Elliott Named National Player of the Month
December 03, 2005 | Men's Hockey
Junior goaltender Brian Elliott (Newmarket, Ontario), who backstopped No. 1 Wisconsin to an unbeaten month with a 7-0-1 record while surrendering just 11 goals, is the CSTV/Hockey Commissioners' Association National Division I Player of the Month for November.
A 6-foot-3, 187-pound goaltender, Elliott started all eight games for Wisconsin last month and recorded a 1.36 goals-against average and a .944 saves percentage in 484:20 of playing time.
He was named Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Defensive Player of the Week three times during the month and only six of the 11 goals he allowed were scored at even strength. He led the Badgers, who currently sport the nation's longest unbeaten streak at 12 games (10-0-2), to a 4-2, 4-1 road sweep at then No. 5-ranked North Dakota on Nov. 4-5, to a 2-2 tie and 3-0 win at home against then No. 1-ranked Colorado College on Nov. 11-12, to 2-1 and 3-2 victories over visiting Minnesota State on Nov. 19-20, and then to a 3-1 win at then No. 18-ranked Michigan State on Nov. 25 and to a 3-2 victory at then No. 1-ranked Michigan on Nov. 26.
A ninth-round NHL draft choice of the Ottawa Senators in 2003, Elliott has played every minute in goal for Wisconsin (12-1-2) so far this season and has only allowed more than two goals once in 15 games played. In one stretch during November, he went 1:55:07 without allowing a goal, including five- straight periods against Colorado College.
After last night's win, Elliott reached the 30-game minimum to rank on Wisconsin career goaltending charts. He is now the UW career leader with a 1.54 goals-against average and .936 save percentage. His 21-6-3 record ranks him second on the school's all-time win percentage list at .750 behind only Marc Behrend 49-8-3 (.842).
