From one winner to another - not a bad jump for Jared "Bucky" Holt.

The Butler graduate was the goaltender for the Golden Tornado hockey team that won a school-record 17 games last season.

Now he's the prime netminder for St. Vincent College in Latrobe, which is 11-0 and ranked No. 1 in the American College Hockey Association's Division III Northeast Region.

"He had interest in coming to this school from an academic aspect," St. Vincent coach Mike Ziemianski said. "We were losing our No. 1 goalie from last year and were looking for a new one.

"We were very pleased when Bucky decided to join us."

St. Vincent took an 11-0 record into Sunday's game against California (Pa.), the No. 2 team in the Northeast Region.

Holt, who plays against all of the Polar Bearcats' top opponents, was scheduled to start.

"We have two other goalies and they have to let everybody play," Holt said. "But I feel good that I get the call in the big games."

Holt played nearly a 60-game schedule last year as a goalie for Butler High School and the Pittsburgh Vipers amateur team.

He has a 3.51 goals against average in five games so far this season, stopping 92 of 110 shots.

"That's been the biggest adjustment, not playing as much," he said. "We play one or two games per weekend here and that's about it.

"The speed of the game is faster and we score a lot of goals. We're an offensive-minded team, so I get left on my own a lot."

The coach estimates Holt faces 25 to 30 shots per game.

"We get 45 to 50 shots a game," Ziemianski said. "But Bucky's good about making the tough save."

Holt, who is studying biochemistry, opted for St. Vincent over Miami (Ohio) and Mercyhurst.

"When I first looked at the school, I also looked at the hockey program," he said. "I checked them out online and saw they were pretty good.

"The fact they needed a goalie. … Timing means a lot."

The Polar Bearcats were 18-2-1 in the regular season last year and qualified for the ACHA Division III national tournament in Phoenix, Ariz., where they finished No. 6 in the country.

St. Vincent's club hockey program is in the sixth season of its rebirth. A program previously run by the students folded during the 1980s.

"We brought the program back with more structure," said Tom Holowaty, its faculty moderator. "We joined the ACHA two years ago and the word is out there about our team.

"There's another goalie who will be eligible here next semester and he'll push Bucky. It will be interesting to see how that work outs."

Holt isn't worried about it.

"I'm just concerned about helping the team to keep winning," Holt said. "I'm very confident we'll go back to nationals this year. I think we have a shot at winning the whole thing."

The ACHA Nationals this year are at Harmarville Blade Runners, near Pittsburgh.

Ziemianski never saw Holt play until last year's high school all-star game. He appreciates the fundamental skills of his goaltender.

"Bucky has an ability to square himself up to the puck and the shooter," the coach said. "He's always in good position to make the save.

"When he needs it, that glove hand comes out of nowhere. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time."

And when it comes to puck handling, Ziemianski said Holt is "like a third defenseman back there.

"He's made numerous clearing passes on his own," he said.

"We play the other top teams in our region over the next few games. They're the most important games of the season.

"And, yes, Bucky will be in goal," Ziemianski added.