ITHACA, N.Y. — Junior goaltender Mitch Gillam has been named to the Mike Richter Award Watch List for the 2015-16 season, it was announced Thursday by Let's Play Hockey and the Herb Brooks Foundation.
 
Gillam stepped in seamlessly as the team's primary goaltender last season, earning All-Ivy League Second Team honors. He consistently ranked in and near the national lead in goals against average and save percentage for virtually the whole season, and he was a key contributor in a Big Red penalty kill that led the nation at the conclusion of the regular season (91.1 percent). Even after the team's postseason struggles, Gillam still turned in a stellar 1.99 goals-against average and .927 save percentage. As of the end of the season, Gillam ranked fifth on Cornell's career goaltending list with a 2.01 goals-against average.
 
The Mike Richter Award is presented annually to the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA Division I men's hockey. The finalists and winner are selected by a committee of coaches, scouts and members of the media. The complete Mike Richter Award Watch List is available here.
 
Gillam and the rest of the Big Red start their season with the annual Red/White Game at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17. After a pair of exhibitions against Ryerson (Oct. 24) and Laurentian (Oct. 25), Cornell kicks off the regular season with a game at Niagara on Friday, Oct. 30 before the teams travel to Ithaca for a rematch at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.