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Photos: Sean Flynn Photography/Quad City Mallards; St. Norbert College |
Quad City Mallards goaltender Evan Mosher has been signed to a professional tryout agreement by the American Hockey League’s Lake Erie Monsters while the Mallards have signed forward Mason Baptista to an amateur tryout agreement, the Mallards announced today. The Mallards also announced defenseman Nicholas Rioux has returned to the team from the AHL’s Iowa Wild and that they have signed Jake Reed as an emergency backup goaltender.
Mosher, a 24-year old rookie, has gone 11-12-4 in 29 games with the Mallards this season while posting a 2.81 goals against average, a .913 save percentage and one shutout. He ranks second among ECHL rookies in save percentage. Mosher’s is the twelfth AHL call-up for a Mallard this season.
Mosher joined the Mallards after enjoying a standout campaign at Acadia University in Wolfsville, Nova Scotia last season. Mosher was named to the 2013-14 All-Canadian second team after going 17-5-0 in 22 games to finish tied for first in in the nation in wins in addition to finishing fifth in goals against average (2.12), seventh in minutes played (1358:42) and tenth in save percentage (.919). The 5’ 11”, 176-pound Conception Bay, Newfoundland, product backstopped the Axemen to the Atlantic University Sport conference playoff title and a berth in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport University Cup national tournament.
Mosher went 32-19-0 In 52 career games over three seasons at Acadia while turning in a 2.64 goals against average and a .902 save percentage along with a pair of shutouts.
Mosher moved on to Acadia after tending goal for all or part of five seasons with the Prince Edward Island Rocket of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. In 117 career QMJHL games, Mosher went 50-57-0 while posting a 3.17 goals against average, a .907 save percentage and three shutouts. In 2010-11, Mosher completed his junior career in style by leading the “Q” in minutes played (3266:38) and total saves (1694) and finishing second in save percentage (.918), eighth in goals against average (2.19), tied for eighth in shutouts (2) and ninth in wins while going 25-22-3 in 57 games.
Baptista, 25, joins the Mallards from Divison III power St. Norbert College, where he completed his collegiate career last weekend. The 6’ 2”, 200-pound North York, Ontario, native this season led the Green Knights in points (34) and assists (26) and scored eight goals while playing in each of his team’s 28 games.
Over his four seasons at St. Norbert, Baptista scored 29 goals and added 75 assists for 104 points in 117 career games while helping the Green Knights to the national title in 2012 and against last year. Among Baptista’s teammates for his first three collegiate campaigns was Joe Perry, who started this season with the Mallards before being called up to the American Hockey League’s Iowa Wild last month.
Baptista played four seasons in the Ontario Junior Hockey League with the Vaughan Vipers and Villanova Knights before arriving at St. Norbert.
Baptista will wear uniform number nine for the Mallards.
Rioux returns to the Mallards after signing a professional tryout agreement with the Wild yesterday. He has scored three goals and added 19 assists for 22 points while recording a plus/minus rating of +10 in 53 games with the Mallards this season. Rioux has played three games for Iowa this year.
Reed, 20, joins the Mallards for the second time this season. The 6’ 2”, 190-pound Coal Valley native first served as the team’s emergency backup for a January 9 game against Wichita.
The Mallards return to action tonight at 7:05 p.m. against the Missouri Mavericks on home ice. Fans can purchase four tickets to each Mallards Wednesday home game this season for just $20. In addition, after tonight's game, fans can join the Mallards at T.G.I. Friday’s on River Drive in Moline- adjacent to the iWireless Center- for a postgame party.
Tickets for all remaining Mallards regular season home games- including tonight’s contest- are on sale now at the iWireless Center box office, Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com and Ticketmaster charge-by phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000. The box office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and game days from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the second period. Tickets are available for $10, $16, $20 and $28.
