ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell men’s hockey sophomore Matthew Galajda has been named the lone goaltender on the All-ECAC Hockey Preseason Team, the league announced Tuesday.
After posting 25 wins a season ago and capturing ECAC Hockey’s Cleary Cup (regular season championship) en route to the program’s 21st NCAA tournament berth, the Big Red returns its entire defensive corps this season. At the heart of it is Galajda, who had a phenomenal collegiate debut last year.
Galajda led the nation with a 1.51 goals-against average, was a Mike Richter Award semifinalist and the first freshman goaltender to ever be named a Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist. His nine shutouts also led the nation, and it was just one shy of the Cornell program single-season record. Galajda was also named the Ivy League and ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year and the Ivy League Player of the Year.
Galajda becomes the Big Red’s first goaltender to be named to the preseason all-league team poll since another All-American, David McKee, was tabbed as such leading into the 2005-06 season.
ECAC Hockey is expected to announce its coaches and media preseason polls Wednesday.
ALL-ECAC HOCKEY PRESEASON TEAM
F – Max Veronneau (Princeton)
F – Ryan Kuffner (Princeton)
F – Joe Snively (Yale)
D – Adam Fox (Harvard)
D – Josh Teves (Princeton)
G – Matthew Galajda (Cornell)
