In recognition of their spirited play in the University of Minnesota Duluth's two-game series at the University of Massachusetts Lowell last weekend, Nick Deery has been selected the National Collegiate Hockey Conference's Goaltender of the Week while his Bulldog teammate, sophomore Neal Pionk, landed the circuit's  Defenseman of the Week award.

Deery, a redshirt freshman from La Crosse, Wis., came off the bench during the second period Friday and, in his collegiate debut, stopped all 13 shots he faced to preserve a 4-4 tie with the No. 8 River Hawks. The following evening he got the starting call and answered that challenge by allowing just one goal -- a power play score 3:30 after the opening face off -- while making 24 saves as UMD and UMass Lowell battled to a 1-1 deadlock. For the weekend, Deery posted a .974 saves percentage. 

Pionk scored once (on the power play) and assisted on another goal in UMD's 2016-17 road opener and pumped in the equalizer on Saturday with 3:54 to go in regulation. The Hermantown, Minn., native, who currently leads the Bulldogs in scoring with six points on three goals (one fewer than his entire rookie year output) and three assists, was a +1 in the series and also put nine shots on goal. This marks the third time Pionk has been bestowed with a weekly NCHC honor  (he was the Defenseman of the Week on Oct. 26, 2015 and Rookie of the Week on March 7, 2016).