After an outstanding sophomore campaign, Erica Howe (Ottawa, ONT) of the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team was honored as the 2011-12 ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Year.

Howe was the key reason for the Golden Knights’ success this winter, playing all but 47 minutes in the Clarkson goal. Howe posted a .941 save percentage, 1.41 goals-against average and a .727 win percentage and five shutouts in ECAC Hockey play. She backstopped the Green and Gold to a third-place finish in the conference standings with a 15-5-2 league mark.

Through 37 games overall, Howe boasted a .927 save percentage and a 1.75 GAA en route to a 22-10-5 record. She is tied for second in the nation in shutouts with seven. Howe was also one of three finalist for ECAC Hockey Player of the Year.

Clarkson, under fourth-year co-head coaches Matt and Shannon Desrosiers, and assistant Matt Kelly, closed out one of the best regular seasons in the program’s nine-year history by winning seven of its last eight games before the playoffs. Howe allowed only 12 goals during that stretch as Clarkson secured the third seed for the postseason. The Knights’ season ended when the Green and Gold were upset by Quinnipiac in the quarterfinal round of the ECAC Tournament at Cheel Arena on February 24-26.