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Loewen Returns to Man Snakes Net

August 13, 2014 - SPHL (SPHL)
Columbus Cottonmouths News Release


COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) announce the signing of goaltender Andrew Loewen. Loewen will begin his fifth professional season this October and also his fifth as a member of the Cottonmouths.

Loewen arrived in Columbus as a rookie in the 2010-11 season after a successful four-year collegiate stint at Canisius College. The 6'0", 195-pound netminder played in 25 games each of his first two seasons as he formed a goaltending tandem with retired Snakes goaltender Ian Vigier.

After his freshman and sophomore pro seasons, Loewen had a breakout year in his third season between the pipes for Columbus in 2012-13. After going the first two seasons without a shutout, Loewen would finally get his first goose egg as a pro on November 21, 2012 in a game at the Mississippi Surge. One month later, he would kick it into a higher gear as he had an 11-game personal winning streak in net from December 31 to February 16, 2013, one shy of the all-time SPHL record. In those eleven games, he had two shutouts, four games with only one goal allowed, four games with two goals allowed, and only one where he allowed three goals. In all, Loewen allowed two or fewer goals in 22 of the 29 games he started in 2012-13. He finished the season with a 1.74 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage, both SPHL records for a goaltender in a single season. Despite those numbers, Loewen was named to the All-SPHL second team and finished second in SPHL Goaltender of the Year balloting behind Louisiana goaltender Riley Gill, who would go on to claim ECHL playoff MVP honors in the 2013 Kelly Cup Playoffs.

The 29-year-old Loewen became the Cottonmouths' clear number one goaltender in 2013-14. After a 1-6-1 personal start to the season, Loewen reeled off a 20-9-0 record the rest of the way. He saved his best hockey for the season's last month, picking up four of his Columbus hockey single-season record six shutouts in a stretch between February 21 and March 8. Three of those shutouts were in consecutive games, and Loewen again etched his name in the SPHL record books with a league record 198 minute, 18 second shutout sequence. Despite also breaking the SPHL single-season record for shutouts, Peoria goaltender Kyle Rank shattered the record as well with eight clean sheets in 2013-14.

Even though he has been a Snake for each of his five seasons pro, Loewen also has some experience at a higher level. He played three games for the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays in 2010-11, going 1-1-0 in three games with a 4.58 GAA and .874 save percentage. He also pitched in for the Gwinnett Gladiators in the ECHL last season, again earning a 1-1-0 record in three apperances with a 3.11 GAA and .896 save percentage.

The Cottonmouths will begin their 11th season as an original member of the SPHL on October 24 with their season opener at home against the Knoxville Ice Bears. Season tickets, group sales, and sponsorship opportunities are available now for the upcoming season. To find out how you can become a part of what will be an exciting 2014-15 season, contact the team at 706.571.0086 or visit them online at www.cottonmouths.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cottonmouths, or by following @Cottonmouths on Twitter.



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