WAKEFIELD, Mass. – Bowling Green’s Lukas Craggs (Elmhurst, Ill.) has been named the Hockey Commissioners Association Player of the Month after enjoying a sensational December for the Falcons, leading the country with six goals (tied), three game-winning markers and a plus-nine rating as the eighth-ranked Falcons went undefeated at 5-0-1. He also added a pair of assists to tie for fourth in the WCHA with eight points (tied for sixth nationally).
Our very own Lukas Craggs (@LukasCraggs) has been named National Player of the Month for December by the Hockey Commissioners Association!
— BGSU Hockey (@BGSUHKY) January 7, 2019
🏒TAPS LUKAS🏅#AyZiggy | #KickTheDoorDown pic.twitter.com/8ELqr0qeYd
The junior from Elmhurst, Illinois opened the month with consecutive game-winners in the Falcons’ road sweep at Alabama Huntsville (Dec. 1-2), part of a three-goal weekend. Craggs had a three-point effort (1g, 2a) in a 4-3 overtime road victory at Ferris State on Dec. 8, before capping the month with a second two-goal contest. That multi-goal outburst included the game-winner as BGSU defeated Minnesota State, 4-1 on Dec. 15 to finish a two-game sweep of the then-No. 3 Mavericks.
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In 21 games this season, Craggs has posted 13 goals, good for second in the WCHA and tied for third in the NCAA. He also has a league-best plus-20 rating.
K’Andre Miller takes top rookie honors
The HCA National Rookie of the Month for December is Wisconsin’s K’Andre Miller (Minnetonka, Minn.). The defenseman finished the month of December ranked third in points among all freshmen in the nation with six (2g, 4a) to help the Badgers to a 3-0-0 record.
HCA National Rookie of the Month for @kandre_miller. That's a pretty good start. #keepworking #Badgers pic.twitter.com/uwsMdor2fJ
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) November 1, 2018
Miller opened the month by posting the Badgers’ first four-point game since Oct. 16, 2016, with the game-winning goal and three assists in Wisconsin’s 8-5 comeback win against then-No. 6 Penn State on Dec. 1. The following weekend, Miller posted a goal and assist on Dec. 8 in Wisconsin’s 3-0 victory over Michigan State, earning an assist on the opening goal and scoring the second goal 57 seconds into the second period.
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Miller’s 2.00 points-per-game scoring average for the month tied for the national high among all players and led all rookies. Miller paced all freshmen in the Big Ten in points (6), assists (4), power-play points (1), power-play assists (1), and game winning goals (1), while sharing the lead in plus-minus rating (+4) during the final month of 2018.
Andrew Shortridge named goaltender of the month
Quinnipiac University goaltender Andrew Shortridge (Anchorage, Alaska) takes home HCA Goaltender of the Month honors after not surrendering a single goal during the entire month of December.
Good save by Shortridge with just a few ticks left on the clock! pic.twitter.com/rAoZSdgKH7
— Quinnipiac Men's Ice Hockey (@QU_MIH) January 6, 2019
The junior netminder posted a 2-0-0 record for the Bobcats in December, playing 114:55 minutes without allowing a puck across the goal line. He made 51 saves in the process, 32 of which came in a win for the Bobcats against then-No. 1 ranked Massachusetts on Dec. 7. At the end of the month, his shutout streak extended to 180:03 of perfect play.
Over the course of the 2018-19 season, Shortridge is one of just two goaltenders with a perfect record, currently sitting at 7-0-0 on the year. He also leads the nation in both goals against average (0.72), and save percentage (.970). His efforts have elevated the Bobcats to as high as No. 3 in the national polls to date.
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