Atlantic Hockey has annonuced its monthly award winners for the month of December. Taking home honors for the third month of the season are Brady Ferguson, Parker Gahagen, and Francis Marotte. For Ferguson and Gahagen, the awards are their second of the season.
Player of the Month
Brady Ferguson – Robert Morris
Junior, Forward – Lewisville, TX/Amarillo Bulls
Ferguson once again led Atlantic Hockey in scoring with 13 points on four goals and nine assists in eight December games. Eight of Ferguson’s 13 points came on the power play, including all four goals. He had a point in each December game, including multiple points in four of the eight. Ferguson ranked third in the NCAA in points in December and tied for the national lead with four power-play goals.
Ferguson had a three-game goal streak to open the month, helping Robert Morris pick up two league wins. He also had two assists and three blocks as the Colonials won the Three Rivers Classic for a second-straight year.
Goalie of the Month
Parker Gahagen – Army West Point
Senior, Goalie – Buffalo, NY/Buffalo Jr. Sabres
Gahagen backstopped Army West Point to a 4-1-1 record in the month of December. He posted a league-best 1.32 goals against average, allowing eight goals in over 363 minutes between the pipes. Gahagen also posted a 0.959 save percentage, stopping 189 of 197 shots. Gahagen lowered his goals against average on the season to 1.66, the third-best mark in the country, and raised his save percentage to 0.943, which also ranks third nationally.
Gahagen posted his fourth shutout of the season in the month’s opening game against AIC. He went 3-0-0 against league opponents and has now not lost a conference game since November 19th. Gahagen did not allow more than two goals in any game during the month, but saved his best performance for New Year’s Eve, stopping a career-high 48 saves in a win over Colgate.
Rookie of the Month
Francis Marotte – Robert Morris
Freshman, Goalie – Longueuil, QUE/Nepean Raiders
Marotte continued his strong play in net for Robert Morris, leading the Colonials to a 4-1-1 record in games he started in December. Marotte posted the third-best goals against average in Atlantic Hockey, behind Gahagen and Shane Starrett, with a 1.65 GAA. He also had a 0.953 save percentage, the second-best mark in the league and the sixth-best amongst goalies in the NCAA.
Marotte twice recorded 40-plus saves en route to crossing 200 saves for the month. He had 41 saves in a win over Sacred Heart and 43 in a winning effort against No. 14 Quinnipiac in the Three Rivers Classic championship games. He was named the Three Rivers Classic MVP following a two-game set that saw him earn his first career shutout against Ferris State and allow two goals against Quinnipiac.
