NEWS

Former Kingston Voyageurs netminder Charlie Finn (photo credit - Bob Cornell/Colgate Athletics), now with the Colgate University Raiders, continued to rake-in the accolades this season, this time being named ECAC Goaltender of the Month for October.

Born on January 16, 1993 and growing up in North Vancouver, B.C., Charlie Finn joined the Kingston Voyageurs in 2010 after playing his major midget season with the Vancouver NW Giants ‘AAA’ organization. Finn helped lead the Giants to the Mac’s Midget championship, earning 1st Team All-Star and Top Goaltender honours, as well as the BC Major Midget League title before falling to Red Deer two games to one in the Pacific Regional Championship. With his father’s family native to the Kingston-area (Napanee) and his brother’s attending Queen’s University, Finn moved-in with his aunt when he got the call from the Vees and after appealing to Hockey Canada to play out of province (due to his being under the age of 18), quickly proved his worth to the club and has been nothing short of sensational ever since.

During his rookie OJHL season in 2010-11, Finn would lead all netminder with a 1.92 goals against average, also the sixth best average in league history (dating back to 1992-93), to cop Top Goaltenders honour in the league and be named a South-East Conference 1st Team All-Prospect. Finn finished with a 23-4-3 record, 4 shutouts and a scintillating .937 save percentage. After facing injury disappointment early in 2011-12, he returned and would lead the sixth place Vees on a remarkable playoff run that saw them knock off both the heavily favoured Wellington Dukes and Trenton Golden Hawks before finally running out of steam in the East Division Final versus Whitby.

The 2012-13 season saw nothing but the same from the netminder. Finn was named the runner-up for Goaltender-of-the-Month in October and February, while winning the award in January.  He once again dominated the league statistically, topping many of the goaltending categories, including his 2.15 goals against average, .941 save percentage and eight shutouts.  He was awarded his second OJHL Top Goaltender Award for leading the league in goals against average, won the first-ever Best Goaltender Award and was named the 1st Team All-Star, Finn was instrumental in the club's second half surge that saw them break into the CJHL's Top 20 rankings after going 17-2 from mid-December until the end of the year.  His final record on the season was 25-10-4, the OJHL's fourth best win total, compiled in 39 games played, while his 1,348 saves was also fourth most and he played the seventh most minutes at 2,374:04.  Finn's efforts backstopped the Vees to the fifth best penalty-killing unit, allowing just 33 goals while shorthanded for an 85.53% efficiency.  The club would post a league-high 10 game winning streak on the season, as well as a nine game winning streak on the road, helping them finish second in the East Division to the regular season champion Trenton Golden Hawks.  Finn was the starting goalie for Team Canada East at the 2012 World Junior 'A' Challenge held in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and was selected to play for the OJHL East Division All-Stars at the 2012 Central Canada Cup, but would miss the event.  After marching the Vees to the North-East Conference Championship Series, Finn's OJHL career ended following a game seven overtime loss to Newmarket.

Congratulations to Charlie on the achievement!

Below is the official press release from the ECAC website (www.ecachockey.com):

Charlie Finn, Colgate University
(Sophomore Goaltender - North Vancouver, British Columbia)
Finn posted 6-1-0 mark in seven games in October to help Colgate get off to its best start since the
2004-05 season. He allowed just eight goals in seven games played, recording NCAA-best three
shutouts. He also stopped all 75 shots faced in three home contests in October, while allowing more
than two goals in a game on just one occasion. Finn was named ECAC Goaltender of the Week and
NCAA.com First Star of the Week for his two-shutout performance against Northeastern (Oct.
17-18).
Other nominees: Kyle Hayton, St. Lawrence & Colin Stevens, Union