quentin Miller, both November and December) and earned two D-man honors after Eric Pohlkamp took home the accolade for November.
 
Denver earned just one other National monthly award this season as Pohlkamp was recognized as Defender of the Month for November.
 
Minnesota Duluth's Zam Plante was named the NCHC Forward of the Month for March/April and was named the National Co-Forward of the Month as well. DU's Rieger Lorenz was a finalist for the conference's top forward award after registering seven points (4g/3a) in eight outings.