Hello and good afternoon SSBHL Community!
Good afternoon all!

We survived another week with potential rain impending… seems like every week it’s a dice roll! However, we got through all 3 games, and what a surprising week it was, with some unexpected winners and some potential drama in the standings as we near the end of the regular season. We still have 4 weeks left, which leaves 8 points on the board for teams to claim! It’s still any team’s game, and every team still has a window into the playoffs as we stand now. Let’s go ahead and jump into our top performers of Week 6!

Point Producing Players

#1 Offensive Player of the the Week – Aiden “Nighthawk” Lovett (Spiders) – 5 Goals, 0 Assists – 5 Points

After a very short-lived break, he’s back on the top of the list this week. Aiden, aka Nighthawk, returns as our Number 1 Offensive Player of the Week, and to no surprise… Aiden was outstanding as always and was on a scoring tear in Week 6’s matchup against the high offensive prowess of the Mustangs.

Aiden would start off his scoring in the 2nd period to extend the lead 3-0 in the early stages off a shot from the point by defenseman Ryan Gurley. Aiden would follow up the shot, drive to the net, and bank a shot off a defending player’s foot and into the net.

In the middle portion of the 2nd period, Aiden struck once again on a breakaway feed from, once again, defenseman Ryan Gurley. Aiden would deke past 2 Mustangs defenders and get in alone with the goalie, who tried to poke-check it away. However, Aiden used his speed and agility to his advantage to get around the poke and pot home the goal, extending the lead and stopping the bleeding for the Spiders, 4-2.

Again, in the last 15 seconds of the 2nd period, on a faceoff in the Mustangs zone, Jordan Cookson would fire a shot off the draw into the goalie, which rebounded directly in front. Once again, having the offensive IQ to sprint ahead of everyone, Aiden snagged the rebound and scored immediately, increasing the lead 5-3.

As we progressed into the 3rd, the Mustangs would score once more to narrow the lead, and again, Aiden would be the one to extend the lead for the Spiders and keep pressure off his team. Off a shot from the point by Jordan Cookson, Aiden, again for the 3rd time this game, followed up on a rebound to grab the ball at a sharp angle on the backhand and score, increasing the lead 6-4.

His final goal would come from his own defensive zone on an empty-net goal to seal the game at 7-4.

Overall, typically we are noting Aiden’s playmaking ability with multiple assists each game and maybe 1 or 2 goals. However, in this tilt, he went full offensive mode and scored 5 total goals, the most by any forward this season. High offensive IQ, play-reading ability, and beautiful offensive skill carried Aiden to the top spot this week. Insane work.

#2 Offensive Player of the Week – Tim “The Moth” Shyshpar (Captain Mothmen) – 1 Goal, 4 Assists – 5 Points

In a “must-win” game for the Moths, or essentially there being little chance of making the playoffs for them, the Captain came through with a fantastic performance. Tim “The Moth” Shyshpar cooked and went to work on the Smokey Joes defensemen and goaltending, essentially playmaking his way around them all game long and making it look easy in the process.

Starting off in the 1st period, Tim opened the scoring for the Moths with a nice goal in front assisted by linemate Nick Provenzano, making it 1-0.

In the last minute of the 1st period, again Tim would get on the board with a slick feed in front to linemate Nick Provenzano this time, increasing the lead 2-0.

In the 2nd period, only 1 goal would be scored between both teams, and of course Tim had his part in it, sliding over a pass to his defensive partner Nick Buckley, who would score from the point, giving the Moths a larger lead and some breathing room at 3-1.

In the 3rd period, the Moths would take complete control of the game, with Tim getting 2 more assists in the period and leading his squad to a decisive 7-1 victory.

Tim ended the day with 1 goal and 4 assists for a grand total of 5 points on the day! An incredible job, and a massive 1st win of the season.

The Moths have been right there in multiple games this season, losing by 1 goal multiple times or even in overtime, just falling short. However, with a performance as dominant as this from Tim, the Moths were finally able to get into the win column.

They still have a lot of work to do in order to climb out of the hole they are in, but now with this win, there is hope. Well done sir!

#3 Offensive Player of the Week – Jeff Beattie (Captain Stick Figures) – 1 Goal, 2 Assists – 3 Points

Coming in at our 3rd offensive spot has to be everyone’s favorite comeback kid and best WAG ground of any team by far, Jeff Beattie, Captain of the Stick Figures.

Jeff was initially slated to miss Week 6’s game due to battling the flu and feeling like death. But death would not deny the Captain of the Stick Figures.

Jeff was an animal out on the rink, and his team was highly seen as the underdogs going up against the 1st-place Marshfield Gators, who have had stingy defensive play all season long, tight and dependable goaltending, and solid offensive play all season.

None of these traits would suppress the Stick Figures, who after winning last week for their 1st match of the season, would claim their 2nd win, and Jeff had a ton to do with it.

