BURLINGTON, Vt. – Hockey East All-Star and All-American candidate Stefanos Lekkas confirmed Thursday that he will return to the University of Vermont for his senior year.

"I became aware of unsubstantiated rumors on social media regarding my desire to leave UVM to pursue either professional or transfer opportunities," said Lekkas. "The coaching staff at UVM has been 100% committed to my development as a player and as a person, and I remain 100% committed to the program. I know the past two seasons have not gone as planned, but I am optimistic that my teammates, coaches and I can turn next season into a success."

This year Lekkas' .930 save percentage marked the highest single season save percentage in Catamount history. He was the fifth Catamount goalie to start every game in a single season and posted a 2.27 goals against average, the seventh best mark in Vermont history. He also posted the fifth 1,000-plus save season in UVM 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. He became the first Catamount since Mike Paliotta (2015) to earn Hockey East Second Team honors.
 
In his Green & Gold career, Lekkas is currently tied for fourth with Tom Draper '87 with 102 career appearances and tied for seventh with Tom McNamara '77 and Sylvain Turcotte '81 with 40 career wins. He ranks third in career goals against average (2.56) and total saves (2,940).
 
The Elburn, Illinois native was one of 10 semifinalists for the 2019 Mike Richter Award, given annually to the best goalie in the NCAA. 
 
Handy Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the men's hockey program