The last 12 months have been a dramatic change for Lawson Fenton. Fenton went from playing for the Stars (Buffalo) to developing into a star for the Rochester Junior Americans Empire team.  He has transformed from having to find a way to keep the sport fun while suffering through a very disappointing season to enjoying his new surroundings while preparing for a playoff run in the USPHL.

“We knew we had something special when we signed Lawson,” states head coach Jeff Kolcon. “We played the Buffalo Stars several times last year. We would put 20 or 30 shots on Lawson before we could break through. He was tough. What Lawson saw in one period last year in shots is equivalent to a whole game for most other teams.”

Lawson posted a record of 0-16 for the Stars with a 6.43 goals against average. Despite those stats, Rochester did not hesitate to sign Fenton as soon as he was available.

“Most coaches would stop any discussion about a player after looking at those numbers,” says Kolcon. “If we would not have watched him perform so strongly against our team, we would have laughed him off.”

This year, the only one laughing is Fenton.  He finished the regular season with an Empire Division best 25-2-0-1 record, along with a goals against average of 2.71 and a .910 save percentage, both solidly among the top ten overall. His solid play in net helped lead the Junior Americans to the Empire Northern Conference title with a 36-3-0-1 record. Last year, Fenton’s team was a nearly exact opposite with a 3-35 record.

Associate head coach Tom McDonald thinks Fenton has played even stronger than his numbers would suggest.

“We have played our entire roster in many games. Some of our younger players are still developing and that has affected some of Lawson’s numbers,” says McDonald. “But when you look at his performances against the top teams like Florida, Syracuse, and Boston, his stats are incredible.”

Fenton and the Junior Americans have found great success this season despite having played the toughest schedule in the Empire Division. Only two of their games have been against non-playoff teams while nineteen games have been played against top six ranked teams in the division. The Junior Americans will be counting on Fenton to continue his strong play in the USPHL playoffs.