By Matt Stefano
A familiar face is coming back between the pipes!
The Soo Thunderbirds have announced on Saturday that they have re-signed goaltender Noah Zeppa.
Zeppa, who hasn’t played hockey at all this season, played last season with his hometown Soo Thunderbirds, where he recorded 15 wins, 1 loss, 1 overtime loss, 1 shutout and had a .912 save percentage along with a 2.07 goals against average.
Last season, Zeppa also helped lead the T-Birds to their fifth Copeland Cup McNamara Trophy title.
“It’s definitely been an interesting past couple of days, but I’m thrilled to be back around the rink,” said the 2002-birth-year goaltender. “It feels like I’ve never left being apart of a great group of guys. Last season was awesome winning the league championship, but now that’s in the past. I know that everyone’s focus is to get this organization back to the Centennial Cup.”
Last season, Zeppa was also the recipient of the John L. Cohen Memorial Award (Sponsored by Traders Steel) for the Thunderbirds Scholastic Player of the Year.
With the addition of Zeppa, the Thunderbirds now have a total of three goaltenders on their current roster, along with Landon Miller and Kolton Bourret.
“It’s always great to add first and foremost a great person to our program,” said Soo Thunderbirds assistant coach and general manager Jamie Henderson. “Noah will bring a lot to our room and will be able to share his experience with our younger goaltenders. He was a big part of our championship team last season and it’s great to have him back.”
“It wasn’t an easy decision to come back and play, but I’ve built a great relationship with Cole Jarrett and Jamie Henderson over the past several years and I know they will support me with my schooling and work while playing hockey,” Zeppa added. “I definitely missed the game and I missed being around some of my best friends everyday. It will take sometime for me to get back into that lifestyle, but I’m excited to see what our group has to offer.”
(Photo credit to Bob Davies)
