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Photo by: Brad Rempel
LaFontaine’s B1G Goaltender of the Year Award Highlights ‘U’ Honors
3/16/2021 11:28:00 AM | Men's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS – Hobey Baker Award candidate and Mike Richter Award finalist Jack LaFontaine has been named the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year while the senior was one of three Gophers to earn First Team All-Big Ten honors, the conference announced on Tuesday ahead of the Big Ten championship game.
No. 4 Minnesota led all Big Ten programs with three First Team All-Big Ten honors in LaFontaine, Sampo Ranta and Jackson LaCombe while Brock Faber earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team accolades and was joined by Ben Meyers, Scott Reedy, Sammy Walker and Ryan Johnson as All-Big Ten Honorable Mention selections. Cullen Munson was Minnesota's recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
LaFontaine has emerged as one of the nation's top players this season as the goaltender leads the NCAA with 20 wins this season (20-6-0). Among goalies that have played at least half their team's games, the alternate captain is now tied for the national lead with a .937 save percentage and ranks second with a goals against average of 1.65. The Carolina Hurricanes prospect also ranks second this season with five shutouts. A native of Mississauga, Ontario, LaFontaine has now allowed two goals or fewer in 26 of his last 30 starts dating back to last season. The goaltender, who has also notched two assists, has backstopped the Big Ten's best scoring defense all year (1.93 goals allowed per game, fifth in the NCAA).
Ranta has developed into one of the premier goal scorers in college hockey this year as the forward is tied for second nationally with 18 goals this season. As part of the fourth-ranked scoring offense in the NCAA this year (3.71 goals per game), the Colorado Avalanche prospect leads Minnesota in goal scoring and point production this year with 28 as the junior has set new career highs in both statistics this year. Minnesota is 18-3-0 this year when he tallies a point and 7-0-0 when he notches a multi-point performance. A native of Naantali, Finland, Ranta had factored into the deciding goal in nine of the Maroon & Gold's wins including four game-winning goals.
A native of Eden Prairie, Minn., LaCombe is among the best scoring threats from the blue line in the country this season with career highs of 18 points, four goals and 14 assists. The Anaheim Ducks prospect ranks second among Big Ten defensemen in scoring and tied for 10th nationally in scoring among defensemen. Minnesota is 10-1-0 this year when LaCombe tallies a point while the defenseman has a pair of shorthanded goals this season for the Maroon & Gold.
A prospect for the Los Angeles Kings, Faber has recorded seven points (one goal, six assists) in 24 games this season with Minnesota while the defenseman leads the Gophers with 35 blocked shots this season. The 'U' is 5-1-0 this season when the Maple Grove, Minn., native records a point.
Big Ten Awards Notes
LaFontaine is the third Gopher to be named the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year while Minnesota has claimed the award four times in the eight-year history of the Big Ten (Adam Wilcox in 2013-14, Eric Schierhorn in 2015-16 and 2016-17)…the Gophers' three First Team All-Big Ten selections are the second most in program history after earning four First Team bids in 2016-17 (Tyler Sheehy, Justin Kloos, Jake Bischoff, Eric Schierhorn)…the 'U' has boasted a Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection in seven of eight years in the Big Ten era…Minnesota boasted finalists for all five Big Ten individual awards with LaFontaine also in the running for Big Ten Player of the Year, Faber up for Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Bob Motzko up for Big Ten Coach of the Year for the third time in his three years at Minnesota (Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2020)…Faber, Johnson and LaCombe helped the U.S. National Junior Team earn gold at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship in January.
Up Next: Big Ten Title with a Border Battle Flair
Minnesota has punched its ticket to its third Big Ten title game and first since 2016 with a Border Battle showdown against Wisconsin set for Tuesday, March 16 at 7:00 p.m. CT (TV: Big Ten Network; Stream: FOX Sports App; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM). The championship game will mark the first-ever meeting between the Gophers and the Badgers in the Big Ten tournament as Minnesota will now have played every team in the league in the conference postseason.
No. 4 Minnesota led all Big Ten programs with three First Team All-Big Ten honors in LaFontaine, Sampo Ranta and Jackson LaCombe while Brock Faber earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team accolades and was joined by Ben Meyers, Scott Reedy, Sammy Walker and Ryan Johnson as All-Big Ten Honorable Mention selections. Cullen Munson was Minnesota's recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
LaFontaine has emerged as one of the nation's top players this season as the goaltender leads the NCAA with 20 wins this season (20-6-0). Among goalies that have played at least half their team's games, the alternate captain is now tied for the national lead with a .937 save percentage and ranks second with a goals against average of 1.65. The Carolina Hurricanes prospect also ranks second this season with five shutouts. A native of Mississauga, Ontario, LaFontaine has now allowed two goals or fewer in 26 of his last 30 starts dating back to last season. The goaltender, who has also notched two assists, has backstopped the Big Ten's best scoring defense all year (1.93 goals allowed per game, fifth in the NCAA).
Ranta has developed into one of the premier goal scorers in college hockey this year as the forward is tied for second nationally with 18 goals this season. As part of the fourth-ranked scoring offense in the NCAA this year (3.71 goals per game), the Colorado Avalanche prospect leads Minnesota in goal scoring and point production this year with 28 as the junior has set new career highs in both statistics this year. Minnesota is 18-3-0 this year when he tallies a point and 7-0-0 when he notches a multi-point performance. A native of Naantali, Finland, Ranta had factored into the deciding goal in nine of the Maroon & Gold's wins including four game-winning goals.
A native of Eden Prairie, Minn., LaCombe is among the best scoring threats from the blue line in the country this season with career highs of 18 points, four goals and 14 assists. The Anaheim Ducks prospect ranks second among Big Ten defensemen in scoring and tied for 10th nationally in scoring among defensemen. Minnesota is 10-1-0 this year when LaCombe tallies a point while the defenseman has a pair of shorthanded goals this season for the Maroon & Gold.
A prospect for the Los Angeles Kings, Faber has recorded seven points (one goal, six assists) in 24 games this season with Minnesota while the defenseman leads the Gophers with 35 blocked shots this season. The 'U' is 5-1-0 this season when the Maple Grove, Minn., native records a point.
Big Ten Awards Notes
LaFontaine is the third Gopher to be named the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year while Minnesota has claimed the award four times in the eight-year history of the Big Ten (Adam Wilcox in 2013-14, Eric Schierhorn in 2015-16 and 2016-17)…the Gophers' three First Team All-Big Ten selections are the second most in program history after earning four First Team bids in 2016-17 (Tyler Sheehy, Justin Kloos, Jake Bischoff, Eric Schierhorn)…the 'U' has boasted a Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection in seven of eight years in the Big Ten era…Minnesota boasted finalists for all five Big Ten individual awards with LaFontaine also in the running for Big Ten Player of the Year, Faber up for Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Bob Motzko up for Big Ten Coach of the Year for the third time in his three years at Minnesota (Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2020)…Faber, Johnson and LaCombe helped the U.S. National Junior Team earn gold at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship in January.
Up Next: Big Ten Title with a Border Battle Flair
Minnesota has punched its ticket to its third Big Ten title game and first since 2016 with a Border Battle showdown against Wisconsin set for Tuesday, March 16 at 7:00 p.m. CT (TV: Big Ten Network; Stream: FOX Sports App; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM). The championship game will mark the first-ever meeting between the Gophers and the Badgers in the Big Ten tournament as Minnesota will now have played every team in the league in the conference postseason.
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