Jeff started off assisting on the 1st goal of the Stick Figures with a slick setup to his linemate Shane McNamara, who potted home the 1st goal of the game.

In the early parts of the 2nd period, even though the Sticks had been dominating up to this point, Jeff didn’t risk taking his foot off the pedal and would once again set up his linemate Matt Holleran to increase the lead higher to 6-0.

Jeff would attack once more with a goal of his own, which was unassisted. He created his own chance with a shot from the slot to cement the game and score at 8-0.

With this win and the Joes losing their game, this inches the Stick Figures a little closer to that elusive 4th-place slot, which would get his team into a playoff position.

In his matchup coming up in Week 7, it’s against the struggling Smokey Joes, and if they pull it off, they will be within 1 point of 4th place… the drama escalates!

Damaging Defenders

#1 Defensive Player of the Week – Ryan Gurley (Spiders) – 1 Goal, 3 Assists – 4 Points

In a twist this week on the Spiders’ end, and after a disappointing game last week, Captain Matt Leary made a few lineup changes in Week 6, including switching forward Ryan Gurley over to defensive play for the week, and the move paid off well.

Gurley, in his new spot, was rock solid and earns the Number 1 defensive spot for the week based off his offensive output from the blue line.

At the very start of the game in the 1st period, Gurley set up forward Steven Swi in the slot, who snuck by a tricky slow-moving wrist shot which beat the goaltender and gave the Spiders the opening goal at 1-0.

Nearing the end of the 1st period, Gurley would once again be on the scoring end this time, as he was fed a perfect cross-crease pass from Jordan Cookson and tapped home an easy goal to increase the lead to 2-0.

At the 1-minute mark of the 2nd period, Gurley would get another point with an assist, as he fired home a shot from the point, with linemate Aiden Lovett chasing it down to score the goal and increase the lead 3-0.

The Mustangs would score 2 more to narrow the gap, but the bleeding would be stopped by Aiden Lovett off a nice leading pass from Gurley again, stretching the lead to 4-2.

Gurley was also responsible for playing solid in front of his goaltender, limiting the opposition from getting in front and screening his goalie. He cleaned up multiple rebounds out front and broke up multiple developing plays in his defensive zone.

All in all, a great game for the defenseman, and he could have possibly found a new role on the Spiders. Time will tell.

#2 Defensive Player of the Week – Matt “Tomahawk” Hocking (Stick Figures) – 3 Goals, 0 Assists – 3 Points

Matt “Tomahawk” Hocking takes our Number 2 Defensive Player of the Week slot in part due to the scoring prowess he provided to his new team.

Matt scored his 1st goal last week off a wonky bounce off the back cage, but this time he showed he can score goals with the best of them, and no bounces or luck were needed!

In the beginning stages of the 1st period, Matt would score his 1st goal to extend the lead 2-0, and it was unassisted, so he managed to manufacture and produce his own scoring chances with no help at all!

His next goal would come toward the later stages of the 1st period and was set up and assisted by his linemate Matt Stout, and Hocking would slam another one home past one of the hottest goaltenders in the league this year for his 2nd of the game!

In the later part of the 2nd period, while the Stick Figures were on a power play, again, Tomahawk Hocking would blast home his 3rd goal of the game and register a power-play goal and a classic Matt-trick (3 goals or more) for the defenseman!

A much-needed high offensive game from the young defenseman.

Later after the game, Matt was asked about his success in this match, to which he said, “Well, once I knew Nick Buckley of the Moths got 2 goals, I could not let him outperform me, so I needed to score at least 3. Had to be done.”

Nothing wrong with a little defensive rivalry between two great players!

Overall, a great game and helped contribute to a much-needed win!

#3 Defensive Player of the Week – Nick “Buck” Buckley (Mothmen) – 2 Goals, 0 Assists – 2 Points

Coming in at the Number 3 location would be the man just mentioned by Hocking, Nick Buckley aka “Buck.”

After dealing with the adversity of multiple trades this season, one could easily be slowed down from that uncertainty. It can be stressful and could easily cause a player to struggle or go cold. However, this hasn’t been the case so far with Buck.

Known for his grit, fight, and determination, Buck is always one of the most difficult defenders to deal with in the SSBHL.

With a combination of speed, defensive IQ, and being equipped with a powerful shot from the point, he is always a threat on the rink.

In Week 6, Buck was great, starting off the game by blocking multiple shots, limiting any good looks for the Gators, and being a pest all game long!

In the 2nd period, Buck would get on the scoreboard with a shot from the point getting past the goaltender and increasing the Moths’ lead, 3-1.

Again, at the start of the 3rd period, Buck would blast home one more off an assist from his Captain and extend the lead further to 4-1.

Buck ended the day with a nice 2 goals, tons of blocked shots, broken-up plays, and overall just being well-positioned and poised to strike all game long.

Buck will need another solid performance next week to keep his team’s chances alive for a playoff spot!

