NAHL Goaltender of the Month: Charlie Menard, Fairbanks Ice Dogs
The hometown kid of the Ice Dogs had an electric month of November. As the youngest goaltender in the NAHL, Charlie Menard has proved his ability in between the pipes, night after night. The 6’0 17-year-old is on a five-game win streak and picked up his first shutout of the season during Fairbanks’ series against Anchorage.
Menard explains what it means to win the award this month.
“Winning the award means a lot to me. It’s a recognition of all the hard work and dedication I’ve put into my game. I felt that November was a strong month for me, and I’m grateful for the support from my teammates and coaches that made it possible.”
The Fairbanks netminder is third in the league with his goals against average (1.67), fifth overall with his save percentage (.937), and helped the Ice Dogs propel upwards in the Midwest Division. For November, he put together a .956 save percentage, a 1.17 goal against average, and saved a total of 149 shots out of 156 shots. During his 10 games this season, he has produced seven wins between the pipes and helped Fairbanks pick up at least a point in the standings nine out of 10 games.
One of the highlights from Menard’s month was his shutout performance against the Anchorage Wolverines. He saved all 17 shots from the Wolverines on Friday, November 22nd. Then the next night, November 23rd, Menard allowed only one shot, while saving 12. He helped the Ice Dogs sweep the Wolverines.
Head coach for the Ice Dogs, Ryan Theros, shares more about how Charlie brings more to the squad than his ability on the ice.
“We could not be happier for Charlie and his accomplishments over the last month, but also going back to our main camp in July. He has been consistent throughout and what Charlie brings to the team is not just his on-ice accomplishments, but his character, energy, and effort he brings every day to practice and to the locker room. It is a big reason why he has had success so early in his junior career. Looking forward to more success from him going forward and again we could not be happier and more proud of him.”
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