BURLINGTON, Vt. – University of Vermont junior Stefanos Lekkas was named one of ten semifinalists for the 2019 Mike Richter Award. Let's Play Hockey announced the candidates earlier Thursday.
 
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Lekkas leads the country with 1,040 saves in 2018-19 and is third in the nation in total minutes played (2,062). He sits fifth in the nation with a .930 save percentage and 20th with a 2.27 goals against average. His save percentage is the highest single season total in Vermont program history.
 
The junior recorded 40 or more saves in six games this season and 30 or more saves in 17 games. He tallied a career-high 48 saves in a pair of UVM wins: at Michigan to open the season and at Colorado College to close the first half of the season. Lekkas posted the fifth 1,000-plus save season and became the fifth UVM goalie to start every game in a single season.
 
Last year's Richter Award winner, Cale Morris of Notre Dame, is one of the 2019 semifinalists. All ten semifinalists are American-born and Providence's Hayden Hawkey is the lone senior semifinalist. Lekkas is one of three Hockey East nominees with Hawkey and Northeastern's Cayden Primeau. A complete list of semifinalists can be found below.
 
The five finalists for the 2019 Mike Richter Award will be announced on Tuesday, Mar. 28. The winner will be presented on Friday, Apr. 12 at the 2019 NCAA Frozen Four in Buffalo, New York.
 
Semifinalists (A-Z):
Joey Daccord – Arizona State
Hayden Hawkey – Providence
Jake Kielly – Clarkson
Stefanos Lekkas – Vermont
Dryden McKay – Minnesota State
Cale Morris – Notre Dame
Tommy Nappier – Ohio State
Cayden Primeau – Northeastern
Hunter Shepard – Minnesota-Duluth
Andrew Shortridge – Quinnipiac
 
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