SGEU MVP of the Week: Cole Brown, Melville Millionaires
Goals seemed like the last piece of the Melville puzzle, and many, including Brown, stepped up big over the last couple of weeks. Playing with Preston Baerwald and Isaiah Bagri this past week, Coach Doug Johnson has found a way to unlock the right winger and will look to keep that danger from the 19-year-old going consistently.
Week Stats: 2 GP, 4 G, 1 A, 5 PTS, natural hat trick vs WAR
SaskLotteries Forward of the Week: Brock Evans, Nipawin Hawks
The league’s leading scorer has thrived all year in the middle of what might be the league’s most consistently dangerous offensive line, alongside Mason Karakochuk and Austin Mori-Goodman. Coach Tad Kozun’s plan to keep lines together and build chemistry has paid off, and Evans, the skilled veteran from Warman, SK, has been the norm in two straight three-point games this past week.
Week Stats: 2 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 6 pts, two 3-point games
SuperU Defenceman of the Week: Louis Nadeau, Melville Millionaires
Nadeau was a driving force in Melville’s two thunderous wins this past week, and he was also named captain. He was also on SJHL Weekly this past Monday, though we at the league take no credit for a ‘show bump’ (ok, maybe a little). The genuinely high-character defender notched three points in Tuesday’s big win over league No. 1 Warman, and has been excellent in his workhorse role all season, especially with the extra workload due to injury. Newcomer Mason Eggen appears to be on his left for now.
Week Stats: 2 GP, 0 G, 4 A, 4 pts, named new captain of the Mils
SaskTel Goalie of the Week: Noah Kraus, Melville Millionaires
It’s another marvellous week for one of the league’s many serious contenders for SaskTel Goaltender of the Year. Kraus has six wins in a row and has made only two starts in 12 games so far this year, with a save percentage under .900. Kraus, likes the Mils as a whole, have been almost unbeatable at home all season; he’s 7-1 at the CN Community Centre at the time of this writing, plus back-to-back recipient of this award.
Week Stats: 2-0-0-0, 2.50 GAA, .921 SV%, wins over WAR and NIP
SaskMilk Rookie of the Week: Chase Kettles, Battlefords North Stars
The Stars needed stability, and while veteran Nathan Claydon has been good, the highly touted rookie Kettles was fantastic in a pair of huge wins against the Klippers this past week. Kettles was extremely well-thought-of out of Prince Albert Raiders camp this pre-season, so perhaps we’re starting to see that promise from the Manitoban who, believe it or not, is still 16 years of age, with a late 2009 birth year.
Big-time honourable mention to Brendan Jones of the La Ronge Ice Wolves and Warman, SK., who had another great week: six goals in his last seven games and a seven-game point streak.
Week Stats: 2-0-0-0, 2.50 GAA, .933 SV% back-to-back wins vs KIN
Canterra Seeds Saskatchewan Player of the Week: Steven Steranka, Estevan Bruins (from Regina, Sask)
Steranka is on a heater: Two straight SGEU MVP nods coming into the week plus an eight-game point streak with a whopping 21 points over that span. Two- and three-point nights, including his first SJHL hat trick Sunday in the first period in La Ronge, are becoming the norm for the elite offence-creating machine from Regina.
Week Stats: 3 GP, 4 G, 2 A, 6 pts – hat trick vs LAR
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