Blizzard goaltender Meyers commits to Quinnipiac

Jacob Meyers has seen his second stint with the Alexandria Blizzard turn out better than his first.  The Minnetonka, Minnesota native found himself second on the Blizzard depth chart last season behind veteran goaltender Jake Williams as his starts were limited to one every few games. He finished his first year in a Blizzard uniform with a 3.10 goals against average, an .875 save percentage and a 7-10-2 record.

After a short stint with Tri-City in the United States Hockey League, Meyers returned to Alexandria after a handful of games this season with a renewed confidence in the net. He has made the most of his second chance with the Blizzard, establishing himself atop the depth chart and as one of the top goalies in the North American Hockey League (NAHL).

“Last year, we had a real good number one goalie,” Meyers said. “I wasn’t playing a whole lot. I just got to kind of watch him and use what he used to succeed. It was definitely a learning experience. I wasn’t used to not playing so coming here was a shock, but it helped me a lot.”

Meyers’ resurgence was recently highlighted by being named the NAHL Goalie of the Month in November. He went 7-1-1 in nine starts last month as Alexandria rose to second place in the Central Division. He called the award an honor and said that his success has a lot to do with the way his teammates played around him.

Meyers’ numbers this year rank near the top in every major NAHL category. He is fifth with a 1.96 goals against average and seventh in save percentage at .927. Most important for the Blizzard, Meyers has given his team a chance to win almost every time out this year.

“That’s the goal,” he said. “I just feel a little bit more mature out there. I try not to let things get to me, and I’m doing a better job of that. I just feel an extra year in the league helps you mature, not only as a goalie but as a person.”

It also helped him earn recognition among college coaches. Meyers joined forward Reid Sturos (Michigan Tech) as the first two Alexandria players on this year’s roster to earn Division I scholarship offers. Meyers made his college plans official last Monday when he signed his letter of intent to play for Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.

“We’re extremely proud of Jacob,” head coach Doc DelCastillo said. “That’s why we have an organization in Alexandria, to help them develop and anytime your goaltender gets a scholarship, it’s something that we’re extremely proud of. It’s a direct reflection of the success of this team. We’re really happy for him.”

Story by Eric Morken, Echo Press.  Read the rest of the story here.