![]() He’s a computer science major and loves to strategize and think his way through playing the position. Levi doesn’t shy away from the mental side of playing the position. Those are the little mental battles he’s contending with along with being the player everyone in the conference is trying to knock down a peg. He’s paying closer attention to when he needs rest and when he needs more work. This season, he wants to learn to deal with the grind of an entire season. Last year was frantic and he fed off the adrenaline. That all factored into the decision to stay for another season. ![]() Last season, he emerged as one of the best goalies in college hockey but also had an interruption in his season when he left the team to go play for Team Canada in the Olympics. In his first year, he got hurt early in the season and didn’t play much. Levi hasn’t yet had a normal college hockey season. He’s got their backs and we’ve got his back.” He’s always right in the mix with our whole group and that’s really important to our guys. Some goaltenders are great kids but they separate themselves. That’s a pretty big thing to have as a group. You just know when he’s back there you get off the bus knowing the best player on the ice is your goaltender. “He plays a big role in that locker room with our guys. ![]() “He’s a really well-liked guy in that locker room,” Keefe said. He was refreshed and happy to be around his teammates. His smile is contagious, and it’s the first thing Keefe noticed when Levi got back on campus. He’s not just a star in the net, but he’s a uniting presence in the room. The national championship is an attainable goal when you have a goalie of Levi’s caliber. Northeastern coach Jerry Keefe knows the impact Levi’s return has on the rest of his team. “There’s definitely a lot of hunger to do what we weren’t able to finish last year,” Levi said. Northeastern is ranked 15th in USCHO’s latest college hockey rankings and has its sights set on improving on last season when it won the Hockey East regular season title but had an early exit in the NCAA tournament. In his career, Levi now has more shutouts than regulation losses. He has a pair of shutouts and hasn’t allowed more than three goals in a game. 950 save percentage and 1.53 goals against average. Levi hasn’t shown many signs of being mortal in the net this season. You’re not getting a sniff of even a little bit of, ‘Is he human?’” This year it’s kind of like, I have some respect right now. “Last year was kind of like, I’m coming in as a goalie and going to prove I’m the best in the country. “It’s a new type of challenge from last year,” Levi said. He said he considers this place his home and knew he made the right call taking the patient route with his development the minute he stepped back on campus. Levi thinks it’s always harder to prove yourself again.Īhead of Northeastern’s weekend sweep against New Hampshire, Levi stood outside the locker room at Matthews Arena, a backward hat atop his wavy brown hair and a protein shake in hand. He viewed the chance to play through massive expectations as a development opportunity. He wanted to feel the pressure of being the reigning Richter Award winner. Instead of bolting to sign a pro contract with the Buffalo Sabres, Levi opted to return to school. He went 121:25 of game time without allowing a goal to start his college career and had 10 shutouts a year ago. Northeastern’s junior goalie was the Richter Award winner as the best goalie in college hockey last season. In 2022, this arena is Devon Levi’s domain.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |