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. Rhett Pitlick (Minnesota State) garnered Forward of the Month, while Mason Poolman (St. Thomas) was the Defenseman of the Month. Josh Kotai (Augustana) was named the Goaltender of the Month and Luke Ashton (Minnesota State) picked up Rookie of the Month honors.

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CCHA Forward of the Month: Rhett Pitlick, Sr., Minnesota State (Plymouth, Minn.) 
 
Pitlick led all conference skaters in points (7), game-winning goals (3) and multi-point games (2) during the month of October, recording four assists to go along with his three tallies. The national leader in game-winners, he was a +6 over the Mavericks' eight contests, recording 16 shots on goal and blocking four at the defensive end of the ice.

CCHA Defenseman of the Month: Mason Poolman, So., St. Thomas (East Grand Forks, Minn.) 
 
Poolman paced CCHA blueliners in goals (3) and points (5) in October, averaging a point per game for the Tommies. Recording one game-winning goal, he had 10 shots on goal and four blocks defensively. His month was highlighted by a two-goal, one-assist outing against Vermont on October 11, when he led St. Thomas to a 5-5 come-from-behind tie.

CCHA Goaltender of the Month: Josh Kotai, So., Augustana (Abbotsford, B.C.) 
 
Kotai went 3-2-0 with a 1.63 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage across five October starts for the Vikings. The CCHA leader in save percentage and shutouts (2), he turned away 151 shots in 294:24 minutes of action, for an average of 30.2 saves per game. He has the highest save percentage in the nation among netminders with five or more starts and his two shutouts are also tops in the country.

CCHA Rookie of the Month: Luke Ashton, Fr., Minnesota State (North Vancouver, B.C.) 
 
Ashton recorded four points (1 goal, 3 assists) across eight October games for the Mavericks, posting a CCHA-best +8, with 14 shots on goal and 13 blocks defensively. He scored his first collegiate goal in his first game at nationally-ranked Michigan on October 4, before adding his first NCAA assist the same night.


For more information, contact: 

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

2024-25 CCHA Monthly Awards
 
Forward:
October, 2024: Rhett Pitlick (MSU)

Defenseman:
October, 2024: Mason Poolman (UST)

Goaltender:
October, 2024: Josh Kotai (AU)

Rookie:
October, 2024: Luke Ashton (MSU)