FRISCO, TX – The North American Hockey League announced Thursday that Bismarck Bobcats goaltender Jake Williams has been named the Sherbrook Hockey Goaltender of the Month for March.
Williams, from Montreal, fashioned a perfect 4-0 record during the month, including a 10-save shutout performance over the Owatonna Express on March 12, to compliment a 1.22 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage.
“Jake’s a big goalie (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) who’s great on the first shot and he’s practically unbeatable if his rebound control is on,” said Bobcats head coach Byron Pool. “There’s no doubt in my mind with continued development, on and off the ice, he’ll be a Division I goaltender.”
“It’s definitely an honor to be named Goalie of the Month, especially for the last month of the season when the games matter most,” said Williams. “The big thing is taking that momentum now and making it translate into the playoffs.”
In 12 appearances since becoming a Bobcat after starting the year with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, the 19-year-old Williams holds a 10-1-0 record, including four shutouts, to go along with a 1.36 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage.
“Jake has been really outstanding since he’s joined us,” said Pool. “In the games he’s played for us, his numbers have been unreal; they really speak for themselves.”
His four shutouts tied for second league-wide with teammate Ryan Faragher.
“This is definitely a team honor,” Williams added. “When the guys in front of me are limiting the other team to 20 shots a game and only four or five decent scoring chances, it makes my job pretty easy in net.”
Williams is the second Bobcat netminder to secure Goalie of the Month honors; Faragher picked up the monthly hardware back in November.
The Bobcats open the Central Division Semifinals on Friday with a 7:15 PM contest against the Albert Lea Thunder at the VFW Sports Center.
Friday’s Robertson Cup Playoff opener will be broadcast locally on the radio home of Bobcat Hockey, Super Talk 1270, KLXX-AM, and worldwide at BismarckBobcats.com via B2 Networks. The pre-game show starts at 6:45 PM.
Playoff tickets for the 2010 Robertson Cup Playoffs are available now for the Bobcats’ first-round series against the Thunder! You can reserve your postseason seats by calling the Bobcat Hockey Office at 701-222-3300 or by e-mailing the office for more information at gobobcathockey@aol.com.
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