New York Riveters Sign Sojung Shin

Sojung Shin (ERICA ROBERTS)

The New York Riveters announced on Wednesday that they have signed Sojung Shin to a one year, 13,500-dollar contract for the 2016-2017 National Women’s Hockey League season.

Shin, played collegiately for St. Francis Xavier University, where she put up 37 wins, with a 1.46 goals against average and .944 save percentage in three Canadian Interuniversity Sport seasons. In 2015, she was named the most valuable player on the women’s hockey team at St. Francis.

The South Korean netminder said, “I heard the NWHL is one of the best leagues in the world. I think the NWHL would give me the chance to develop [and] prepare for the 2018 Olympics. I am honored to be a part of the New York Riveters team, and excited to play in the NWHL next season.”

Shin has represented the South Korean Women’s National Team in seven International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships, since she was 14 years old. She medaled in all seven of those contests, while earning 1.33 GAA and .954 save percentage.

In six of the IIHF tournaments, she was named the Best Player, the most recent this past spring at the 2016 IIHF World Championship. She has represented her country at two Asian Winter Games, two IIHF Women’s Challenge Cup of Asia and during the qualifying round, of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Riveters head goaltending coach and South Korean goaltending consultant, Rebecca Ruegsegger said, “Sojung is a talented goaltender and a great teammate. We are excited for her to join the Riveters organization and have the opportunity to compete against the top players in the world in preparation for the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, [South Korea]”

With the signing of Shin, the Riveters have one last roster spot to fill. General manager Chad Wiseman has reportedly been negotiating with, forward Hannah Brandt to fill that final spot for the upcoming season.

New York acquired the rights to the second overall pick in the 2015 NWHL Draft earlier this summer from the Connecticut Whale.