The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) has announced its Players of the Month for January and four student-athletes from three different programs have been recognized. Lucas Wahlin (St. Thomas) earned his second-career Forward of the Month honor, while Jack Anderson (Michigan Tech) was the Defenseman of the Month. Josh Kotai (Augustana) was named Goaltender of the Month for the second time this year and fourth time of his career. Lucas Van Vliet (St. Thomas) was the Rookie of the Month - the first such honor by a Tommies student-athlete in the DI era.
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CCHA Forward of the Month: Lucas Wahlin, Sr., St. Thomas (Woodbury, Minn.)
Wahlin led the No. 15 Tommies to a 8-1-0 January, scoring six goals with seven assists for 13 points. Leading conference forwards with a +11 rating, he netted one shorthanded goal and one game-winner, with 25 shots on goal and eight blocks at the defensive end of the ice. He won 51.6% (83-of-161) of his face-offs in the month, while averaging 20:14 minutes per game. He is currently riding a 12-game point streak, which is the longest in NCAA Division I men's hockey this season. In January, he had three multi-point games, including scoring a goal and dishing out two assists in an 8-4 win over Ferris State on January 3.
CCHA Defenseman of the Month: Jack Anderson, Sr., Michigan Tech (St. Louis, Mo.)
Anderson led all CCHA blueliners in goals (4), points (10), plus-minus (+12) and blocks (20) in January, helping No. 20 Michigan Tech to a 7-3-0 record. Third in minutes per game (23:48), he recorded 18 shots and was assessed just four penalty minutes. His month was highlighted by netting his first collegiate hat trick against Alaska Anchorage on January 3, before scoring a goal with two assists in 4-3 win at No. 15 St. Thomas on January 31. Blocking at least one shot in all 10 games last month, he had two games with four, which is one shy of his season-high.
CCHA Goaltender of the Month: Josh Kotai, Jr., Augustana (Abbotsford, B.C.)
Kotai went 6-1-0 in January, posting league-bests in goals-against average (1.28) and save percentage (.954). He totaled 188 saves and contributed offensively with one assist in 422:38 minutes. His three shutouts in the month were tied for the most on the country and he ranked third nationally in GAA and SV%. Opening the month with three straight shutouts, he posted a streak of 192:40, which is the longest such run in NCAA Division I men's hockey this season. On January 30, he matched a season-high with 41 saves in a 6-1 victory over Lake Superior State.
CCHA Rookie of the Month: Lucas Van Vliet , Fr., St. Thomas (Livonia, Mich.)
Van Vliet led conference skaters in assists (11) and points (15) in January, helping No. 15 St. Thomas to an 8-1-0 record. Posting a +4 rating, he had 25 shots on goal, two power-play tallies and one game-winner. He blocked two shots defensive and chipped in with five face-off wins in seven tries. He opened the month with an eight-game points streak - the third longest by a rookie in NCAA DI men's hockey this season - which included five multi-point outings.
For more information, contact:
Perry Laskaris
Director of Strategic Communications & Brand Advancement
Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA)
Laskaris@ccha.com
(651) 308-1065
2025-26 CCHA Monthly Awards
Forward:
October, 2025: Alex Gaffney (UST)
November, 2025: Stiven Sardarian (MTU)
December, 2025: Brett Meerman (AU)
January, 2026: Lucas Wahlin (UST)
Defenseman:
October, 2025: Evan Murr (MSU)
November, 2025: Evan Murr (MSU)**
December, 2025: Chase Cheslock (UST)
January, 2026: Jack Anderson (MTU)
Goaltender:
October, 2025: Josh Kotai (AU)
November, 2025: Alex Tracy (MSU)
December, 2025: Carsen Musser (UST)
January, 2026: Josh Kotai (AU)**
Rookie:
October, 2025: Teydon Trembecky (MTU)
November, 2025: Noah Morneau (BGSU)
December, 2025: Jacob Jastrzebski (AU)
January, 2026: Lucas Van Vliet (UST)