DULUTH — Minnesota Duluth goaltenders Emma Soderberg and Ryan Fanti were both named semifinalists for national goaltender of the year on Tuesday.
Soderberg, a Bulldogs senior who just returned from the Olympics with Sweden, is one of 12 semifinalists for the Women’s Hockey Goalie of the Year Award . With the Bulldogs, Soderberg has posted a .918 save percentage (36) and 2.22 goals against average in 21 starts with four shutouts.
At the 2022 Olympic in Beijing, Soderberg started all five games for Sweden. She posted a .951 save percentage and 1.77 GAA in the preliminary round before running into Canada in the quarterfinals to finish with a .913 save percentage and 3.47 GAA.
Other notable semifinalists for the title of top goaltender in NCAA Division I women’s hockey include Wisconsin fifth-year senior Kennedy Blair — the only other semifinalist from the WCHA — and Northeastern fifth-year senior Aerin Frankel, who won the award in 2021.
Fanti, a junior for the Bulldogs, is one of 11 semifinalists for the Richter Award — which is given to the top goaltender in NCAA Division I men’s hockey — and the only semifinalist from the NCHC. A native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Fanti has recorded a .919 save percentage and a 2.00 goals against average in 26 starts with four shutouts.
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Other notable players semifinalists for the Richter Award include Minnesota State senior Dryden McKay, Northeastern sophomore Devon Levi and Quinnipiac sophomore Yanic Perets. All three rank in the top three nationally in save percentage, goals against average and shutouts .
The three finalists for both awards will be announced in March while the winners will be announced during the NCAA Frozen Fours. The women’s Frozen Four is scheduled for March 18-20 at Penn State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, while the men’s Frozen Four is slated for April 7-9 in Boston.
