Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Thunderbirds’ Taran Kozun named Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week

Press Release

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Taran Kozun of the Seattle Thunderbirds is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending January 19 after posting a 3-0-0-0 record with two shutout victories along with a goals-against-average of 0.65 and save percentage of .977.

Playing in his first three games with the team, Kozun backstopped the Thunderbirds to three straight wins last week helping extend the club’s winning-streak to six and lifting them into fourth place in the WHL’s Western Conference standings with a 28-14-2-3 record.  Kozun made his debut with the Thunderbirds in style recording back-to-back shutout victories including a 28-save performance as first star of a 1-0 overtime win over the Spokane Chiefs last Tuesday, then stopped all 26 shots he faced on Friday as first star of a 4-0 win over the Tri-City Americans.  His week wrapped up Saturday with 30 saves as part of a 3-2 victory against his former team the Kamloops Blazers.

Kozun, a 19-year-old from Nipawin, SK, is playing in his second full WHL season and was recently acquired by the Thunderbirds in a trade with the Blazers where he posted a 5-19-2-1 record with a goals-against-average of 3.95 and save percentage of .897.

Also considered for the award this week was Justin Nichols of the Guelph Storm who went 3-0-0-0 with two shutouts posting a goals-against-average of 0.67 and save percentage of .978, meanwhile Drummondville Voltigeurs’ goaltender Louis-Philip Guindon went 2-1-0-0 also recording two shutouts in his two starts maintaining a goals-against-average of 0.43 and save percentage of .985.


(Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)

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