Tough week for Goalies

Last week may be one that many MHL goalies will want to forget. In the 16 games played the 11 MHL teams combined for 141 goals, an average of 8.8 per game (with 4 more shots going into the net during shootouts). Winning teams scored 98 goals, an average of 6.1 per game, while losing teams netted 43 for an average of 2.7. Seven of the games, 44%, saw the opponents combine for 10 or more goals with the most being the 13 scored when Dieppe visited Woodstock. Unfortunately for Dieppe, Woodstock players had 12 of them. And that shows in this week’s points tables, dominated by Slammers (the team had 27 goals in 3 games during the week), Mariners and Capitals. Nick Huard of Woodstock is at the top with 10 points from 6 goals and 4 assists, including a hat trick plus one against Dieppe. Another Slammer, Bradley Greene and Yarmouth’s Mathieu Pompei each had 9 point from 5 goals and 4 assists. Mariner Colin Campbell had a hat trick against Campbellton.

The league’s leading scorer, Metro’s Andrew Wigginton, had 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) to hold on to his lead, now at 53 points. Wigginton’s teammate Dylan King moved back into second place and one point closer to first with a 6 point week (2 goals, 4 assists). Lumberjack Michael Crawley fell back to third with a 2 goal, 2 assist week.

Huard (with 6), Greene, and Pompei (each with 5) figure highest on the goals chart, too, joined by Campbell and Summerside’s Cole MacMillan who netted 4 apiece. Green’s effort was enough to put him into a tie with Wigginton (2 goals this week) at the head of the year’s goals table with 25. Pompei moved into a 3rd place tie with Crawley at 22.

Summerside’s Mike Szmatula easily takes the week’s honours in assists with 8 helpers. Miramichi’s Alex Scully and Woodstock’s Zach Shannon had 5. 17 players tallied 4 assists. Metro’s Dylan King increased his lead for the year adding 4 more to bring his total to 36, 3 ahead of Slammer Tim Campbell (2 this week). Szmatula’s 8 helpers vaulted him into 3rd place with 32 for the season.

The goalie stats for the week illustrate just how much it was an offensive 7 days. Just 4 goalies had weekly GAAs of 3.00 or lower. Slammer Sam Renault takes the week’s net minding honours having allowed just 1 goal in his one appearance (1.00 GAA, .952 save %). Rambler Richard Tingley had a 2.64 GAA with 7 goals in almost 8 periods of play. Woodstock’s M<att Murphy remains at the top of the league’s yearly goaltender stats with a 1.89 GAA and a .937 save %.