Denver sophomore Zeev Buium has been named the NCHC Defenseman of the Week.

Buium earned his first top defender award of the season and the fourth of his career after also picking up the honor three times in 2023-24 as a freshman.

The San Diego native scored three goals on Friday in DU’s 5-2 win at North Dakota for his first career hat trick and became the first Pioneer blueliner to accomplish the feat in nearly 20 years.

Overall, it was just the third defenseman hat trick in NCHC history and the first since Ronnie Attard of Western Michigan on Feb. 4, 2022 at Colorado College. Buium’s goals were his first of the season and marked the first hat trick by a Pioneer since Jack Devine tallied four times on March 10, 2023 against Miami.

Friday also marked his second three-point game of the season (three assists on Oct. 5, 2024 at Alaska Anchorage) and seventh of his career.

Buium also added a season-high five shots and a plus-3 rating in Friday’s victory. He recorded two penalty minutes, had two shots and posted a plus-1 rating on Saturday as DU won 3-2 to sweep the series at North Dakota and win its 12th straight game to start the year.

The rearguard owns 13 points this season on three goals and 10 assists and he is tied with teammate Eric Pohlkamp and Maine’s Brandon Holt for the NCAA scoring lead by a defenseman.

Back home, Buium played for the SDIA Oilers and Los Angeles Jr. Kings.

Photo/Stephanie Burgoon

(November 18, 2024)