March 18, 2013
RICHMOND, Va. - Following a 16-save performance at Massachusetts, Austin Kaut (Morton, Pa.) was named Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week in Penn State's 7-5 win over the Minutemen on Saturday, March 16. The accolade, announced Monday afternoon, is Kaut's sixth CAA weekly honor.
Kaut played his best game of the season at UMass, stopping 16 of 21 Minutemen shots on goal for a save percentage of 76.2 percent. Kaut made 10 saves in the first half behind five-save showings in the first and second periods. He finished his day off against the defending CAA champion Minutemen with four saves in the third and two saves in the fourth.
The 16 saves were a season high and the most for the 2012 USILA All-America Second Teamer since Feb. 26, 2012 when he stopped 18 shots in a 4-3 upset of Notre Dame. Additionally, the five goals allowed was a season best, the fewest goals allowed by Kaut since an 8-3 win at Towson on Apr. 14, 2012. The give goals allowed were the fewest by any CAA goalie this week, and the 16 saves the most in the conference in a single-game performance.
Kaut's performance helped anchor Penn State's defensive effort against the reigning CAA champions, while sixth-year attackman Jack Forster (Jenkintown, Pa.) scored a game-high four goals. Penn State has come out victorious at Massachusetts in the past two meetings. In those two wins, Kaut has made 41 saves following a career-best 25-save effort in 2011 as a freshman.
For Penn State, Kaut is the third Nittany Lion to capture a CAA weekly laurel. TJ Sanders (Orillia, Ont.) is a three-time CAA Rookie of the Week (Feb. 11, March 4, March 11) and Shane Sturgis (Feb. 18) won CAA Player of the Week. Kaut has thrice won CAA Player of the Week and was a three-time honoree for the weekly rookie award in 2011 en route to CAA Rookie of the Year honors.
The Nittany Lions return to action on Tuesday at Binghamton. The opening faceoff is set for 4:00 p.m. at Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, N.Y.
--NITTANY LIONS--