McMenimen, Vander Esch named to D3hockey.com’s National Team of the Week
11/17/2015 | Men’s Ice Hockey
POTSDAM, N.Y.-A day after collecting SUNYAC Goalie and Player of the Week honors, SUNY Potsdam men’s hockey players Brendan McMenimen (Merrimack, Mass./Islanders Hockey Club) and Dylan Vander Esch (San Jose, Calif./Hartford Wolfpack) have been honored by D3hockey.com. The duo has earned a spot on the first team of the website’s National Team of the Week.
McMenimen and Vander Esch, both sophomores have played impressively as the Bears 6-0 start to the season has earned them a No. 12 ranking in both the D3hockey.com and USCHO.com polls.
McMenimen, a goaltender, was spectacular in two wins that kept both the Bears and himself perfect this season. He stopped 91 of 94 shots for a .968 save percentage and a 1.50 goals-against-average. He made a career-high 47 saves in a 4-2 win at Cortland on Friday night and followed it up with a 44-save performance in Saturday night’s 4-1 upset of No. 10 Oswego. He is second in the SUNYAC and 16th in the nation with a 1.66 goals-against-average and second in the conference and sixth in the nation with a .951 save percentage.
Vander Esch, a forward, recorded another four points this weekend as the Bears remained undefeated with another SUNYAC sweep. On Friday, the sophomore recorded two goals, including the game-winner in Potsdam’s 4-2 win at Cortland. He then scored a third and assisted on the game-winner as the Bears upset No. 10 Oswego State. Vander Esch is currently second in the SUNYAC in scoring with six goals and three assists for nine points and tied for the lead in goals.
Next, the newly 12th-ranked Bears head to Stafford Ice Arena this Saturday night to face SUNY Plattsburgh at 7 p.m.
