Tuesday, November 19, 2013

NOJHL announces three stars of the week

Press Release

SUDBURY – The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey announced Monday that Kirkland Lake Gold Miners forward Samuel Wilbur along with goaltender Kenny Fitzgerald and Abitibi Eskimos forward Brady Clouthier have been its “3 Stars” of the week for the period ending Nov. 17.

SAMUEL WILBUR, (F) KIRKLAND LAKE GOLD MINERS – Wilbur was recognized for playing a part in each of the three victories the surging Gold Miners recorded last week accumulating six points in total.

He began with an assist in a 4-3 triumph at Sudbury on Wednesday, followed that up with another helper in a 3-0 shutout of Elliot Lake Friday and wrapped up his run by tallying twice, including notching the game-winner, and setting up two others helping his club defeat Espanola 6-2 Saturday while extending the team’s franchise-record winning streak to eight games.

In 11 outings since being acquired by the Gold Miners in a deal with Blind River, the 20-year-old native of Saginaw, Mich., has 19 points including getting on the score sheet in eight consecutive games.

His 32 total points in the NOJHL this season currently ranks him seventh overall in the league.

BRADY CLOUTHIER, (F) ABITIBI ESKIMOS – An force all season for the Eskimos, Clouthier continued his offensive prowess helping Abitibi skates to wins in both of their contests during the week that was.

He began by scoring once and assisting on another in a 4-3 neutral site victory over Espanola in Timmins on Friday then went on to bury the game-winner Saturday while setting up another tally to lift the Eskimos to their seventh straight triumph on Jus Jordan Arena ice, a 6-4 decision over Elliot Lake.

In leading Abitibi in offensive production, the 19-year-old forward who hails from Arnprior, Ont., has points in three straight games as well as in 15 of his last 17 contests to move into fifth overall in the NOJHL with 34 points overall.

Clouthier’s five game-winning markers also tie him for the second most in the league.

KENNY FITZGERALD, (G) KIRKLAND LAKE GOLD MINERS – In two starts last week Fitzgerald won both of them aiding in Kirkland Lake’s latest winning streak.

A 19-year-old native of Port Coquitlam, B.C., Fitzgerald started with a 30-save performance to back stop the Gold Miners to the 4-3 road victory at Sudbury this past Wednesday.

Three nights later he turned aside 23 of 25 attempts he faced in keeping the highest scoring team in the league, the Espanola Rivermen, to just two goals in a 6-2 decision on home ice.

Fitzgerald has won his last five starts and has a 10-2 record in 13 appearances overall while sitting second in the NOJHL in goals-against average at 2.12 and third in save percentage at .917.

(Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)

No comments: