University of Massachusets Athletics
Murray And Leonard Honored By Hockey East
February 12, 2018 | Hockey
Murray was tabbed the league's Player of the Week, while Leonard earned Co-Rookie of the Week recognition.
AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts hockey freshmen Matt Murray and John Leonard have collected Hockey East weekly accolades after helping the Minutemen to five league points and a 2-0-1 record last week, it was announced on Monday. Murray was tabbed Hockey East Player of the Week, while Leonard was selected as Pro Ambitions Co-Rookie of the Week.
The awards mark the sixth and seventh honors for the Minutemen this season and second of their careers for Murray and Leonard who were named Hockey East Rookies of the Week on Jan. 22, 2018 and Oct. 16, 2017, respectively. Seven Hockey East weekly awards matches the most for the UMass program since the 2009-10 season.
Murray started all three games in net for the Minutemen last week, which included a 5-2 win over Merrimack, a 3-3 tie at Boston University and a 3-0 shutout of UMass Lowell. The St. Albert, Alberta native posted a 1.63 goals-against average and a .952 save percentage, making a total of 99 saves over the three contests.
Murray totaled 38 saves as the Minutemen came from down two goals to tie the Terriers on the road and followed up the next night with a 30-save shutout over the River Hawks. With his third shutout of the season, Murray tied UMass' single season shutout record (3), previously set by Jonathan Quick (2006-07) and Markus Helanen (2000-01). It was UMass' first shutout over UMass Lowell since 1970 and snapped a nine-game winless streak for the Minutemen against the River Hawks.
Leonard led UMass in scoring last week with four points on two goals and two assists over three games and took over the team scoring lead for the season as he now has 22 points on the year. The Amherst, Massachusetts, native logged his second multi-goal game of the 2017-18 campaign against Merrimack last Tuesday, including the game winner, and was tabbed the game's No. 1 star. Leonard followed up by picking up an assist on one of UMass' two third period goals at BU on Friday and extended his point streak to three straight with an assist vs. UMass Lowell.
UMass will be back in action on Thursday, Feb. 15, when the Minutemen will play host to No. 19 Boston College at 7 p.m. in the Mullins Center.
The awards mark the sixth and seventh honors for the Minutemen this season and second of their careers for Murray and Leonard who were named Hockey East Rookies of the Week on Jan. 22, 2018 and Oct. 16, 2017, respectively. Seven Hockey East weekly awards matches the most for the UMass program since the 2009-10 season.
Murray started all three games in net for the Minutemen last week, which included a 5-2 win over Merrimack, a 3-3 tie at Boston University and a 3-0 shutout of UMass Lowell. The St. Albert, Alberta native posted a 1.63 goals-against average and a .952 save percentage, making a total of 99 saves over the three contests.
Murray totaled 38 saves as the Minutemen came from down two goals to tie the Terriers on the road and followed up the next night with a 30-save shutout over the River Hawks. With his third shutout of the season, Murray tied UMass' single season shutout record (3), previously set by Jonathan Quick (2006-07) and Markus Helanen (2000-01). It was UMass' first shutout over UMass Lowell since 1970 and snapped a nine-game winless streak for the Minutemen against the River Hawks.
Leonard led UMass in scoring last week with four points on two goals and two assists over three games and took over the team scoring lead for the season as he now has 22 points on the year. The Amherst, Massachusetts, native logged his second multi-goal game of the 2017-18 campaign against Merrimack last Tuesday, including the game winner, and was tabbed the game's No. 1 star. Leonard followed up by picking up an assist on one of UMass' two third period goals at BU on Friday and extended his point streak to three straight with an assist vs. UMass Lowell.
UMass will be back in action on Thursday, Feb. 15, when the Minutemen will play host to No. 19 Boston College at 7 p.m. in the Mullins Center.
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