University of Minnesota Athletics
Men's Hockey Preview: Goaltending
9/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Alex Kangas returns to the Gophers in 2010-11 for his fourth stint as the team's primary option between the pipes. After a record-breaking freshman season where he boasted a 1.98 goals-against average (GAA) and .930 save percentage, Kangas used his junior season to rebound from a down year in 2008-09. Last year, he shaved almost a fifth of a goal off his GAA and raised his save percentage from .901 to .911. Behind Kangas is Colorado Avalanche draft pick Kent Patterson. Patterson, who is a junior, is succeeded in goal by Jake Kremer, who returns for a third season as the Gophers' third goaltender.
Hopefully for Minnesota, Kangas can continue to shine when it matters most. His 2.46 GAA in conference games was half a goal better than his non-conference GAA and ranked him second among WCHA netminders in that category. Kangas also steps his game up in overtime. He owns a career 1.37 GAA and .957 save percentage during the extra session. In addition to good conference and overtime numbers, Kangas has been stellar in postseason action. His hot play down the stretch in 2007-08 vaulted the Gophers into the WCHA championship game, helped the team secure a spot in the NCAA tournament and earned him Team MVP honors. He won the team's playoff MVP award last season by stopping 41 shots in a WCHA first round series-tying victory at North Dakota.
Patterson doesn't have the experience of Kangas, but he has shown flashes of brilliance in net during limited action. In his three starts from November 28 to January 9 last season, Patterson went 2-1-0 with a 1.34 GAA, while turning away 97 of 101 shots.
