Burton 40: Nathan Robson
There have been many great goaltenders in both leagues of Burton Hockey. Some gain their notoriety by playing a lot; others gain it from amazing performances. Eventually, though, every goaltender is broken. Every goaltender, it seems, except Nathan Robson. No goaltender in history has consistently played so well while dealing with the volume of shots he faces both session-wise and career-wise. From the second he stepped on the McCormack rink in 2003, Nathan has been the preeminent goaltender in BUSH, forming a twin goaltending axis with him on the BUSH end and Bron Mach on the Vancouver end. Nathan's exploits have rewritten the Burton record book. He was the first goalie to make 200 saves in a session (and got .880 doing it!). No one else can claim a .930 session on their resume. Before Nathan, games were always around 20 minutes long. Now, the average game is about one-third longer, and that is a direct result of the goaltending revolution he ushered in.
His desire to win is unmatched; performances other goaltenders would kill to have are nothing more than average days or dissapointments to Nathan. And six seasons in, he's only getting better. Nathan's stout-yet-fit frame makes the Burton nets impenetrable, and his cat-like reflexes and amazing dexterity ensure that even the most surefire scoring opportunities are stonewalled. Almost no one pulls off the acrobatics Nathan does. He is a fierce pokechecker in net, and is always willing to battle opponents; his trademark move is stepping harshly on the ball to prevent opposing players from swiping it away, often to the point of deforming the ball. 2009 saw Nathan come out of the net on a regular basis to play on skates; having done everything there is to do in net, he's eager for a new challenge. True to form, Nathan is a grinding defenceman more dedicated to stopping opposing forwards than any individual glory. Sacrificing himself on every play, his lower body is typically covered in blood after every session from all of the falls and scrapes incurred from his efforts. He certainly shows the potential to develop into a solid defenceman. To top it off, his good humour and amiable demeanor make him a valued member of the Burton team. He's even gotten into organising, helping lead the push for autumn hockey at McCormack. As the backbone of the BUSH goal goaltending corps, as its most durable backstopper, and as one of its most sportsmanlike figures, Nathan Robson is an easy lock for the Burton 40.
Awards: Goaltending Champion - 2003; Most Outstanding Goaltender - 2003, 2003, 2006; Rookie of the Year - 2003; Most Sportsmanlike Player - 2003; 1st All-Star - 2003g, 2004g, 2006g; Most Dedicated Team - 2006.
Previous Burton 40 Articles
Joe Chwachka
Karl Detta
Ryan Disterheft
Justin Gordon
Tony Hajdu
Stefan Klopp
Seamus O'Connor
Troy Waldron
