ITHACA, N.Y. – ECAC Hockey announced Wednesday that junior Matthew Galajda has been named the league's MAC Goaltending Goalie of the Month and freshman defenseman Sam Malinski has been tabbed Rookie of the Month for November.
 
Galajda – who just earned a similar weekly honor two days ago – led the nation with nine victories in November while also leading ECAC Hockey with a 1.34 goals against average and posting one of the league's three shutouts for the month. In backstopping the Big Red to its best nine-game start to the season in 50 years, Galajda has yielded just five even-strength goals, and he has yet to surrender more than two goals in any game.
 
While the Big Red has dominated second periods to date, Galajda has frequently been called upon to make quality saves in earlier parts of the games while Cornell gained traction. Galajda also ranked second in the league in total saves (201) and third in save percentage (.944) for the month. It's Galajda's second monthly league honor, with the other coming in January 2018.
 
Malinski has exploded onto the college hockey scene, finishing November as the only freshman defenseman to average at least a point per game. He's also remained responsible defensively, having yet to be on the ice for an even-strength goal against the Big Red while racking up a plus-8 rating. He was twice named the ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week (Nov. 4 and Nov. 11) after posting four points in each of the weekends prior. Malinski's first collegiate goal came on the power play Nov. 2 at Michigan State, then he potted the game-winner in the team's next outing Nov. 8 against Brown.
 
Cornell returns to action this weekend with a pivotal ECAC Hockey and Ivy League road trip to New England, where it will take on Harvard at 7 p.m. Friday and Dartmouth at 7 p.m. Saturday.