By: Brayden Peters
BROCKPORT, N.Y. - Brockport Golden Eagles hockey sophomore goalie David Filak was named UCHC Goalie of the Week after recording 33 saves in Brockport's 2-0 shutout victory . It was his first shutout of his collegiate career.
"It felt good," Filak said. "It's been a very up-and-down season so far. So, I am excited to catch a full head of steam towards the end of it and keep her going. A shutout was just waiting to happen. So, I was really going for it and I'm happy to have it that day."
Just like every game, goalies have pregame rituals to stay mentally prepared. For this game and others, Filak's way of staying focused is heartfelt.
"I just think of my Papa," Filak said. "Just think of him right before I go on (the ice) as we get dressed. All day, I think of him. That's what keeps me motivated for the whole game."
Brockport head coach Brian Dickinson has been impressed with Filak's play in games and practice.
"He's a good goalie, that's why we recruited him," Dickinson said. "To his credit, he hasn't blinked. He just works hard, works hard, works hard...we still kind of relied on David for large portions of that game (Brockport's 2-0 win over Nazareth). Everybody sees 2-0 shutout and you think, 'Oh, you must have locked it down defensively.' But, we had 33 saves and I think we only had 19 shots ourselves. So, it's not like we controlled a lot of the play. He did a really good job controlling his rebounds, scrambling when the puck was in the blue paint and keeping that puck out and finding it."
Filak came in with six games played, five in which he started in, with 180 saves, 19 goals allowed, a .905 save percentage, 3.44 GAA and a 1-4 record. After the win over the Golden Flyers, he has 213 saves, a .918 save percentage, a 2.91 GAA and a 2-4 record.
With Filak fully healthy after having hip surgery last year, Dickinson got to see the Filak that played with the Boston Jr. Rangers in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) in their 2022-2023 championship season.
"He's back to the guy we recruited," Dickinson said. "He put that team on his back. He went in against some really tough competition...you know, that first round they beat, the Express Hockey Club, who was ranked a little bit higher than them and he stole that series and then got them to the Frozen Finals. Just had some really big moments. Kept his team around in some games when maybe the team was struggling and gave them a big save when they needed it. He's really showing that every day in practice."
Before joining the Jr. Rangers, Filak played one game in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) with the Shreveport Mudbugs, the same team fellow teammate and goalie Cole Hudson played with. Filak recorded a .897 save percentage and a 3.00 GAA for the game.
With the Jr. Rangers, Filak played in 28 games, recording a save percentage of .946 and a 1.76 GAA, along with an 18-8 record. In the playoffs, he played in nine games, posting a .955 save percentage, a 1.44 GAA and a 7-2 record.
Filak and the Golden Eagles will play their final two games of the regular season in Chatham. The first game is scheduled to start on Friday at 7 p.m. The second one is on Saturday and puck drop will be at 3 p.m.
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