DULUTH, Minn. – Sophomore Cristian Wong-Ramos has been named this week's Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) Defensive Player of the Week after presiding over a sweep of Marian (Wis.) University by the Trine University men's hockey team this past weekend.
This week's sweep of the NCHA Player of the Week honors gives the Thunder their third and fourth recipients this season. This is the second time this season and during his career that Wong-Ramos has taken home the award.
Wong-Ramos finished the weekend with 54 saves against the Sabres, allowing just three goals on the weekend for a 1.50 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage. Most importantly for the team he finished the weekend undefeated.
On Friday, the Thunder scored the lone goal of the first period and then built a commanding 5-1 lead in the second period. Wong-Ramos's play in net was critical in both the first and third periods of the contest. The first was Marian's most prolific offensive period with the team recording 15 shots on goal, all of which were turned aside. He then followed up by holding off a comeback attempt in the third period, saving eight of ten shots he faced.
He followed up the strong Friday performance with an even better Saturday, making 28 saves on his way to the first shutout of his career at Trine. The Thunder scored a goal in each of the first two periods and the pulled away to a 5-0 victory in the third. Wong-Ramos made 12 saves in the third period alone to secure the victory.