Beaulieu, Tolvanen receive WCHA weekly awards

BLOOMINGTON – A pair of Northern Michigan University Men’s Ice Hockey (11-10-0, 10-4-0-0 WCHA) student-athletes received player of the week awards the Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced Monday afternoon. Junior defenseman Philip Beaulieu was named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week while senior goaltender Atte Tolvanen was named league Goaltender of the Week.

For the second time this season, Beaulieu was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week after recording four points over the weekend, including a third period hat trick in Saturday’s victory over the University of Alaska Fairbanks. His four points last week were tied for the most among all WCHA skaters and he now ranks in the top-10 among NCAA defensemen for points and assists this season.

Tolvanen was one of two league goaltenders to earn two victories last week extending the team’s win streak to four games. He also had the lone shutout by a conference goaltender which brought his career total to 12, tied for the most in Wildcat history. With four shutouts this season, Tolvanen ranks second in the NCAA and third with 542 saves.

It is the fourth and fifth weekly award for the Wildcats this season with Tolvanen grabbing three and Beaulieu earning two. Tolvanen was also named the WCHA Goaltender of the Month for November while Beaulieu received three of the same weekly awards as a sophomore.

The Wildcats will finish out their four-game trip to Alaska this weekend when they take on the University of Alaska Anchorage Friday and Saturday night. Puck drop in the Sullivan Arena is set for 11:07 p.m. (EST).

Courtesy: NMU Athletics