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12 // JUNE/JULY 2019 D I G I T A L E X C L U S I V E USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM O F F T HE D R AW PHOTOS BY Getty Images; Dave Reginek COLLEGE h e h o n o r s k e e p r o l l i n g i n f o r Cayden Primeau, who capped off his prolific season at Northeastern University by taking home the Mike Richter Award, which is given to the most out- standing goaltender in NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey. " I t w a s g r e a t t o m e e t [Richter] and a really huge and humbling honor," said Primeau, who posted a 2.09 goals-against average and .933 save percentage in his sopho- more campaign. His 25 wins were third most in the NCAA and tied for the most in a season in program history. In addition, he back- stopped the Huskies to the Beanpot and Hockey East Tournament titles. Primeau took home MVP honors from both tournaments. Not only did Primeau's performance in the biggest moments of the season turn heads on the college circuit, but also on the international stage as well. A seventh-round pick by the Montrea l Canadiens in the 2017 NHL Draft, Primeau represented the U.S. National Junior Team, culminating in a silver medal in Vancouver. T he Vo orhe e s , N . J. , n at i ve emer ge d a s t he st a r ti ng goa ltender of t he tea m a nd finished with a 4-0-0-1 record, 1.61 goals- a g a i n s t a v e r a g e a n d . 9 3 6 save percentage. T h e 6 - f o o t - 3 n e t m i n d e r capped off the year with the U.S. Men's National Team for the IIHF World Championship. A l t h o u g h h e d i d n ' t p l a y, Primeau enjoyed the opportu- nity to soak in the experience and learn from a pair of for- mer Boston College goalies, New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider and Vancouver Canucks backstop Thatcher Demko. "Being able to learn from Thatcher and Cory is something special," Primeau said. "I want to use that as motivation going into the summer, getting ready for next year. They're at the level I want to get to, so I just want to figure out how they prepare, take all of that in and do the little things that make them get to that level." P Prime Time Primeau Wins Richter Award His 25 wins were third most in the NCAA and tied for the most in a season in program history. T 3 Brianna Decker wowed the crowd at the NHL All-Star Skills Competition when she demonstrated the Premier Passing drill in a faster time than the eventual winner, Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers. And what she did afterward was even more impressive. Decker, a member of the 2018 U.S. Women's Olympic Team that struck gold in PyeongChang, South Korea, parlayed the $25,000 in prize money she was given by the NHL to create the Brianna Decker Endowment for Girls Hockey. The fund, which will be administered through the USA Hockey Foundation, will provide grants to 8 & Under and 10 & Under female hockey programs within the Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association. The goal in the future is to extend the program into other parts of the country. Funds will be used exclusively to develop programs focused on increasing female youth participation in hockey by alleviating costs around ice and equipment, advertising and marketing, and overall development. The first grant will be awarded to the Waukesha County Youth Hockey Association, the organization where Decker grew up playing. "I'm so excited to be able to create a fund that will help give more girls access to the sport that has given me so much," said the Dousman, Wis., native. "Growing up a Waukesha Warhawk, I'm especially proud to be able to give back to the organization that helped foster my love of the game. I can't wait to see the impact it will have for the next generation." COMMUNITY Decker Offers Big Assist To Grow Girls' Game Brianna Decker By JEFF CARPENTER