Monday, April 2, 2012

Whalers’ Noesen OHL Player of the Week

Press Release

oronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Plymouth Whalers’ forward Stefan Noesen is the OHL Player of the Week after recording 12 points in four games scoring five goals and seven assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-4 for the playoff week ending April 1.

Noesen led the offensive charge for the Whalers who won four straight games last week to comeback and beat the Guelph Storm in six games of their first round best-of-seven series.  Trailing 2-0 in the series heading into Game 3 on Tuesday, Noesen recorded his first of two five-point games in the series with two goals and three assists as first star of a 7-1 win.  He picked up an assist in the 5-2 win over the Storm to even the series on Thursday before producing his second five-point game of the series Saturday in Game 5 with a hat-trick and two assists as first star of the 9-3 win.  The Whalers clinched the series victory on Sunday with a 2-1 overtime decision with Noesen assisting on J.T Miller’s game-winner at 5:58 of the extra frame.  The Whalers will now host the Kitchener Rangers in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs beginning Friday night.

Noesen, a 19-year-old from Plano, Texas, is playing in his third OHL season with the Whalers.  Selected in the first round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft , 21st overall by the Ottawa Senators, Noesen scored a career-high 38 goals and 82 points in 63 games this season and is currently tied for first in OHL playoff scoring with 14 points in six games.

Also considered for the award this week was Michael Catenacci who scored two goals and seven assists for nine points for the Kitchener Rangers in their final three opening round playoff games against the Owen Sound Attack.  Brandon Saad was also considered after scoring four goals and four assists for eight points in four games for the fifth ranked Saginaw Spirit who upset the fourth place Sarnia Sting in first round playoff action.  In goal, the Whalers’ Scott Wedgewood won four straight games against the Storm with a goals-against-average of 1.71 and save percentage of .949.


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

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