Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Owsley named CHL Goaltender of the Week

Press Release

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Drew Owsley of the Tri-City Americans is the CHL Goaltender of the Week for the second time this post-season. For the week ending April 25, Owsley won three games with just one loss posting a goals-against-average of 1.97 and save percentage of .939 backstopping the Americans to a six game series win over the Vancouver Giants in the WHL’s Western Conference Finals.

Owsley was named the WHL Western Conference Championship Series MVP with three consecutive victories and first star performances to close out the series. After dropping a 3-2 overtime decision in Game 3 with 24 saves on Tuesday, he made 30 saves as part of a 5-2 win in Game 4 on Thursday to tie the series 2-2. He continued his strong play with 40 saves on Friday in the 4-1 win in Game 5, and made another 30 saves in the Game 6 finale to preserve a 5-2 win for the Americans who captured their first ever Western Conference Championship title and will now face the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL Finals.

Owsley, a 19-year-old from Lethbridge, AB, is competing in his second WHL season with the Americans. Named to the WHL’s Western Conference second All-Star team, Owsley finished the regular season with a goals-against-average of 2.51 and an impressive record of 33-11-1-1.

Philipp Grubauer was also considered for winning four straight games for the Windsor Spitfires who defeated the Kitchener Rangers in seven games to advance to the OHL Finals against the Barrie Colts. He posted one shutout victory in four starts with a goals-against-average of 2.50 and save percentage of .921. In the QMJHL Semi-Finals, Nicola Riopel of the Moncton Wildcats won two games including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 1.27 and save percentage of .961 to lead the Wildcats to a five game series victory over the Drummondville Voltigeurs and will now face the Saint John Sea Dogs in the QMJHL Finals.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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