The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced that Corpus Christi IceRays goaltender Pheonix Copley has been named the SBK Hockey Goaltender of the Month for the month of November.
The 18-year old Copley becomes the first Corpus Christi netminder to receive the award in franchise history. The North Pole, AK native went 4-3-0 with a 2.56 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. He stopped 223 of a possible 240 shots in the month for a 31.8 saves per game average. Five of Copley’s seven starts in the month came away from the American Bank Center.
“Cops really came into his own over the month of November,” said Corpus Christi head coach Brent Hughes. “He was the backbone of our team for the entire month and really came up big when we needed him. We had a seven-game road trip and rode his strong goaltending to a winning record for the month. He’s only going to get better as he gets more and more experience.”
Copley’s month was highlighted by a three-game winning streak in which he allowed just four goals. The streak included back-to-back, 2-1 decisions over the New Mexico Mustangs on the road.
The 6’3, 175-pound goalie is a product of the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL), having spent the 2009-10 season with the SoCal Titans. With the Titans, Copley went 14-4-4 with a 2.38 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. His older brother Navarone is a center for the IceRays.
“It’s a great environment down here in Corpus Christi,” said Copley. “I was happy that my contributions helped us have a successful road trip last month. I’m always looking to improve my game and get better.”
About SBK Hockey…
The Official Equipment Supplier and Preferred Goaltender Supplier of the NAHL, SBK Hockey offers a complete line of composite hockey sticks and protective equipment, including protective goaltender equipment. For more information on SBK Hockey, visit http://www.sbkhockey.com/.
About the NAHL…
Celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2010-11, the NAHL, the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II Junior A league boasting 27 teams from across North America, prides itself on the social maturity and skill development of student-athletes ages 16-20 with aspirations of advancing to collegiate and/or professional hockey. For more information on the NAHL, visit http://www.nahl.com/.