SUNYAC Posts First Men's Ice Hockey Weekly Awards of the 2024-25 Season
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The SUNYAC announces its first 2024-25 men's ice hockey weekly honors with Plattsburgh's Kevin Weaver-Vitale being named the Athlete of the Week, Cortland's Shane Shelest the Goaltender of the Week and Oswego's Gavin McCarthy the Rookie of the Week.
Weaver-Vitale started out his season with a bang on Friday in Castleton, Vermont, tallying two goals and an assist in Plattsburgh State's season-opening win. The career night for the fifth-year defenseman saw him tally the first goal of the season on a power play and the game-winner in the second period. He also picked up an assist on the team's fifth goal of the day and was +4 while unleashing eight shots on the day.
Shelest had an excellent collegiate debut for nationally 13th-ranked Cortland in a 5-2 victory at Alvernia. The freshman stopped 34 of 36 shots for a .944 save percentage to record his first career win. He also did not allow a goal in 5-on-5 play, as both of the goals that he allowed were power-play goals for the opposition.
McCarthy, a freshman, made his first career start in goal for the Lakers at home against the number 10 team in the country, Elmira College. He stood tall in goal all game with 21 saves not allowing the Soaring Eagles a chance to score all night and maintaining a 100% save percentage.
