Thompson named CCHA Goalie of the Week
October 23, 2012
Jamie Foland
474-6807
Senior netminder Steve Thompson has been named the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Goaltender of the Week after backstopping the Alaska Nanooks to the 2012 Brice Alaska Goal Rush title over the weekend.
The Anchorage native turned aside 27 shots in a 3-2 win over Merrimack on Friday and made 25 saves in a 2-1 win over then-ranked No. 2 North Dakota in the championship game on Saturday.
“Steve battled hard in the net and I'm very excited for him and for how he added value to our wins,” said head coach Dallas Ferguson. “He's waited a long time to get this opportunity; we told all the goaltenders when you get your opportunity you want to make good on it and getting two wins is certainly making good on it.”
Thompson recorded his second and third career wins, all of which have been captured in Goal Rush games, and helped the Nanooks finish the weekend 10-for-10 on the penalty kill. He amassed a 1.50 goals-against average and .945 save percentage in 120 minutes of action between the pipes for the weekend.
“He was competitive in net and any time your penalty kill can perform like it did, the goaltender had to have done his job because that's usually your best penalty killer,” Ferguson said. “With those types of performances he's earned another opportunity.”
The role he played in the Nanooks' tournament title garnered Thompson 2012 Goal Rush Most Valuable Player honors. Monday's announcement from the league office marks Thompson's first career Goalie of the Week award and the Nanooks first of the season.
Alaska travels to No. 18 Ferris State this weekend, where they will take on the Bulldogs for their CCHA opening series at 3:05 p.m. AKT on Friday and Saturday at the L. Ewigleben Ice Arena in Big Rapids.
Friday's game will air live at 3 p.m. AKT on KFXF Fox7 in Fairbanks and tape delayed at 8 p.m. AKT on Saturday. Both games will be available to watch online (free of charge) on FSU's Bulldog Sports Network.
Bruce Cech's play-by-play can be heard live beginning at 2:45 p.m. on ESPN Radio (KCBF) 820 Sports on the Fairbanks radio waves or online at 820sports.com.