ATLANTA – St. Thomas took the lead in the race for the top seed in the UMLC West thanks to the play of Tommies sophomore netminder Gunner Arens, who is the MCLA Division II PEARL Goalie of the Week for the period ending April 9.

St. Thomas, currently ranked No. 4, went up against No. 16 and archrival Minn.-Duluth on Thursday. Bolstered by the play of the Stillwater, Minn., native, the Tommies posted a 12-6 victory.

Arens stopped 16 of the 22 shots that came his way – a 72.7 save percentage. For the season, he has a save percentage of 67.7.

“Along with making great saves, Gunner did an amazing job commanding our clear,” said St. Thomas coach Jason King. “We were able to clear over 92 percent against UMD, which helped everything stay in rhythm.”

For earning the PEARL’s Goalie of the Week, Arens will receive a prize package from Guardian PEARL, a ball that lasts longer than the rest and never greases. Guardian PEARL is the proud partner of the MCLA.

PEARL Honor Roll

Larkin Koker, Jr. – Chico State
The Wildcats posted an impressive conference victory over UC Santa Cruz thanks to 17 saves (70.8 save percentage) from the San Jose netminder.

Nicholas Meola, Jr. – Florida Atlantic
The Owls lost a heartbreaker to FGCU, but through no fault of the Flemington, N.J., backstop, who finished with 25 saves.

Ethan Zwickey, Soph. – Montana State
The Belgrade, Mont., backstop turned away 14 of the 19 shots (73.7 save percentage) that came his way against a ranked Utah State outfit.