Stopped 53 of 55 shots against Ohio State
MARQUETTE, Mich. – Freshman goaltender Oliver Auyeung-Ashton has earned CCHA Rookie of the Week honors, the first conference award of his career.
A native of Coquitlam, British Columbia, Auyeung-Ashton first made his NCAA debut in Friday nights loss to No. 16 Ohio State, relieving William Gramme 29 seconds into the third period, and turning aside all eight shots sent his way.
He got his first career start on Saturday, making 45 saves on 47 shots faced in the 3-1 empty net loss. With his effort, Auyeung-Ashton’s 45 saves became the most by an NMU freshman goalie in their first collegiate start in the modern NCAA era (2004-present), and the most saves by an NMU freshman goalie in a game since Atte Tolvanen made 46 on October 30, 2015. Auyeung-Ashton became the ninth freshman goaltender in the NCAA to make 45+ saves in their first start in the past 20 years, and only the second in the past seven seasons.
Over 78 minutes played in two games, Auyeung-Ashton made 53 saves on 55 shots faced to post a 1.53 GAA and .964 SV%. Among CCHA netminders, his GAA and SV% were first and his saves were second among goalies who played more than 20 minutes on the weekend. Nationally, his 53 saves were the most among any netminder who played less than 100 minutes, his SV% was the fourth among NCAA goalies who played two games, and his GAA was tenth among NCAA goalies who played two games.
After the opening two weekends, Auyeung-Ashton leads the CCHA in GAA, SV%, and has the fewest goals against (2) among goalies who have played more than 20 minutes.
About
# 30 | Oliver Auyeung-Ashton | Goaltender, Freshman | Coquitlam, BC, Canada | Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL)
Auyeung-Ashton joined the Grizzlies ahead of the 22/23 campaign, where in his first season with the team, he posted a .927 SV% with five shutouts and a 21-14-6 record. After three seasons with the club and 96 appearances, he finished with a 50-29-12 record with eight shutouts to go along with a 14-10-1 record in the postseason. Auyeung-Ashton departs the Grizzlies as the franchise leader in games played for a goaltender, career wins, and shutouts. His career save percentage of .916 was good enough for third all-time in program history. His time in the BCHL also saw him take home the Bruce Allison Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year, as well as being named to the All-Rookie Team.
Coach Shyiak on Auyeung-Ashton: “Oliver has had an exceptional track record during his time in the BCHL. He comes highly recommended as a goaltender, teammate, and competitor. On the ice, Oliver has a lot of traits that we look for in our goaltenders; he’s an exceptional skater that tracks the puck very well and never gives up on a play.”
