Men's Ice Hockey

CCHA Players of the Month: October

The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) has announced its Players of the Month for October and four student-athletes from three different programs have been recognized. Northern Michigan’s AJ Vanderbeck and Ben Halasz were named Forward and Rookie of the Month, respectively, while Jake Livingstone from Minnesota State was tabbed Defenseman of the Month and Blake Pietila of Michigan Tech earned Goaltender of the Month honors. 
 
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CCHA Forward of the Month: AJ Vanderbeck, Sr., Northern Michigan (Monument, Colo.) 
 
Vanderbeck led all CCHA skaters in goals (6), points (13), points per game (1.44), multi-point games (4), game-winning goals (2), shorthanded goals (1), shots (52) and shots per game (5.78) in the month of October, while playing in nine of the Wildcats 10 games. Nationally, he ranks third in both game-winning and shorthanded tallies, while sitting 13th in points per contest. Once earning CCHA Forward of the Week this season, he has one four-point game and three two-goal games to his credit. 
 
CCHA Defenseman of the Month: Jake Livingstone, Jr., Minnesota State (Creston, B.C.) 
 
Livingstone helped the sixth-ranked Mavericks to a 5-3-0 record in October, including a 2-0-0 mark in CCHA play. He paced all conference defensemen with seven points on two goals and five assists. Also leading league blueliners in points per game (0.88), he was even for the month with one power play goal. A two-time Defenseman of the Week this month, he registered 22 shots and blocked 12 at the defensive end. 
 
CCHA Goaltender of the Month: Blake Pietila, Sr., Michigan Tech (Howell, Mich.) 
 
Pietila went 4-2-0 with a 1.51 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage in six October contests. The national leader in shutouts with three, he paced the CCHA in wins, goals-against average and save percentage, earning “Runner-up” recognition for the Hockey Commissioner’s Association Goaltender of the Month award. Ranking seventh in the country in save percentage and eighth in goals-against average, he has made 152 saves in 358:14 of action, earning CCHA Goaltender of the Week twice so far this year. 
 
CCHA Rookie of the Month: Beni Halasz, Fr., Northern Michigan (Budapest, Hungary) 
 
Halasz posted a 3-4-0 record with a 1.97 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage in seven October games (6 starts) for the Wildcats. He is second among all NCAA Division I rookies in goals-against average, save percentage and total saves (173). The first ever Hungarian goalie to dress for an NCAA game, he earned his first collegiate victory on October 8, when he made 27 saves at Colgate in a 4-1 triumph. He earned CCHA Rookie of the Week in the final week of the month. 

For more information, contact: 
 
Perry Laskaris 
Director of Strategic Communications & Brand Advancement 
Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) 
Laskaris@ccha.com 
(651) 308-1065