SALT LAKE CITY – After stifling the high-powered California offense for much of the contest, South Carolina senior goaltender Colin Hains was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Division I championship game of the 2019 MCLA National Championships powered by Under Armour.

Hains made 12 of his 14 saves in the first half, which helped ground the high-flying Cal attack that had averaged 16.4 goals per game and had never been held below double digits in 17 games.

The Bears had four goals at the half and just double that at the end of the 13-8 Gamecock victory.

“Colin stood on his head throughout the tournament,” said South Carolina coach James Harkey. “Not only did he make ridiculous saves, but he was an exceptional quarterback for our defense all year. Postgame on Saturday, he remarked to me that no team scored more than one goal on our defense in the fourth quarter throughout the MCLA tournament.

“We've been fortunate to have Colin backstopping us the past few years and I look forward to watching him play at the next level, as I'm confident he'll be picked up by a pro team and will quickly impress once he’s in the building.”

For the tournament, Hains finished with 46 total saves in a 4-0 week for a 59.7 save percentage against teams that brought a combined record of 58-9 into the postseason.