Missouri Nets Kalemba
INDEPENDENCE, Missouri – Missouri Mavericks’ Head Coach Scott Hillman announced Wednesday the Central Hockey League (CHL) club has signed former Princeton goaltender Zane Kalemba.
Kalemba, 24 (12/19/85), is currently in the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Buffalo Sabres training camp. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound rookie goaltender played the previous four seasons in the NCAA for Princeton University and was a Hobey Baker award finalist in 2009. The Saddle Brook, New Jersey native finished his career at Princeton as the school’s all-time career leader in games played (108), save percentage (.912), wins (57) and shutouts (9).
“We all know that goaltending is the most important position on the ice,” said Hillman. “By signing Zane, we feel we have three goalies that are very well prepared to fight for a starting position with our hockey club. Although Zane has yet to play a professional hockey game, he may enter camp as the most experienced goalie on our roster.”
Kalemba was nominated for the Hobey Baker award as NCAA’s top men’s ice hockey player following his junior season where he set Princeton single-season records for wins (22), goals-against (1.82) and save percentage (.932). He finished the season with a 22-10-1 record, was named the ECAC and Ivy League Player of the Year and honored as a second-team All-American. In 25 of 34 appearances during his junior season, Kalemba allowed two goals or fewer.
“Zane has had a very busy summer and has been playing with and against some of the best hockey players in the world,” added the Mavericks’ head coach. “In July he was at the Tampa Bay Lightning’s development camp and he now finds himself in the Buffalo Sabres’ main camp. We are very pleased to have Zane join our team and he adds to our growing list of players that strive to reach the highest level of hockey.”
