Solar Bears Netminder Named Goaltender Of The Week

The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, announced Monday in conjunction with the ECHL that goaltender Ryan Fanti is the Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week for Jan. 6-12.

Fanti had four appearances with the Solar Bears last week and went 4-0-0 with one shutout, a 1.45 goals-against average and a save percentage of .952.

The 25-year-old turned aside 21 shots in a 2-1 overtime win against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on Tuesday, stopped all 19 shots he faced in a 6-0 victory at Adirondack on Friday, made 36 saves in a 4-3 overtime win over the Thunder on Saturday and had 33 saves in a 3-2 triumph at Adirondack on Sunday.

Under contract to Syracuse of the American Hockey League, Fanti has appeared in 19 games for the Solar Bears this season going 8-10-1 with one shutout, a 2.88 goals-against average and a save percentage of .901.

A native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, the 6-foot-3, 198-pound netminder has seen action in 70 career ECHL games with Orlando and the Fort Wayne Komets, posting an overall record of 32-32-4 with three shutouts, a 3.15 GAA and .901 SP. He also appeared in nine career AHL games with Bakersfield.

Prior to turning pro, Fanti appeared in 57 career collegiate games at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He went 31-19-6 with seven shutouts, a 2.01 GAA and .921 SP.

In 2021-22, he led the Bulldogs to an NCHC Championship and was named NCHC Goaltender of the Year.

Fanti also spent two seasons playing junior hockey for the Minnesota Wilderness of the North American Hockey League, posted a 19-18-2 record, a 2.70 GAA and .917 SP in 39 appearances during the 2018-19 season. In 36 outings as a NAHL rookie, he went 18-9-1 with a 2.60 GAA and a .922 SP.