Yes, Denver got the trophy it really wanted on Saturday at St. Paul, Minn., but several Pioneers also earned individual honors.

In the spirit of the spring awards season, here is a quick recap:

Four Pioneers Make All-NCHC

Freshman defenseman Zeev Buium, who led all Division I defensemen with 50 points, was one of three unanimous first-team All-NCHC selections. He was joined by Pioneers junior forward Jack Devine.

Thirty-one of Buium’s points came in NCHC action, and it was the second-most ever by a defenseman in league play. Devine, a Florida Panthers draft pick, led DU with career highs of 56 points (seventh in D-I) and 27 goals (fourth).

Two more DU juniors — defenseman Shai Buium and center Massimo Rizzo — garnered second-team honors. Rizzo had 44 points in 30 games and was one of the nation’s top scorers before missing 14 games due to injury. Buium had a career-high 36 points. Both signed pro contracts on April 17.

Defensemen Take Top Honors

Buium was far from done. He also took home the NCHC’s awards for top rookie, top offensive defenseman and made the all-rookie team. Forward Miko Matikka, who had 20 goals, joined Buium on the all-rookie team.

D partner Sean Behrens won the league’s Defensive Defenseman of the Year honor. The junior, a Colorado Avalanche draft pick, had 27 points and was plus-19.

Anderson Wins NCAA Elite 90 Award

Another defenseman, sophomore Kent Anderson won the NCAA Elite 90 award for having the highest grade-point average among all student-athletes at the Frozen Four. The finance major has a 3.975 grade-point average. He’s the third Pioneer to win it, following Gabe Levin (2016) and Erich Fear (2019).

Anderson played in 39 games and notched a career-high seven points to go with 20 blocked shots.

In addition, 15 Pioneers made the NCHC’s Academic All-Conference Team.

©First Line Editorial 2024