Valtonen Named to MASCAC All-Conference Second Team
Westfield State junior goalkeeper Valtteri Valtonen earned a spot on the MASCAC All-Conference Second Team as voted on by the seven coaches from around the conference.
WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State junior goalkeeper Valtteri Valtonen (Helsinki, Finland) was named to the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference All-Conference Second Team as voted on by the seven coaches from around the conference.
For Valtonen, it is the second time in two seasons that he has been named to the All-Conference team as he also earned a spot on the second team in 2022. The Helsinki netminder was one of the top goalkeepers in the league again for the 2023 season, finishing second in the MASCAC in save percentage (.926) and third in goals against (3.10). He piled up a total of 918 saves which was 59 more saves than the next closest goaltender in the conference ranks.
Valtonen started all but three games for the Owls this season and registered 40 or more saves in nine of his 24 starts between the pipes. Three of those 40-plus save outings came in the final three games of the season. Westfield secured home-ice in the first round of the conference tournament in a come-from-behind victory where Valtonen racked up 46 saves.
In the MASCAC Tournament Quarterfinals, Valtonen was sharp once again, stopping 45 shots on net to help the Owls advance into the semifinals with a 5-3 win over UMass Dartmouth. Westfield's season came to an end in the league semis after falling to #8 nationally ranked Plymouth State 6-0.
For full MASCAC ice hockey All-Conference teams, CLICK HERE