Heartlanders Netminder Picks Up Monthly Award

William Rousseau of the Iowa Heartlanders has been named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Month for December, the league announced Friday.

Rousseau had a perfect month, going 5-0-0 with two shutouts, a 1.19 goals-against average and a save percentage of .961 in five appearances during the month.

The 21-year-old goalie allowed two goals or less in each of his five outings while making 29 or more saves on five occasions. He recorded his first professional shutout with 30 saves in a 5-0 win against the Bloomington Bison on Dec. 1 and made a season-high 41 saves in a 2-0 victory over the Toledo Walleye Dec. 11.

Rousseau is the first Heartlanders netminder to ever win Goaltender of the Month, and the 5th player in team history to win a monthly award (Kris Bennett, Ryan Kuffner, Jake Smith, Mike Pastujov) being the others.

A native of Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Rousseau is 7-2-2 in 11 appearances with the Heartlanders this season while ranking fourth in the ECHL with a 2.15 goals-against average and sixth with a .929 save percentage. He has also seen action in one game with Iowa of the American Hockey League, stopping 19 of 22 shots.

Before turning pro, Rousseau appeared in 137 career games in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League with Rouyn-Noranda and Quebec posting a career record of 95-26-9 with 15 shutouts, a 2.35 goals-against average and a save percentage of .910.

Next up for the Heartlanders is a Friday night road contest against the Wichita Thunder. Puck drop is set for 7:05 CT.