Earning the first two victories of his ECHL career also landed Stockton Thunder goalie Olivier Roy the league's Goaltender of the Week award.
Roy won the award for the week of Nov. 14-20, during which he posted back-to-back wins over the Ontario Reign to close out a six-game road trip for the Thunder.
The announcement was made on Tuesday (Nov. 22) as the Thunder prepared for a Wednesday night home game against the Alaska Aces at Stockton Arena.
"It's always fun when you work hard and get recognized," said Roy, who turned in a 40-save performance in a 3-2 win at Ontario last Friday (Nov. 18) and then stopped 30 shots in a 3-1 victory the following night. "I've been working really hard. To finally get (a win) on the board . . . the feeling was really good."
In his two victories, Roy, who credited his teammates for strong defensive play in front of him, posted a goals-against average of 1.50 and a save percentage of .959. For the season, Roy is 2-3-3 with one shutout, a GAA of 2.32 and a save percentage of .925.
"This is a nice accomplishment for him," Thunder Coach Matt Thomas said of Roy being selected for the award. "He deserved it previous, and it's good for him to get it."
Roy, an Edmonton Oilers prospect, and teammate Thomas Heemskerk, a San Jose Sharks prospect, have formed an impressive goaltending duo for the Thunder. Heemskerk, who was a runner-up for Goaltender of the Week honors during the week of Nov. 7-13, is 5-1-0 with a GAA of 2.80 and a save percentage of .908.
Thanks largely to the efforts of Roy and Heemskerk, the Thunder (7-4-3) is in second place in the ECHL's Pacific Division despite averaging only 2.64 goals per game.
"They have been our two best players," Thomas said. "It's not like we've been winning games by scoring five or six goals."
Roy's award marks the ninth time in franchise history that the Goaltender of the Week honor has been presented to a Thunder goalie.
LEVESQUE UPDATE:
Injured Thunder center Gabriel Levesque, who suffered a fractured hip during a 4-2 loss at Ontario last Wednesday (Nov. 16), underwent surgery on Monday night (Nov. 21). Levesque is on the 21-day injured reserve list and will be sidelined indefinitely by his injury.
