September 16, 2009

INCH's A to Z: Mercyhurst's Ryan Zapolski

Click here to read Ken McMillan's story on the Inside College Hockey website.

As our annual A-Z series draws to a close, we're going to take this opportunity to catch some Z's ... literally. The last two players to step into the spotlight have last names that begin with the alphabet's 26th letter, but that doesn't mean you should fall asleep on either one. Mercyhurst goalie Ryan Zapolski (pictured, right) was a pleasant surprise for the Lakers last season; Quinnipiac forward Scott Zurevinski, meanwhile, was among the top ECAC Hockey rookies in goals last season.

RYAN ZAPOLSKI
Mercyhurst
Jr. | G | Erie, Pa.

Key Statistics: The expectation was Zapolski would be an apprentice for one more season behind Matt Lundin and Max Strang but when Lundin struggled and Strang got hurt, Zapolski jumped in and dominated the position the rest of the way. Zapolski was a second-team Atlantic Hockey all-star.

A second-team Atlantic Hockey all-star, Zapolski posted a 13-4-3 record, a 2.22 goals against, and a .931 save percentage in 21 games. His goals against trailed only Air Force’s Andrew Volkening and his save percentage topped all Atlantic Hockey netminders by 14 points. Nationally, his goals against ranked 17th (and third among sophomores) and his save percentage ranked second, trailing only Penguins’ draft choice Chad Johnson of Alaska. Among his three shutouts was a game-two blanking of Army in the Atlantic quarterfinals, and he posted a 1.99 goals against and .938 save percentage in four playoff games.

Zapolski improved his goals against by more than a goal over his freshman season (3.25) and his save percentage by 33 points. Perhaps the numbers shouldn’t have been a big surprise coming off his two seasons in the North Atlantic Hockey League with the Mahoning Valley Phantoms. The former Chicago Showcase most valuable goalie set a league record with 42 wins, led the NAHL with a .929 save percentage, and was third with a 2.32 goals against in his second season.

What He Does: Zapolski does an outstanding job of making all the saves he needs to make. He has good reflexes, sound positioning, always keeps sight of the puck and squares up his 6-foot frame to the shooters. Another great attribute is his ability to remain even-tempered, and put a bad goal behind him. Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin says Zapolski is very, very laid back and always has a smile on his face.

The Bigger Picture: There’s a bit of pressure of Zapolski to deliver even better numbers and finally push Mercyhurst over the top in its bid to dethrone Air Force as Atlantic Hockey champ. The starting job is Zapolski’s to lose now, and that doesn’t look likely with his ever-improving game. Gotkin believes Zapolski will be a great pro goaltender when the time comes.

Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin on Zapolski: “There are big expectations on Ryan Zapolski. People, to a man, felt Ryan had a great year but now he has to take it to the next level. He is a guy who really came out of nowhere. We need to see at least what he did last year, if not more.”