Monday, January 11, 2010

Balson Named CCHL-East Player of the Month

Press Release

The Central Canadian Hockey League is pleased to announce that Mac Balson of the Peterborough Stars has been named as the East Division Player of the Month for his performance during the month of December.

"It's a great honour to be singled out as a top player in a league with a lot of highly talented players like the CCHL," said Balson. "It's just a real honour to be named for this award."

During the month of December, Balson registered points in eight of the eleven games he played including finishing the month on a five game point streak beginning on December 15th, 2009 against the Streetsville Derbys. In total, he notched four goals and eleven assists during that stretch including a single game high of five points (two goals and three assists) in a 9-3 win on December 11th, 2009 over the Ajax Attack.

Balson attributed his success to playing a simple game and consistently going to the front of the net with authority.

"I was just keeping it simple, putting pucks on net, shooting often, driving the net and keeping my stick on the ice," explained Balson. "I was just fortunate enough to bang in a few pucks and get a few assists."

The Lakefield, Ontario native did not get off to a great start this season, notching only one assist during the month of September in six games played. Since then, Balson has adjusted his role to include spending more time in front of the net, especially when on the power play, instead of remaining on the perimeter. At 6'0 and 200 lbs, Balson's size comes in handy while causing traffic at the top of the goal crease.

"Right now I think I'm in a little bit better of a role that I can handle well," said the eighteen year old Balson. "I'm playing on the power play in front of the net where I'm more comfortable. I'm just getting a few more lucky bounces these days too; I hit a lot of posts and crossbars and knobs of the goalie's stick in September and things just weren't going in for me back then. Now they seem to be going in for me."

Balson sits as the Stars' leading scorer at this point in the season with twelve goals and twenty five assists through thirty eight games.

The Stars have predicated a lot of their success so far this season on wagging a balanced attack with scoring coming throughout the line up. While they cannot boast a player like Greg Carey of the Burlington Cougars with fifty eight goals in thirty six games, seven Peterborough Stars have reached the double digit plateau in terms of goals, tied for the most of any team in the East Division with the Cobourg Cougars. Balson believes that balance will serve the Stars well come the post season.

"We have a few guys who can put the puck in the net but secondary scoring is big for us and if we can get all lines scoring some goals, our team will be a tough team to beat," said Balson, who is in his second full season with the Stars after seeing action in one game in the 2006-2007 season as a fifteen year old and nine games in 2007-2008.

Fourth through eighth place in the East Division is separated by only a mere two points which means a pair of wins or a pair of losses in a row can have a major impact in terms of seeding in the standings.

Currently sitting in fourth place with forty two points, Balson cited locking up home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs as a primary goal for his team down the stretch. With twelve games left for the Stars and just six points back of the Markham Waxers, third place in the East Division is not out of the question either, especially if Balson keeps producing the way he did during December.

"If we could go on a four game run, we could create a little bit of separation and that could lead to home ice advantage which is huge because we get a lot of fans in the playoffs and that helps us," said Balson.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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