Gustavus Adolphus College senior goaltender Matt Lopes (East Falmouth, Mass./Bishop Stang) has been named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Hockey Player of the Week for the week ending March 15, 2009. Lopes made 17 saves in the Gusties’ 5-2 win over Hamline in the MIAC Playoff Championship game last Wednesday in St. Peter.
With the score tied 2-2 after the first period, Lopes made pivotal stops in the second and third periods to give Gustavus an opportunity to take the lead. Eight of his 17 saves came in the third period as the Pipers tried to get back into the game. Lopes improved his season record to 10-4-0 and lowered his goals-against average to 2.30.
The win gave the Gusties an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993. Gustavus, which is 17-10-0, will face UW-Superior in the quarterfinals on Saturday, March 14 at 7:05 p.m. in Superior, Wis.
Lopes, a religion major, is the son of John Lopes of East Falmouth, Mass. and Jo-Anna Higgins of Plymouth, Mass.