Top Tier Tending

#1 Goalie of the Week – Brad “The Flow” Wall (Stick Figures)

In one of the best 3-game stretches I’ve personally seen from a goaltender, Brad Wall is making a case as one of the best comeback stories so far this season!

For the 2nd week in a row, Brad claims the top goaltending spot, and how he took it is something to behold!

Having to outplay 2 great save percentages of a .956 and a .938 would normally be impossible… however, when you let in NO GOALS and claim a 37-shot shutout, that would do it!

Brad’s last 3 games percentage-wise are nothing short of impressive! A .914, .941, and now the golden 1.000. His average over the last 3 games becomes a staggering save percentage of .949, having faced 117 shots and saving 111 with 204 minutes played.

His GAA is also absolutely nuts at a 1.76. BELOW 2!

Brad’s recent gameplay has been insane, and to say he’s hot right now is an understatement with his current numbers.

Brad has been a difference-maker since being traded to his new team, the Stick Figures. Brad, in combination with the added defensive players in front of him, has made the team a legitimate contender, and they are now not to be taken lightly.

#2 Goalie of the Week – Igor “Iggy” Burdetskiy (Flex Goalie Mothmen)

For the 2nd week in a row, the Mothmen were in need of a goaltender to fill in for the absence of Jake, and once again, Tim called up Igor’s agent and signed another 1-game deal contract to get him in for the matchup against the Smokey Joes.

Iggy was stellar once again between the pipes. However, he had a large hand of help from his defensive players as well, having limited the potent Joes offense to only a meager 23 shots allowed, and Iggy would stop 22 of them, locking in a solid .956 save percentage and a GAA of only 1.0.

This was a big game for the Moths, as they desperately needed to get into the win section of the standings in order to possibly have a chance to get into playoff contention, and Iggy helped out in a big way to secure the 2 points in this matchup against the Joes, stopping Captain Matt Swan from getting into the scoring category at all, never an easy task.

Overall, a great game for the flex goalie for the 2nd week in a row!

#3 Goalie of the Week – Dan “DH” Harding (Spiders)

Having faced a bombardment of shots on net, I believe the most this season recorded by a single team, Harding had to be solid in a pivotal matchup against the Mustangs.

The Spiders, after dropping last week’s game against the Stick Figures, dropped down to 4th place with a single loss last week. However, they would not be taking the loss in Week 6, in part due to the goaltending of Harding.

Harding faced 65 shots and managed to stop 61 of them, hanging on for dear life with a save percentage of .938 and a GAA of 4.0.

His team was able to outscore the Mustangs with 7 goals total, securing the win in a big battle.

The offensive talent of the Mustangs was on full display, firing shot after shot on Harding, who needed to stay sharp from start to finish.

The combo of J-Mac, B-Mack, Bronson, and Thomas as forwards can score in droves, and having Ty and G as solid offensive defensemen gives the Mustangs one of the highest-scoring teams this season. Limiting them to 4 goals is no simple task.

All in all, a massive game for the goalie in this tilt, who wanted this one bad and will look to keep the momentum going into Week 7.

With the win as well, the Spiders moved back into 1st place.

Standings so far…

1st Place – Spiders: 4-2-0 / Points 8 / GF 38 / GA 24 / GD +14
2nd Place – Mustangs: 4-2-0 / Points 8 / GF 30 / GA 29 / GD +1
3rd Place – Marshfield Gators: 4-2-0 / Points 8 / GF 25 / GA 28 / GD -3
4th Place – Smokey Joes: 3-2-1 / Points 7 / GF 27 / GA 31 / GD -4
5th Place – Stick Figures: 2-4-0 / Points 4 / GF 28 / GA 30 / GD -2
6th Place – Mothmen: 1-4-1 / Points 3 / GF 26 / GA 32 / GD -6

Upcoming Games…

(5/10/26) 9:00AM – Stick Figures @ Smokey Joes [BIG GAME] (Key Matchup: Brad Wall vs Paul Mendonca)

(5/10/26) 10:30AM – Marshfield Gators @ Mustangs (Key Matchup: Pat Sullivan vs B-Mack)

(5/10/26) 12:00PM – Mothmen @ Spiders (Key Matchup: Tim Shyshpar vs Jordan Cookson)

Some big games coming up this Sunday, including the anticipated matchup of the Stick Figures taking on the Smokey Joes.

The Joes, having dropped their last 3 games in a row, are in need of a win to stabilize the squad and keep themselves in a playoff spot… meanwhile, the Stick Figures are trying to push the Joes out and take the 4th-place slot away from them.

This game, if it goes in favor of the Sticks, will bring them within 1 point of the Joes with still 3 weeks left.

Or, if the Joes can get it done and snap the losing streak, they will pull away further and be 5 points ahead, making it a very difficult chance for the Sticks to pull off the upset.

Should be a great match to watch!

-Dan H