Jan. 4, 2016
By Dan Colleran
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – After leading the Notre Dame hockey team to a pair of ties at 17th-ranked Denver this past weekend (Jan. 1-2), sophomore goaltender Cal Petersen was named the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week (Jan. 4).
Petersen and the Irish skated to a 1-1 overtime tie against the Pioneers on Friday night (Jan. 1) with Petersen making a season-high 49 saves in that contest, including 23 saves in the second period. Then on Saturday (Jan. 2), Petersen made 43 saves as Notre Dame and Denver played to a 2-2 overtime tie.
For the weekend, Petersen posted a 1.40 goals against average to go along with an impressive .968 save percentage (stopped 92 of 95 shots faced).
It marks Petersen’s second Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week honor this season (Nov. 2) and the fourth of his career. Combined with two Hockey East Rookie of the Week honors and a Hockey East Player of the Week honor, Petersen has now earned seven weekly Hockey East awards.
On the season, Petersen has started all 19 games, posting a 9-4-6 record to go along with a .926 save percentage and a 2.28 goals against average. During Notre Dame’s current six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2), Petersen boasts a .957 save percentage and a 1.47 goals against average.
Petersen and No. 14/15 Notre Dame close out non-conference play this weekend (Jan. 8-9) with a home-and-home series versus Western Michigan. The Irish will host game one of the series at 7:35 p.m. on Friday (NBC Sports Network). Saturday’s contest at Western Michigan is slated for a 7:05 p.m. start (CBS Sports Network).
Weekly Hockey East Awards — Jan. 4
Warrior Player of the Week – Dan Correale – New Hampshire
Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week – Packy Munson – Vermont
Defensive Player of the Week – Cal Petersen – Notre Dame
— ND —
Dan Colleran, associate athletics communications director at the University of Notre Dame, has been a part of Fighting Irish Media since August 2015 and coordinates all media and publicity efforts surrounding the Notre Dame hockey and men’s golf programs. A native Walpole, Massachusetts, Colleran spent the previous three years working with the men’s hockey and soccer programs at Providence College. Prior to Providence, Colleran spent two years as an Assistant Executive Director of Communications & Championships at the Ivy League. He is a 2006 graduate of Providence College, where he also earned an MBA in 2008.