WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers, proud ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, are ecstatic to announce that Jake Smith has been selected as Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Month for November.
Smith, 30, had a sensational month of November, as he compiled a 7-0-1 record, a 1.72 goals against average, and a .943 save percentage. Those are also Jake's season statistics, as he made his Wheeling debut on November 6th. The seven wins in November were the most in the ECHL, and he was one of four netminders to earn at least five wins during the month without a regulation loss. Among qualifying goaltenders, Smith's 1.72 goals against average ranks fifth in the league, while his .943 save percentage ranks second behind Connor Ungar, who he beat for his first victory.
Smith rattled off his seven wins in consecutive fashion, as he became the fourth goaltender in Wheeling history to earn victories in each of his first seven decisions (Peter Delmas 8, Joe Exter 8, Brody Claeys 7). Jake allowed two goals or fewer and had a save percentage of .926 or better in seven of his eight starts. The Oakville, Ontario native backstopped two wins each against Greensboro and Maine, then earned single victories over Reading, Toledo, and Cincinnati. His largest save total in a game was 36, which he did in a 3-1 win at Reading on November 22nd.
This is the second ECHL honor of the season for both Smith and the Nailers, as he earned ECHL Goaltender of the Week for the week of November 10-16. Jake becomes the seventh Wheeling netminder all-time to earn ECHL Goaltender of the Month, and the first since Sean Maguire in January of 2017.
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