WAKEFIELD, Mass. – Rookie
Stefanos Lekkas was named the Stop It Goaltending Hockey East Goaltender of the Month for November on Thursday afternoon after sharing the honor in October. It marks the sixth league award for Lekkas in his first two months as a collegiate goalie. Freshman forward
Ross Colton was also the runner-up for the Rookie of the Month award.
RELATED LINKS
Belfast Highlights: UMass | Quinnipiac
NCAA Three Stars | Hockey East Release
Catamount Weekly
Lekkas went 5-1-1 in seven November starts between the pipes with a 1.85 goals against average and a .939 save percentage. The Elburn, Illinois native made the most saves (199) of any league goalie and posted at least 30 saves in four of his final five starts of the month. Lekkas led UVM to a six-game unbeaten streak (5-0-1) to close November and was named the NCAA No. 2 Star of the Week on Tuesday.
The netminder was recognized as the Most Outstanding Player of the Friendship Four in Belfast, Northern Ireland last weekend and made a career-high 40 saves on Saturday in the Belpot title game against No. 3 Quinnipiac. Lekkas currently sits fifth nationally in both goals against average (1.72) and save percentage (.940), and also ranks sixth in winning percentage (.818) with an 8-1-2 record.
Vermont (9-3-2, 4-2-1 HEA) jumped six spots in the USCHO.com poll from 20th to 14th this week. UVM also entered the USA Today/USA Hockey Poll for the first time this season at No. 14 on Monday. The Catamounts are currently sixth nationally in both team defense and scoring margin, and have out-scored their opponents by 14 during the unbeaten stretch.
Lekkas and the Catamounts are idle this weekend after the Belfast trip and host fifth-ranked Boston University at Gutterson Fieldhouse on Friday, Dec. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 10 in Hockey East play at 7:05 p.m. both nights. For tickets, log on to
UVMathletics.com/Tickets or call the UVM Athletic Ticket Office at 802-656-4410.
Vermont will host its annual Teddy Bear Toss during the Saturday night game against BU. Fans are encouraged to bring extra teddy bears and stuffed animals to toss onto the ice during intermission. The bears will be delivered by the men's and women's teams to local organizations in need during the holiday season.
Handy Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the 2016-17 men's hockey season
