The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced its monthly player awards for the month of January.

READ OUR LATEST ISSUE

Vaughn NAHL Goaltender of the Month: Matt Vernon, Aberdeen Wings

For the second consecutive month, it was an undefeated record for the Aberdeen Wings and Vernon.

The 20-year-old native of San Jose posted an 8-0-0 record during the month as he helped the Wings increase their lead atop the Central Division with a perfect record in January.

Vernon allowed just 12 goals in eight games during the month, which included 216 saves on 228 total shots, good for a 1.47 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage. He also had two more shutouts in January.

The month was also memorable for Vernon as on Jan. 16, he committed to play NCAA Division I hockey for Colorado College (NCHC).

For the season, Vernon leads all NAHL goalies in wins with 28, ranks fourth in save percentage with a .935 mark, and fifth in GAA at 1.96.

“Matt continues to be the backbone of this year’s team,” said Aberdeen coach Scott Langer. “He gives us an opportunity to win every night that he gets the start. Matt is a confident, hard-working individual who leaves everything out on the ice day in and day out. We will be looking for his leadership as we head down the final stretch.”

“I was very happy to earn an NCAA commitment while playing in the NAHL,” added Vernon. “I could not be happier with the commitment and I am very excited for the next step. The most important thing to me right now is winning. I also want to be consistent. I think that as long as we keep winning and I remain consistent for my teammates, we will have a great chance for success in the playoffs.”

Photo/NAHL

(Feb. 5, 2019)