SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release date: Monday, Jan. 19, 2015
SIJHL alumnus honoured by WCHA
THUNDER BAY, Ont. – The Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced Monday that former Superior International Junior Hockey League netminder Gordie Defiel has been named WCHA defensive player of the week for the period ending Jan. 18.
Defiel backstopped Lake Superior State to its first sweep of the season, while also picking up the third shutout of his rookie campaign, as the Lakers took a pair from Bemidji State.
The freshman from Stillwater, Minn. made 76 saves in the two victories over Bemidji State, including a career-high 44 stops during a thrilling, 1-0 victory on Friday.
Defiel turned back all 24 shots faced in the first period Friday, tying for the sixth-highest single-period total in WCHA history.
The first-year collegian was unscored upon for the first 110 minutes of the series and finished with a .974 save percentage. He also leads all NCAA goaltenders with 758 saves this season.
Defiel starred in the SIJHL for the Wisconsin/Minnesota Wilderness in 2011-12 and 2012-13 where he led the club to consecutive Bill Salonen Cup titles as well as the 2013 Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canada Jr. A championship in North Bay.
A SIJHL top goaltender award and Dudley-Hewitt MVP recipient, Defiel posted a 36-2-2 career record in the SIJHL with a 1.49 goals-against average and .942 save percentage along with nine shutouts.