The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) has announced its Players of the Month for November and four student-athletes from three different programs have been recognized. Austen Swankler (Bowling Green) earned Forward of the Month, while Will Zmolek (Bemidji State) was the Defenseman of the Month. Fellow Beaver Mattias Scholl (Bemidji State) collected Goaltender of the Month honors, and Christian Fitzgerald (Minnesota State) was the Rookie of the Month. 

 
Follow the CCHA: Instagram | Twitter | YouTube 
 
CCHA Forward of the Month: Austen Swankler, So., Bowling Green (North Huntingdon, Pa.) 
 
Swankler paced all CCHA skaters with 15 points in seven December contests, scoring six goals and assisting on nine more. Recording at least one point in his last 12 appearances dating back to November 5, he was even with one power play and one game-winning tally last month. He produced five multi-point games, including a season-high three points on three occasions. The Falcons went 4-3-0 in contests that he featured in, including 2-2-0 in CCHA play. 

 
CCHA Defenseman of the Month: Will Zmolek, Sr., Bemidji State (Rochester, Minn.) 
 
Zmolek helped No. 20 Bemidji State to a 4-1-1 month, leading all CCHA defensemen with six points on one goal and five assists. He was +2 in December with one power play goal, ranking fourth among conference skaters with 15 blocked shots. During the month, he had a four-game point streak, which included back-to-back multi-point efforts against Lake Superior State and then-No. 16 Minnesota State – both Beavers victories. 
 
CCHA Goaltender of the Month: Mattias Sholl, So., Mattias Sholl (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) 
 
Sholl went 4-1-1 in December with a CCHA-best 2.26 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage. Leading the conference in victories, he made a total of 150 saves across 371:21 of action, with two games of 30 or more stops. Four of the 14 goals he allowed came with the Beavers were shorthanded. His month was highlighted by stopping 65-of-69 shots at then-No. 16 Minnesota State, helping the Beavers to their first sweep of the Mavericks since 2006. 

 
CCHA Rookie of the Week: Christian Fitzgerald, Fr., Minnesota State (Coquitlam, B.C.) 
 
Fitzgerald led all CCHA freshmen with four goals for four points in six games last week. Tallying a point in three of the six contests, including a three-game span in the middle of the month. Defensively, he had four blocked shots, including two in MSU's 2-1 win at Bowling Green on December 9. Posted two goals and was +3 in the Mavericks' 6-2 win over the Falcons the following night. For the month, he had 18 shots on goal.


For more information, contact: 

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

---

2022-23 CCHA Monthly Awards
 
Forward:
December 2022: Austen Swankler (BGSU)
November, 2022: David Silye (MSU)
October, 2022: AJ Vanderbeck (NMU)

Defenseman:
December 22022: Will Zmolek (BSU)
November, 2022: Brett Thorne (MTU)
October, 2022: Jake Livingstone (MSU)

Goaltender:
December 2022: Mattias Sholl (BSU)
November, 2022: Christian Stoever (BGSU)
October, 2022: Blake Pietila (MTU)

Rookie:
December 2022: Christian Fitzgerald (MSU)
November, 2022: Beni Halasz (NMU)**
October, 2022: Beni Halasz (NMU)


* = Times earned award this year