St. Cloud State’s Schuldt, New Hampshire’s Gildon honored with monthly HCA awards

Jimmy Schuldt (SCSU-22) 16 March 18 St. Cloud State University  and Denver University National Collegiate Hockey Conference Tournament match-up at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Bradley K. Olson)
St. Cloud State captain Jimmy Schuldt is averaging two points per game with 10 points over the Huskies’ first five games this season (photo: Bradley K. Olson).

St. Cloud State junior defenseman Jimmy Schuldt, who led the NCAA in points per game and plus-minus last month, has been named the Hockey Commissioners’ Association National Division I Player of the Month for October, while New Hampshire freshman defenseman Max Gildon is the HCA National Division I Rookie of the Month.

Schuldt tallied 10 points on four goals and six assists in five games, while leading the Huskies to a 5-0-0 start and a No. 2 national ranking. Despite playing on the blue line, Schuldt tied for the NCAA lead among all skaters in October with 2.00 points per game, while also ranking sixth during the month with 1.20 assists per game.

SCSU’s team captain tallied at least one point in all five games in October, including four multi-point games, while posting a +8 plus-minus, which led the NCAA. He scored the game-winning goal in SCSU’s first two games of the season, and was a two-time NCHC Defenseman of the Week to start the season, as well.

Gildon has helped anchor a New Hampshire defense that boasts the best scoring defense in Hockey East, limiting opponents to 2.29 goals per game. His play has backended the Wildcats to a 5-1-1 start to the year, including a 5-0-0 run that was the best to open a season for New Hampshire in 24 years.

He leads all NCAA defensemen with six goals, two game-winning tallies, and one hat trick. His six markers also lead all of Hockey East while his eight points are third-most among league defenders.

He has factored in on three game-winning strikes to date and scored two, including netting both goals in a 2-0 New Hampshire win on Oct. 13 over Colgate and all three tallies in a 3-0 win against Colorado College on Oct. 20 for his first career hat trick.