Release Courtesy of Matt Higgins – MIAC Assistant Executive Director
The Gustavus men’s hockey team had a big weekend, taking five points in a crucial MIAC series against rival St. Olaf. Gustie goalie John McLean (So., Eagan, Minn.) played big in the net all weekend with a 1.44 goals against average (GAA) and a .932 save percentage and a perfect shootout performance to help Gustavus pick up an extra point. For his performance, McLean was named the MIAC Men’s Hockey Athlete-of-the-Week.
McLean helped his team pick up a 3-1 win Friday on the Oles’ home ice by stopping 22 of the 23 shots he faced, including 15 saves against the St. Olaf power play. Saturday, he made 19 saves in regulation as the two teams skated two a 2-2 tie after overtime. Then, in the shootout, McLean stopped all three Ole attempts to give his team the victory. This season, the Gustie netminder leads the MIAC with six wins, with a .898 save percentage and a 2.52 GAA. He also leads the league with four conference wins, while ranking second in GAA (1.65) and third in save percentage (.925) in MIAC play.
The five-point weekend helped Gustavus improve to 7-3-2 overall and 4-1-1 in the MIAC. The Gusties have 14 points and are alone in second place, just two points behind first-place St. Thomas. McLean and his teammates will now take a break for more than a month for finals and the holidays. They’ll return to the ice Jan. 10 when they host Lake Forest for a nonconference contest at 7:05 p.m.