UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State women's hockey freshman goaltender Josie Bothun (Wyoming, Minn.) was named a finalist for the 2021 Women's Hockey Goaltender of Year Award sponsored by the Hockey Commissioners Association as announced Friday morning.
Bothun is one of eight finalists for the award and one of just two freshman on the list. She is also the first Penn State goaltender to be selected as a finalist. The full list of finalists can be found via the HCA's release.
"Josie is an incredible talent and competitor," said head coach Jeff Kampersal. "She works had and is always looking for ways to improve. Most importantly, she is a vocal leader. She is always communicating and inspiring her teammates. If plays break down, she consistently comes up big. Her numbers speak to her success, but there is a lot more that is special about Josie than just her stats."
Bothun has played spectacular in goal for the Nittany Lions making timely saves in big moments. Her 15 wins in 2020-21 are tied for the national lead and that total sets a Penn State season record in just 18 starts (15-1-2). Currently, Bothun is 8-1-1 against teams with .500 records or better.
An athletic goaltender with a knack for performing in the clutch, Bothun's 1.23 GAA (6th best in the country) and .951 save percentage (5th best) are both on pace to shatter Penn State single-season bests. She has also put up those numbers while playing the third-most minutes of any goaltender in the nation (1070:57).
She has faced a great volume of shots to validate her impact play. She has 13 games with at least 20 saves this season, including three wins with at least 30 saves. In her only loss, she stopped a season-high 42 shots Dec. 12 at Syracuse.
Bothun has four shutouts to her name which ranks fifth in the country entering this weekend's games. She is currently on a three-shutout streak and has not allowed a goal in her last 229:05 minutes, a Penn State record for most time without a goal allowed.
Bothun has won two CHA goaltender of the month honors plus three weekly CHA awards (two goaltender, one rookie).
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