Teams: Men's Ice Hockey: Press Releases

Monday, January 28, 2008

KALEC BECOMES ALL-TIME SAVES LEADER FOR TUFTS UNIVERSITY HOCKEY

MEDFORD -- Senior goalie James Kalec (East Amherst NY/Northfield Mount Hermon) of the Tufts University hockey team, named Co-Player of the Week in the New England Small College Athletic Conference last Monday,  is now the all-time leader in saves for the Jumbo program after surpassing the mark of Ben Crapser, who played with the team from 2000-04.

Kalec broke Crapser's mark of 2,139 saves with his eighth stop of the first period at Bowdoin on Saturday afternoon. He went on to make 34 saves against the Polar Bears overall and now has 2,166 in his career. He reached the record in his 70th game played, including 63 starts.

A four-year starter for Coach Brian Murphy's Jumbo hockey team, Kalec downplayed the achievement when reached by the Tufts Daily.

"It's a great accomplishment," Kalec said. "It hasn't set in yet. I'm sure I'll look back on this after I graduated, but at the moment I'm not feeling so retrospective. I just look forward to closing out the season and doing well in the playoffs. Sure, I'm proud and happy to share the moment with my teammates, but I'd much rather win some more games than set records."

Losses to Colby and Bowdoin over the weekend put the Jumbos at 6-9-1 overall and 4-6-1 in NESCAC. They're currently in sixth place with nine points. The top eight teams earn a post-season tournament berth.

Crapser's replacement as the starting netminder in 2004, Kalec played in 20 of 25 games as a freshman. He made 596 saves, currently the third highest single-season total in the team's record book, and finished with a 3.31 goals against average and .911 save percentage. His 579 saves as a sophomore came in 16 games and are fifth-most at Tufts. He had a 4.06 GAA and .905 save percentage that season. As a junior last season he made 520 saves in 19 games. This winter, he has 471 saves, a 3.46 GAA and a .906 save percentage in 15 games.

The 6-foot, 185-pound goalie owns three of the top four single-game saves marks for the Jumbos. He's stopped 50 or more shots four times, including the single-game record of 60 saves against Colby on January 21, 2005.

In NESCAC this yar, he's sixth in save percentage, ninth in goals against average.

"James has been a huge part of our program since the day he arrived in Medford," Coach Murphy said. "He was one of the very best goalies his first year and remains one now as a senior. James has been a leader on and off the ice and is one of the finest student-athletes I have coached.  I am happy for him and I know his success will continue as we head down the home stretch."

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