Slater named NCHA Defensive Player of the Week

MEQUON, Wis. – Sophomore goaltender Bridget Slater has been named the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Women's Hockey Defensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.

Slater (Roseau, Minn.) earned the award after posting her second shutout of the season in just her third start. Saturday proved to be the best start of her collegiate career as she stopped 33 shots, leading the Falcons to a 3-0 win over defending NCHA champion Lake Forest.

Slater recorded at least 10 saves in every period, including 13 over the final stanza. Perhaps the most impressive stretch of the shutout came late in the second period when she made big save after big save during a 5-on-3 penalty kill, which helped keep the Falcons up 1-0 going into the second intermission.

Slater is now 3-0-0 this season and leads the NCHA in both goals against average (0.67) and save percentage (.976). She ranks sixth in the conference with 81 saves, recording 30 or more saves in each of her last two starts.

The Falcons will take to the ice Friday night in an NCHA matchup at Marian University. Marian's Nina Laurie was the conference's Offensive Player of the Week after she scored four goals and added two assists in a weekend sweep of Finlandia. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. in Fond du Lac.