UND Hockey Teams Feature Two Outstanding Goaltenders

The University of North Dakota men’s and women’s hockey teams feature two outstanding goaltenders. Both goalies are playing great as their respective teams enter the stretch run.

Both goalies are a vital part of their team’s success and are two of the better goalies in Men’s and Women’s Division I college hockey. Let’s take a look at their numbers.

UND goalie Zane McIntyre  (Eric Classen/UND Athletics)
UND goalie Zane McIntyre (Eric Classen/UND Athletics)

UND junior goalie Zane McIntyre

The UND men are backstopped by Zane McIntyre (Boston Bruins) who’s currently ranked 10th in the NCAA (19-6-2, 1.96 GAA and a .931 SV%). McIntyre is ranked 11th nationally in goals-against average and 10th nationally in save percentage.

McIntyre is one of the best goalies in the NCHC.  McIntyre leads the NCHC in wins, is second in goals-against average  and second in save percentage.

Since the beginning of the New Year, UND goalie Zane McIntyre is a respectable (6-2-0, 1.99 GAA and a .935 SV%).

For his career, McIntyre is (48-20-8, 2.08 GAA and a .926 SV%). McIntyre recently UND’s all-time leader in save percentage and goals-against average.

Shelby Amsley-Benzie (UND Athletics)
Shelby Amsley-Benzie (UND Athletics)

UND junior goalie Shelby Amsley-Benzie

It’s been well documented that UND junior goaltender Shelby Amsley-Benzie is having an amazing junior season. Amsley-Benzie played outstandingly all weekend long and helped the UND women’s team secure a series split against the second-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers.

In Saturday’s game against the Gophers, she kept her team in the game when the Gophers were pressing.  Amsley-Benzie stopped 42-of-45 shots in the loss to the Gophers.

With Amsley-Benzie in net, UND has a big-time stopper. If don’t believe me, all you have to do is look at the statistics which speak for themselves (12-6-3, 1.37 GAA, .950 SV%). Amsley-Benzie leads the nation in save percentage and is ranked fifth nationally in goals-against average.

On conference level, Amsley-Benzie is ranked first in save percentage and third in goals-against average.

In her last eight games, Amsley-Benzie has four shutouts including an impressive 3-0 shutout against the Minnesota Gophers.

Since November 15, 2014, Amsley-Benzie is (9-2-2, 0.68 GAA and a .961 SV%).

For her career, Amsley-Benzie is (45-21-6, 1.83 GAA and a .926 SV%). On January 25, 2015, Amsley-Benzie became UND’s  all-time leader in wins with a 5-1 win over Bemidji State Universty.

Finally, on January 25, 2015, Amsley-Benzie became UND’s  all-time leader in wins with a 5-1 win over Bemidji State Universty.

Both goaltenders garner conference recognition

Recently, both goalies have been recognized for their play in conference action. McIntyre has been named goaltender of the week three times this season (Nov 24-30, Dec 1-7, Jan 5-11).

Last week, Amsley-Benzie was named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s Defensive Player of the Week for a second time in three weeks.

Head coach Brian Idalski has been impressed with Amsley-Benzie’s recent play.

“She’s been playing at a pretty high level most of the year,” Idalski said. “I think she’s getting a little more support in front of her. Really, that’s why her numbers are skyrocketing a little bit here in the second half. That’s nothing new, she’s kind of carried our club the last couple of years during the second half. We’ve kind of come to expect that from her.”