Wildcats senior Ryan Ouellette was named CCHA Goaltender of the Week for the second time this season, while freshman Jakub Altrichter earned CCHA Rookie of the Week for the first time after NMU pulled off 4-1 and 3-1 wins at Bemidji State in Minnesota on Friday and Saturday nights.

Ouellette, who is from Colorado Springs, Colorado, led all conference goalies with his two wins, a 1.00 goals-against average and .966 saves percentage over the weekend.

That allowed NMU to pull off its first series sweep of the season as he made 24 saves in the 4-1 win over the Beavers on Friday, then turned away 33 more shots on goal in a 3-1 victory on Saturday.

Ouellette didn’t allow an even-strength goal, saving all 51 shots he saw 5-on-5.

Northern Michigan University goalie Ryan Ouellette makes one of his 36 saves on a shot by Arizona State's Benji Eckerle, right center, in their game played at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Oct. 26. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Altrichter, who is from Prague, the Czech Republic, led all CCHA rookies with four points over the weekend, accumulating three goals and an assist for four points.

That included the first two goals in Friday’s victory, when the Wildcats scored four goals for the first time this season after scoring three in a game seven previous times — plus once more the following night.

His totals included a league-best plus-5 in the plus-minus statistic over the two games as he had a game-winning tally and eight shots on goal.

And despite the trio of goals being his first as a collegiate player, he leads Northern in scoring with those three goals and a team-high nine assists for 12 points.

These honors marked the seventh and eighth CCHA weekly awards earned by NMU players this season. Previously, Tynan Ewart was named CCHA Defenseman of the Week twice, on Oct. 21 and Jan. 2, while Ouellette had also picked up a CCHA Goaltender of the Week honor on Jan. 2.

Northern Michigan University’s Jakub Altrichter, center, watches the play along with Minnesota State-Mankato’s Adam Eisele, left, and Evan Murr during a CCHA game played at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Jan. 11. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Earning earlier CCHA Rookie of the Week awards were Grayden Slipec on Nov. 4, Will Diamond on Nov. 18 and Ryan Duguay just a week earlier on Jan. 13.

The Wildcats picked a good time to pull off their best performance of the season, since they face Michigan Tech this weekend in their second and final conference home-and-home series of the season.

With the Huskies winning all four of their past meetings this year, including a 4-3 exhibition win in early October and 4-3 overtime win in the third-place game at the Great Lakes Invitational in late December, the two Upper Peninsula squads square off in Houghton at 7:07 p.m. Friday and in Marquette at 6:07 p.m. Saturday. Both games will be telecast on Fox-U.P.

This week’s other player of the week awards went to Liam Malmquist of St. Thomas as CCHA Forward of the Week and Travis Shoudy of Ferris State as CCHA Defenseman of the Week.

St. Thomas picked up four of six points at Lake Superior State, winning 4-3 in overtime Friday, then coming up triumphant in a shootout against the Lakers after they tied 3-3 on Saturday. Ferris split at home against Bowling Green State, losing 4-3 Friday and winning by the same score on Saturday.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.