The Penticton Vees are pleased to announce 1996-born goaltender Mat Robson has committed to the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers for the 2017-18 season.
The Toronto, Ont. native has had stellar season for the Vees thus far, as he leads the BCHL in wins (18), goals-against average (1.90) and save percentage (.927); he’s tied for second in shutouts (2). Robson says Minnesota is the perfect fit.
“I felt really comfortable on my visit, as the coaches were great to me and I fell in love with the city; being a Toronto kid, I wanted to go to a big school. The program speaks for itself and they’re always contending for a national championship, and I want to be a catalyst to help them achieve that.”
Prior to joining Penticton, Robson spent last season as a redshirt freshman at Clarkson University. Prior to Clarkson, Robson played for his hometown team the Toronto Patriots in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) two years ago. Robson led the Patriots to an OJHL championship in 2015 and was named the OJHL playoff MVP that spring. He compiled a 16-6 record to go along with a 1.77 goals-against average and a sparkling .937 save percentage.
“Their facilities are second to none and playing in front of 10,000 fans every night is going to be exciting,” said Robson. “Walking around the campus you can tell how much hockey means and how big of a deal it is, and I love playing in that type of environment.”
The University of Minnesota is situated in Minneapolis, Minn. and the Golden Gophers are a member of the Big 10 Conference. The Gophers are one of the most decorated programs in NCAA Division l hockey, as they’ve won five national championships, and have played in the Frozen Four Tournament 21 times and the NCAA Tournament 36 times.
Head coach Don Lucia is in his 18th season at the helm of the men’s hockey program and is the father of former Vees forward Mario Lucia. Other BCHL grads on the Gophers’ current roster are Connor Reilly and Jack Ramsey. Reilly is in his senior season and is an alternate captain this year and Ramsey, a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick, is a sophomore.
