Monday, November 21, 2011

USHL Honors - Week Eight

Press Release

The United States Hockey League today announced the weekly award winners for the eighth week of the 2011-12 USHL regular season.

Award winners include forward Alex Broadhurst of the Green Bay Gamblers, named CCM Offensive Player of the Week; defenseman Mitch Witek of the Waterloo Black Hawks, selected as CCM Defensive Player of the Week; and Matthew O’Connor of the Youngstown Phantoms who earned honors as the Reebok USHL Goaltender of the Week.

Broadhurst scored five points (4g, 1a) and registered a plus-three rating over two road victories for the Gamblers. He tallied two goals in the 4-2 win against Team USA on Friday. The 18-year-old then had a three-point night (2g, 1a) and a game high plus-three rating in the 6-0 win over Muskegon on Saturday. Broadhurst is a second-year USHL forward from New Lenox, Illinois and is third on the Gamblers in scoring with 12 points (8g, 4a) in 11 games this season. He is committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha and was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Witek recorded three assists and a plus-three rating as the Black Hawks knocked off two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference during the weekend. On Friday, he assisted on the first two goals of the game in the 6-3 win against Dubuque. He followed up with an assist on the first goal of the game in Saturday’s 4-2 victory over Indiana, which also extended his point streak to three games. He has tallied five of his six assists this season over the last three games. The 19-year-old from Downers Grove, Illinois had collected two assists in 56 previous USHL games.

O’Connor posted a 1.46 goals-against-average and a .957 save percentage in two wins for the Phantoms. He equaled a USHL season high with 44 saves in the 4-1 win over Chicago on Friday. The second-year goaltender then made 23 saves in the 3-2 overtime victory against Cedar Rapids on Saturday, which tied him for the USHL lead with eight victories this season. The 19-year-old from Toronto, Ontario has won each of his last three starts and is fifth overall among League netminders with a 2.36 GAA while ranking tied for third with a .923 SV%.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

No comments: