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Alex Lyon, Rob O'Gara to return next season
The Bruins wanted Rob O'Gara now. Alex Lyon is still receiving interest. Both will be back in New Haven next season. The story:
NEW HAVEN >> Alex Lyon’s numbers were second to none, yet he lost out on the Mike Richter Award as the nation’s top goaltender earlier Friday. But Yale’s rising star would get his due later in the afternoon, named an All-American along with teammate Rob O’Gara.
Perhaps the best news of the day for Yale? Their coach, Keith Allain, confirmed both will put off the NHL and return to school in the fall.
Lyon, a sophomore, and O’Gara, a junior defenseman, were named first-team All-Americans by the American Hockey Coaches Association. The announcement came during a ceremony at Matthews Arena in Boston, part of the Frozen Four weekend’s festivities.
Lyon is Yale’s first first-team All-American goalie since Mike O’Neill in 1989. Alex Westlund was the last Yale goalie to be so honored, as a second-team pick in 1998. O’Gara is the first Bulldog All-American defenseman since Ray Giroux was selected to the first team in 1998.
North Dakota goaltender Zane McIntyre won the Richter Award, and was also a first-team All-American, despite Lyon leading the country in goals-against average (1.62), save percentage (.939) and shutouts (7). That wasn’t surprising, if only because McIntyre was the lone goaltender named Hobey Baker finalist last month.
Still, it’s hard to argue another goalie more valuable to their team than Lyon, who’d already won the Ken Dryden Award winner as the ECAC’s most outstanding goalie.
“The big thing was his consistency,” Allain said. “You knew what you were going to get every day at practice, every weekend going into games. He has the right combination of physical ability, mental toughness and hockey sense. To me, that’s why he’s a really good goalie.”
O’Gara, the ECAC’s top defensive defenseman, was also Yale’s second-leading scorer with 21 points. He entered the year with 18 career points over two seasons.
“Rob epitomizes what we want to be about as a program, and that’s growth,” Allain said. “He was a contributor as a freshman, was much better as a sophomore, and during the last half of this year was a dominant player. He was better in every aspect of the game.”
Both players opened the eyes of NHL suitors this winter. O’Gara, a fifth-round draft pick of the Boston Bruins in 2011, certainly appeared ready for the next level, something Allain sensed by Christmas break.
“We sat down and I just wanted to get him ready for the fact that Boston would probably try to sign him,” Allain said. “We talked about a lot of things. He wants to get his degree; his parents want him to get his degree. I said that’s good, put you have to be in position to say no to something you want, so you have to get your mind ready for that. Boston was good about it. They approached him. But they like the situation he’s in; he’s getting better. The opportunity was there if he wanted to leave, but there was never any pressure put on him to do so.”
Lyon, an undrafted free agent, has received interest from multiple clubs. He’s committed to Yale next season, but may face a difficult choice at this time next year.
Allain spent the week conducting year-end individual meetings and evaluations with his team. Yale returns nearly its entire roster from a team that led the country in scoring defense and nearly beat Boston University in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
With O’Gara and Lyon in tow, the Bulldogs should be early favorites to win the ECAC and in the conversation for national championship honors.
“I’m really pleased for both of those guys,” Allain said. “They’re great players and great people who work extremely hard at their sport. They’ve earned the right to be All-Americans. It’s fantastic.”
NEW HAVEN >> Alex Lyon’s numbers were second to none, yet he lost out on the Mike Richter Award as the nation’s top goaltender earlier Friday. But Yale’s rising star would get his due later in the afternoon, named an All-American along with teammate Rob O’Gara.
Perhaps the best news of the day for Yale? Their coach, Keith Allain, confirmed both will put off the NHL and return to school in the fall.
Lyon, a sophomore, and O’Gara, a junior defenseman, were named first-team All-Americans by the American Hockey Coaches Association. The announcement came during a ceremony at Matthews Arena in Boston, part of the Frozen Four weekend’s festivities.
Lyon is Yale’s first first-team All-American goalie since Mike O’Neill in 1989. Alex Westlund was the last Yale goalie to be so honored, as a second-team pick in 1998. O’Gara is the first Bulldog All-American defenseman since Ray Giroux was selected to the first team in 1998.
North Dakota goaltender Zane McIntyre won the Richter Award, and was also a first-team All-American, despite Lyon leading the country in goals-against average (1.62), save percentage (.939) and shutouts (7). That wasn’t surprising, if only because McIntyre was the lone goaltender named Hobey Baker finalist last month.
Still, it’s hard to argue another goalie more valuable to their team than Lyon, who’d already won the Ken Dryden Award winner as the ECAC’s most outstanding goalie.
“The big thing was his consistency,” Allain said. “You knew what you were going to get every day at practice, every weekend going into games. He has the right combination of physical ability, mental toughness and hockey sense. To me, that’s why he’s a really good goalie.”
O’Gara, the ECAC’s top defensive defenseman, was also Yale’s second-leading scorer with 21 points. He entered the year with 18 career points over two seasons.
“Rob epitomizes what we want to be about as a program, and that’s growth,” Allain said. “He was a contributor as a freshman, was much better as a sophomore, and during the last half of this year was a dominant player. He was better in every aspect of the game.”
Both players opened the eyes of NHL suitors this winter. O’Gara, a fifth-round draft pick of the Boston Bruins in 2011, certainly appeared ready for the next level, something Allain sensed by Christmas break.
“We sat down and I just wanted to get him ready for the fact that Boston would probably try to sign him,” Allain said. “We talked about a lot of things. He wants to get his degree; his parents want him to get his degree. I said that’s good, put you have to be in position to say no to something you want, so you have to get your mind ready for that. Boston was good about it. They approached him. But they like the situation he’s in; he’s getting better. The opportunity was there if he wanted to leave, but there was never any pressure put on him to do so.”
Lyon, an undrafted free agent, has received interest from multiple clubs. He’s committed to Yale next season, but may face a difficult choice at this time next year.
Allain spent the week conducting year-end individual meetings and evaluations with his team. Yale returns nearly its entire roster from a team that led the country in scoring defense and nearly beat Boston University in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
With O’Gara and Lyon in tow, the Bulldogs should be early favorites to win the ECAC and in the conversation for national championship honors.
“I’m really pleased for both of those guys,” Allain said. “They’re great players and great people who work extremely hard at their sport. They’ve earned the right to be All-Americans. It’s fantastic.”
posted by Chip Malafronte at
7:17 AM
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