MSU's Hildebrand Named ECHL Goaltender of the Year

 

Jake Hildebrand (Michigan State) has claimed the 2020-21 ECHL Goaltender of the Year Award, as voted upon by league personnel.

Hildebrand, 28, from Butler, Pa., finished with a 23-10-5 record in 40 regular-season appearances with the Florida Everblades. He also recorded a 2.40 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage to go with two shutouts. 

It was his sixth season in the ECHL, in a career that has also included stops in Texas, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Michigan, plus a 2016 Kelly Cup championship with the Allen (TX) Americans. In 222 career ECHL regular-season outings, he has gone 99-86-23 (3.30, .901) with eight shutouts.

Hildebrand backstopped Michigan State from 2012 to 2016. In 133 career NCAA contests with the Spartans, he finished 45-70-14 (2.54, .921) with 13 shutouts, and was also a First Team All-America selection in 2014-15 after a 17-win, six-shutout campaign.

Spartans Sweep Buckeyes at Munn

For the first time in more than a year, Michigan State managed to sweep an opponent.

The Spartans recorded a two-step sweep of Big Ten opponent Ohio State on Friday and Saturday at Munn Ice Arena, besting the visiting Buckeyes by 4-1 and 2-0 scores, respectively. The last time MSU swept an opponent was Jan. 17-18, 2014 against visiting Penn State by 3-0 and 3-2 scores.

Brett Darnell scored the game-winning goal and also had two assists for MSU in Friday’s win, while Jake Hildebrand made 33 saves for the Spartans.  The next night, Darnell scored an insurance marker on a power play after Ryan Keller had put MSU ahead late in the second period. Hildebrand made 22 stops on Saturday as MSU finished the weekend 2-for-6 overall with a man advantage.

MSU now sits at 9-11-2 overall (3-3-2 Big Ten) and has also moved up to third place in the conference, while OSU fell to 7-13-2 (2-6-0). The Spartans return to action against archrival Michigan on Friday at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, where the Wolverines posted a 2-1 win on Dec. 29 in the 2014 Great Lakes Invitational championship game.