August 2, 2010

INCH's A to Z: UConn's Garrett Bartus

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GARRETT BARTUS
Connecticut
So. | G | St. Charles, Ill.

Key Statistics: Bartus played parts of three seasons in the North American Hockey League. With the Mahoning Valley Phantoms, he was 23-9-3 with a 2.76 goals against and .913 save percentage in 2007-08. A year later he was 17-5-1 with a 2.98 GAA and .901 saves mark. Last season he started with the St. Louis Bandits, posting marks of 11-4, 1.91, and .925. When UConn came calling at mid-season, Bartus made the jump to Division I and took over the Huskies’ net duties, appearing in 20 of 21 contests. He went 5-14-1 with UConn. His 3.26 goals against ranked eighth in the league and third among Atlantic Hockey freshmen. His save percentage was .900, ninth on the circuit. Though he did not post a shutout, he had four games allowing one goal, three games with two goals and five with three goals. He posted seven games with at least 30 saves, including 57 against Air Force and 51 in a playoff loss to RIT.

What He Does: UConn was in a bind when freshman Jeff Larson left the club in December. Assistant coach Joe Dumais worked hard to find Bartus, who was willing to leave juniors at mid-season and enroll as a freshman. Bartus adjusted well and started to find his way by season’s close, posting consecutive victories over Mercyhurst (a team with 10 more wins than UConn at the time) and Bentley in a first-round playoff matchup. Bartus nearly pulled off the upset of the Atlantic Hockey playoffs, turning aside 51 shots (including 33 in a row at one point) in a 4-3 overtime loss at eventual champ Rochester Institute of Technology in a quarterfinal opener. Coach Bruce Marshall said Bartus—who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 190 pounds—does not get rattled in the net and he doesn’t overplay the puck.

The Bigger Picture: Brad McInnis will be a senior and Marshall has brought in two more freshmen, but Bartus is likely UConn’s number one netminder headed into the season. “I’d be surprised if he wasn’t the guy,” Marshall said. “He knows he has to earn it, no matter what.” Bartus quickly gained the respect of his teammates, who voted him the team MVP with just a half-season of work. Bartus, who turns 21 on Oct. 19, is mature and has a bright future with the Huskies.

Connecticut coach Bruce Marshall on Bartus: “He’s got a phenomenal work ethic on how he goes about his game. We’re looking for him to settle in now. He’s extremely respectful and extremely polite. He’s happy for the opportunity that we provided him. He understands that and doesn’t take things for granted.”