Springfield, Illinois – The Springfield Jr. Blues, proud members of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), are pleased to announce that three alumni have been named Semi-Finalists for the Mike Richter Award. The award is given out annually to the best goaltender in NCAA Division 1 hockey.
Stefanos Lekkas, a junior at the University of Vermont, put in a stellar campaign for the Catamounts in an otherwise disappointing season. In 34 games played, Lekkas posted a 12-19-3 record with a 2.27 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage. The Elburn, IL native ranks in the top 20 for GAA and is 5th in the nation in SV%.
Dryden McKay has been lights out this season for the Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks. In 30 appearances he has a 21-6-2 record with a miniscule 1.72 GAA and a .928 SV%. Additionally, McKay has posted 3 shutouts in his freshmen campaign. McKay leads all freshmen netminders in wins, GAA, SV%, and shutouts. Among all division 1 goaltenders he ranks 2nd in GAA and 7th in SV%.
For all that McKay and Lekkas have accomplished this season, Tommy Nappier has been at the front of the pack all year long. In his 18 games played this season, Nappier has an 12-2-3 record with a 1.78 GAA and a .937 SV%. He ranks 2nd in SV% and 4th in GAA among all Division 1 goaltenders. But that’s not where the story ends. The St. Louis, MO native had a conference best 1.82 goals-against average and .936 save percentage in Big Ten games, while also leading the league in winning percentage (.750; 8-2-2). His goals-against average is the second-lowest in Big Ten history, with his save percentage ranking fourth all-time.
Congratulations to Stefanos Lekkas, Dryden McKay, and Tommy Nappier for their outstanding play this season!
