Photo by: Andrew Fileding
Coming to a university as a freshman is a difficult thing to do, but coming to DU as a freshman when you are trying to fill a void left by a campus star is even harder.
Sam Brittain came to DU after being drafted, in the fourth round, by the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League, with the 92nd overall pick. He enrolled at DU, where the hockey program often catapults players into NHL starters. He is DU’s goaltender and has a 2.13 GAA with a .925 save percentage.
Brittain admits it has been a challenge to follow Marc Cheverie, who last year earned WCHA player of the year.
“He was a phenomenal goaltender, and still is,” said Brittain. “What he did for this organization was phenomenal. Me and Adam are just trying to fill those shoes that he left.”
“Coming here I had my goals and being able to play this many games is a great opportunity,” said Brittain. “I wanted to work on my consistency. I had specific numbers that I wanted to hit for my goals against and save percentage, work on those and that helps me drive in practice.”
These goals that he had did not come easy for Brittain, however. He started the season as the backup goaltender to Adam Murray. According to assistant coach Derek Lalonde, Brittain came to DU “raw.”
“There was a lot of things technically in his detail that he needed to improve and he did so quickly, his play from behind the net, from the goal line out, his depth – little things like that,” said Lalonde.
When Murray went down with injury, Brittain got his chance to show that his raw talent had transformed.
“I started off splitting games. Adam was playing Friday games and I was playing Saturday games,” said Brittain. “Then, unfortunately, Adam went down with injury and I got the chance to play a few back to back games and started playing well and got a few starts in a row.”
He is coming off a career-best performance against rival Colorado College in which he recorded 36 saves in a 5-3 win at Magness Arena on Saturday.
The big performance was even more remarkable, considering the fact he let up two goals within the first four minutes of the game.
“He battled for us, and that is him to a ‘T.’ He is a competitor,” said head coach George Gwzdecky.
According to his coaches, the freshman has limitless potential as he enters the final four weeks of his first collegiate season.
“He has the potential to be special. Obviously his numbers this year are special as a true freshman and that is unique to goaltending in college,” said Lalonde. “Marc Cheverie came here as a 21-year-old. Sam came here as a true freshman, and he had to adjust quicker to a high level.”
One reason why Brittain is having the success that he is having is because of the competition between Murray and him. Murray pushes him in practice and in the games that he plays. But two differences between the two goaltenders is that Brittain learns quickly and “wants the extra one-on-one goaltending and wants the extra video,” according to Lalonde.
“It is scary where he can be once it is all said and done,” said Lalonde. “I think if you come to Denver period as a goaltender you are up against our goaltending history. When you come to Denver you want to be a part of that goaltending legacy.”
