Aurora Tiger Kevin Entmaa named OJHL’s goalie of the month

January 15, 2014 · 0 Comments

By Jeff Doner

After posting an impressive 5 – 1 – 0 record and two shutouts throughout the month of December, Aurora Tigers goalie Kevin Entmaa was announced by the OJHL as the goaltender of the month on Saturday.

As one of Aurora’s key players this season, Entmaa has provided a steady presence from the back end for the first place Tigers.

“It felt good,” Entmaa said after finding out he was receiving the honour. “I wasn’t really expecting it for December there, I was actually thinking it might have come in November, but we kept winning and the team kept playing well and I stayed solid, so it just came out of it. It was pretty nice to win.”

Entmaa was actually a runner-up for the award in November, but was edged out by Nathan Perry of the Cobourg Cougars.

Entmaa has really blossomed in his third season with the club. He currently sits second in the league with 19 wins, first in goals against average at 2.05, has a top save percentage among starting goalies and has the most shutout wins (five) on the season.

It was the first time Entmaa has received such an accolade at the Junior A level.

“My first season I was put on the second top prospect team but other than that this is pretty much my first personal award for my Junior A career, so it’s pretty nice to win,” he said.

His head coach, James Richmond, wasn’t surprised Entmaa was the man who received the award for December.

“He did nothing but earn it for December,” Richmond said. “He was rock solid. I think he was 7 – 1 in the month, great save percentage, good goals against. He’s just playing great. I’d like to go back and forth between the two goalies here, but when a guy gets on that type of roll, you’ve got to keep going with him. Munroe stepped in last night and had a heck of game for us.”

Richmond has coached Entmaa since he joined the Tigers in 2011 and said he has noticed the growth of his goalie both on and off the ice.

“He’s a little bit more mature this year. He’s just playing the position with a ton of confidence. I said to him last week in practice, ‘nothing has changed in your set up or what you’re doing, it’s just your confidence.’ He knows if he lets one in he can shut the door and he’s knows that the team in front of him will score a few.”

Forward Calvin Higley also sang the praises of his teammate upon hearing the news.

“He’s been rock solid for us. Five shutouts this year…that’s amazing,” he said. “It’s good to have a guy back there like that and it’s good to have [Andy] Munroe back there as well.”