Photo credit: Ashliey Pearson
Midwest Division Star of the Week: Devin Rustlie, Goaltender, Kenai River Brown Bears
Picking up a big win against a top team on Friday night, Devin Rustlie showcased defensive dominance in the crease for the Brown Bears. The ‘06 goaltender is a second-year veteran of the NAHL, and this past weekend was his best between the pipes with Kenai River. Kicking things off on Friday night, Rustlie secured a 28-save performance against the top team in the Midwest Division, the Minnesota Wilderness. He was perfect between the pipes until a late third-period goal by Minnesota’s Talan Blanck. That late goal would not be enough, with the Brown Bears earning a 5-1 victory over the Wilderness. Moving into Saturday, the scoreboard would not be in favor of Kenai River; however, Rustlie’s work in the crease would not go unnoticed. The Wisconsin native would turn aside 32 out of 34 shots, with both goals scored by the Wilderness coming in the third frame, just a few minutes apart. His valiant effort in net kept the game extremely tight against one of the top teams in the NAHL.
For the weekend, Rustlie featured a 1.50 goals-against average and a .953 save percentage. For the Brown Bears, their two victories against the Wilderness this season have come with the help of Rustlie between the pipes.
Head coach of the Brown Bears, Darren Banks, dives into detail on what he has seen from Rustlie this past weekend.
“Rustlie played well this weekend and has had a high-compete level in practice. We are excited to see him get rewarded for it. He has been here for a little over a month and continues to get better week after week. He was a calming presence in the net and made some timely saves as well. It was exciting for our group.”