NEWS

Ontario Junior Hockey League graduates won two of four Atlantic Hockey weekly awards handed out this week.

Former Cobourg Cougar Stefano Durante was named goaltender of the week.

The freshman goaltender at AIC continued his impressive rookie campaign with a pair of starts and wins in the program’s first-ever weekend sweep of Holy Cross, allowing just three goals last weekend and making 44 saves in the process.

In Friday’s game, he made 21 saves and allowed just one goal on a 6-on-4 opportunity, holding steady especially in a third period where AIC was outshot 11-4.

On the road on Saturday, he again stood tall, allowing two goals and making 23 saves, including 14 third-period saves.

Former Toronto Patriot Niko Kovachis was named defensive player of the week for Niagara.

The junior defenceman from Mississauga finished last week tied for the scoring lead among Atlantic Hockey defensemen with two points, scoring one goal and one assist while adding six shots on goal, three blocked shots, and an even rating as Niagara took three of four points in a weekend series at home against the RIT Tigers.

Kovachis picked up the primary assist on Chris Harpur’s game-tying goal on Jan. 5, as Niagara completed a comeback from a 3-0 deficit to take a 4-3 win. Kovachis also gave Niagara a 2-0 lead early in the third period with a goal on Jan. 6 before RIT rallied to force a 2-2 tie.