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ST. PAUL - Minnesota Duluth was working on its power play toward the end of practice Wednesday, March 20, at Amsoil Arena in preparation for this weekend鈥檚 NCHC Frozen Faceoff.

Near the end, the power-play unit was able to string a sequence of passes together that caught junior goaltender Hunter Shepard on one post while a shooter was alone with the puck on the opposite post.

Not good enough, not to beat Shepard.

鈥淗e鈥檚 always on the ice competing, and that鈥檚 why he鈥檚 been so successful anytime he鈥檚 been in the net for us,鈥� UMD senior captain Parker Mackay said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been fun to watch for sure.鈥�

While Wednesday鈥檚 post-to-post glove save in practice may have been highway robbery, the same could not be said for the handful of awards Shepard hauled out of the Science Museum of Minnesota on Thursday night. In addition to collecting his All-NCHC first-team trophy, the Cohasset native was named NCHC Goaltender of the Year and the NCHC Three Stars Award winner during the league鈥檚 2018-19 awards celebration.

Other award winners from UMD included sophomore center Justin Richards being named best defensive forward, while sophomore Scott Perunovich repeated as best offensive defenseman.

Shepard posted a league-best 1.92 goals-against average and five shutouts in NCHC play this season, while his .914 save percentage was fourth. The semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award as national goaltender of the year said he considers all his honors to be team awards.

鈥淚t just reflects on this team and this coaching staff,鈥� said Shepard, who lost out to St. Cloud State senior defenseman Jimmy Schuldt for NCHC Player of the Year. 鈥淲e prepare well every week and we play such a good defensive game.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 say it鈥檚 all on me. It鈥檚 the style our team plays. I think it鈥檚 been a lot easier for me than a lot of other goalies in our league and throughout the country to be successful.鈥�

Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin said Shepard is deserving of every accolade that comes his way. He鈥檚 been UMD鈥檚 best player and the most consistent dating to last season.

鈥淚 like his maturity over the last two years,鈥� said Sandelin, whose Bulldogs take on Denver in the Frozen Faceoff semifinals at 7:38 p.m. Friday at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. 鈥淗e鈥檚 such a competitor, even if he鈥檚 maybe not on his A-game he finds ways. I think that鈥檚 a great example for our team.

鈥淗e just goes out and does his job every day. He鈥檚 pretty good at what he needs to do. He knows what he needs to do, he knows how he needs to practice. If he doesn鈥檛 have a good day, he makes sure he follows it up with a good day the next day. He doesn鈥檛 allow it to turn into two.鈥�

Larson named top coach First-year St. Cloud State head coach Brett Larson talked during his post-Frozen Faceoff practice news conference Thursday at Xcel Energy Center about how nervous he was 50 weeks ago when he was in the same building for his first media day as coach of the Huskies.

A few hours later, he was on stage at the awards celebration giving his acceptance speech after beating out Western Michigan鈥檚 Andy Murray and his former boss, Sandelin, for the NCHC鈥檚 Herb Brooks Coach of the Year award.

Larson led the Huskies to the NCHC regular-season title and a 17-0-1 record at home this season.

鈥淔eels kind of crazy, to be honest,鈥� said a stunned Larson, the Duluth native who not only played at UMD, but helped the program win two national championships as an assistant coach. 鈥淪itting in this room as an assistant coach last year, just feeling lucky to be a part of this league and a part of this group of people, I couldn鈥檛 be more thankful for the opportunity.

鈥淭he words I feel right now are thankful and pretty lucky.鈥�

Larson thanked Sandelin for the opportunity he was given to coach the Bulldogs and, as he has done all season, deflected much of the credit for the Huskies鈥� success onto the players he inherited from previous coach Bob Motzko, who left for Minnesota. Those players include a pair of 2018-19 Hobey Baker Memorial Award top-10 finalists in Schuldt and senior forward Patrick Newell.

Both agreed Larson hasn鈥檛 given himself enough credit for the job he鈥檚 done this season.

鈥淭he biggest thing that he has brought to us is that mindset of trying to get better every day,鈥� Newell said. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 something we鈥檝e done well this year. Whatever happens, you know the next day we got to show up and be better.鈥�

Schuldt added: 鈥淗e fits in so well with our culture and the guys we have in the room. That鈥檚 just the kind of team we are. We don鈥檛 care who gets credit. We don鈥檛 care who scores goals or wins awards.鈥�

NCHC award winners

Player of the Year: Jimmy Schuldt, sr., D, St. Cloud State

Herb Brooks Coach of the Year: Brett Larson, St. Cloud State

Goaltender of the Year: Hunter Shepard, jr., Minnesota Duluth

Forward of the Year: Patrick Newell, sr., St. Cloud State

Defensive Forward of the Year: Justin Richards, soph., Minnesota Duluth

Rookie of the Year: Tyler Ward, F, Omaha

Offensive Defenseman of the Year: Scott Perunovich, soph., Minnesota Duluth

Defensive Defenseman of the Year: Schuldt, St. Cloud State

Three Stars Award: Shepard, Minnesota Duluth

Sportsmanship Award: Newell, St. Cloud State

Media Excellence Award: Mick Hatten, Forum Communications

Senior Scholar-Athlete: Mason Bergh, F, Colorado College