DENVER – The University of Denver hockey junior
Matt Davis has been named the National Goaltender of the Month for March, the Hockey Commissioners Association announced on Thursday.
Davis is coming off his first career NCHC Goaltender of the Month award and is the first Pioneer netminder to earn the national honor. He led all keepers in the conference in the March with a 9-1-0 record, 1.89 goals-against average, .931 save percentage (tied) and one shutout (tied). Davis is on a career-long seven-game winning streak and has helped the Pioneers advance to the Frozen Four for the second time in three years and the program's fifth trip in the last eight tournaments.
The Calgary, Alberta, native recorded his first official shutout of the season by stopping all 17 shots he faced against Minnesota Duluth in Game 1 of the NCHC Quarterfinals on March 15. Davis denied 21 shots in an overtime win against St. Cloud State in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Semifinals on March 22 and then made 15-of-16 saves the next day against Omaha in the conference championship game.
He posted a career-high 46 saves in a 2-1 double-overtime win last Thursday against Massachusetts in the NCAA Regional Semifinals before stopping 24-of-25 shots in the Regional Final against Cornell on Saturday in another 2-1 win. He was named the Most Outstanding Player and picked up All-Tournament honors for the Northeast Regional in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Davis has started a personal-best 24 consecutive games since returning from injury following the holiday break and has a 21-5-3 record, 2.48 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in 29 games this season (all starts).
Cornell's Ian Shane (6-2-0, 1.89 goals-against average, .926 save percentage) and Boston College's Jacob Fowler ( 7-0-0, 2.13 goals-against average, .929 save percentage) were also finalists for National Goaltender of the Month.
DU defenseman
Zeev Buium was runner-up for National Rookie of the Month behind Boston University's Macklin Celebrini. Buium led all NCHC defensemen with 11 points in 10 contests in March, recording two goals while tying for the conference lead with nine assists and producing a league-high plus-15 rating.
Boston College's Cutter Gauthier was recognized as the National Player of the Month after registering eight goals and eight assists in eight games.
UP NEXT: Denver will face Boston University in the NCAA Frozen Four Semifinals next Thursday, March 11 at 3 p.m. MT at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The NCAA Championship Game is Saturday, March 13 at 4 p.m. MT.
