Tuesday, 02.20.18 / 10:45 am CT
Photo: Bryan Williams
IceRays goaltender Chad Veltri has been named the South Division First Star of the Week, the NAHL announced Tuesday.
Already coming off a shutout from the previous weekend against Lone Star, Veltri denied all 19 shots he faced on Friday night against the Topeka RoadRunners, becoming the first goaltender in junior franchise history to pitch a shutout in back-to-back games.
The following night, Veltri (5’11, 180 lb) turned aside 30 of Topeka’s 31 shots and came just a minute and eight seconds away from a third consecutive clean sheet. However, a long right point shot by Lucas Herrmann snuck through a thick screen and found its way between his pads. Even so, the IceRays managed to secure the victory for their goaltender, who’s now 3-0 since returning from injury.
After missing nearly a month due to concussion-like symptoms, the Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania native has come back to action and has been a rock in goal. He’s made 74 of a possible 75 saves since his return, which equates to a .986 save percentage and a 0.33 goals against average.
On the season, the Niagara University commit has risen to the top of the NAHL leaderboards with a .930 save percentage, which ties him with Alex Camarre (Odessa) and Brandon Perrone (New Jersey) for the highest in the league. He also ranks seventh with a 2.21 goals against average. He’s posted a 15-8-3 record in his first full season as an IceRay, and promises to be an integral part of the IceRays’ playoff push.
