Sports stats



ECHL ECHL

Condors' Fukufuji Named CCM Vector ECHL Rookie of the Month

February 3, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. - Bakersfield Condors goaltender Yutaka Fukufuji is the CCM Vector ECHL Rookie of the Month for January.

Selected in the eighth round (238th overall) and under contract to Manchester of the American Hockey League, Fukufuji started nine games in January and posted a 7-1-1 record with a goals-against average of 2.06 and a save percentage of .931. He won seven consecutive games for the Condors, who were 10-2-2 in January, and he has not lost in regulation since January 1.

The 22-year-old Fukufuji began the winning streak with back-to-back one-goal games, stopping 26 shots in a 3-2 overtime win at San Diego on January 2 and 35 shots in a 4-3 win at Trenton on January 5. The 6-1 and 190-pound goaltender posted road wins at Johnstown and Atlantic City before returning home to beat Las Vegas and then winning on the road at Idaho. He made 20 saves for his first professional shutout, a 2-0 win against Fresno on January 24, and ended the month making 39 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss to Long Beach.

Fukufuji is 16-5-3 with a goals-against average of 2.49 and a save percentage of .918 in 25 games for Bakersfield. He is fifth in the league in wins and tied for 15th in goals-against average.

Born in Tokyo, Fukufuji became the first Japanese-born goaltender to start an ECHL game with Cincinnati, winning his North American debut with a 3-2 shootout win at Johnstown on February 7, 2003. He finished the season with a record of 4-3-0 and had a goals-against average of 3.13 and a save percentage of .915 in nine games with Cincinnati.

He played in 2001-02 with the Kokudo Bunnies of the Japan Hockey League posting a goals-against average of 2.94. Fukufuji has played the past four years as a member of the Japanese National Team.

Runners Up: Rich Peverley, South Carolina (11 gp, 10g, 6a, 16 pts) and Mike Jarmuth, Mississippi (10 gp, 4g, 4a, 8 pts).

Also Nominated: Vladimir Novak (Alaska), Derek Edwardson (Atlantic City), Ken Magowan (Augusta), Lee Falardeau (Charlotte), Chanse Fitzpatrick (Columbia), Matt Hendricks (Florida), Jeff Campbell (Gwinnett), Mike James (Johnstown), Dustin Johner (Las Vegas), Mark Rooneem (Louisiana), Gregg Johnson (Pee Dee), Todd Ford (Pensacola), Jake Riddle (Peoria), Beau Geisler (Reading), Andrew Canzanello (San Diego), Kevin Cooper (Texas), Jerramie Domish (Trenton) and Cam Paddock (Wheeling).

Check out the ECHL Statistics

• Discuss this story on the ECHL message board...

ECHL Stories from February 3, 2005


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central