ROCHESTER, Minn. – The North American 3 Hockey League has announced Rochester Grizzlies goalie Mathias Backstrom as the Vaughn Goalie of the Month for the month of December. This marks the second time Backstrom has won this award, as he previously did so for the month of October.
Backstrom, 19, was superb throughout December. The Malmo, Sweden, native went a perfect 4-0 in his four starts throughout the month, picking up wins against some of the top teams in the league. He started off his December with a win over St. Louis, stopping 32 shots in the victory. From there, it was a 22-save victory over North Iowa, a 19-save effort against Texas before shutting out Wausau with 19 saves. Overall he finished the month with a .948 save percentage and 1.23 goals against average.
On the season, Backstrom is 11-3 with three shutouts. He has the top GAA in the entire NA3HL at 1.41 while also holding a .941 save percentage, good for third best among goalies who have played at least 600 minutes.
Backstrom and the Grizzlies are home this upcoming weekend for two games against the Milwaukee Power. Puck drop is set for 7 PM both nights with doors opening at 6 PM. Saturday night is a Saturday Night Showdown game brought to you by Sterling State Insurance Agency.