Sicamous Eagles goalie Kael Svenson soared through the season to be named the top blocker of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL).
The KIJHL is currently announcing its award winners for on-ice excellence this season, and on Wednesday, April 9, named the rookie player as the Top Goaltender.
"If you look at our record when he was in the crease and when he wasn't (Svenson had 15 of their 22 wins), that would probably be the first place that I would look," former Eagles head coach Shawn Webb said of the deserved win. "He took a good team and allowed us to achieve excellence."
Svenson, 18, joined the Eagles from the Alberta Junior Hockey league and proved to be one to watch early on as he began his KIJHL career with six straight wins. Not only did he show tremendous athletic ability, but also made crucial saves when the team needed them.
Svenson ended the season with a 15-4-2 record to go with a 2.40 goals against average, and a .941 save percentage to lead the league as he allowed just 49 goals and made 786 saves. With his skills, Svenson was chosen as the Top Goalie on Nov. 30, and earned a Young Guns selection.
Webb added that he never saw the Calgary native get rattled, and had a tremendous ability to bounce back from what he thought was a bad goal.
"He carries far more presence in the dressing room than a lot of goalies I've coached. He's very active in lifting guys up, holding his players accountable," Webb said of Svenson. "I would say he is a true leader 鈥� he was a great tool for me because of his very high hockey IQ. He's very hockey savvy.
"That's what makes him special as a goalie. He's not just stopping pucks, he's an assistant coach to the defensive systems we were trying to implement."
