Hello and good afternoon SSBHL Community!
Good morning SSBHL Community!

Sadly, once again, last week was a wash as Mother Nature really doesn’t want that last game on the schedule played! Both weeks we came up to the final matchup, and both times it rained them out. Joes vs. Mustangs, Sticks vs. Moths, and Spiders vs. Gators seem to be cursed matchups that the hockey gods don’t want to happen. Hate to rain on their parade, but it’s happening!

This coming week is now a doubleheader as a result of the rain delays! It’s going to be a long day, so best get some good sleep, eat well, stretch out, and buckle in! Games will be slightly shorter to accommodate fitting 6 games into one day.

Each period will be 12 minutes long, with the clock stopping in the last minute of the 1st and 2nd periods. In the 3rd period, the clock will stop in the final 2 minutes of the game.

Your teams will play back-to-back, so here is how it lines up now:

Joes and Mustangs will play starting at 8:30 AM for the 1st game and 9:25 AM for the 2nd game.

Sticks and Moths start at 10:20 AM for the 1st game, and the 2nd game is at 11:15 AM.

Then Spiders and Gators will start at 12:10 PM for the 1st game, and the 2nd game will start at 1:05 PM.

I am aware this isn’t ideal, but in the best effort to maintain the playoff schedule, this is sadly what must happen. It can’t be helped, and it is what it is.

With that said, I never got to Week 8’s Top Performers write-ups. I kind of had a feeling we were going to get rained out, so I dragged my feet. But better late than never!

Let’s jump into Week 8’s best players of the week.

All-Star Point Production

#1 Offensive Player of the Week – Shane McNamara (Stick Figures) [3 Goals / 1 Assist / 4 Points]

We have a first-time top performer this week, and not only is he in the Top 3, but he lands at our #1 offensive player of Week 8.

Shane McNamara of the Stick Figures was putting on a goal-scoring clinic and put together a devastating hat trick against the depleted Mustangs squad.

Shane’s 1st goal would come in the 2nd period toward the middle of the frame when he got a partial breakaway on the left-hand side of the dot. He brought it in on his backhand, switched to his forehand, and at the dot threw the ball toward the net and beat the goalie five-hole to reclaim the lead at 2-1.

Later in the 2nd, as the period was winding down, Matt Holleran would battle for the ball in the middle of the rink. Shane, seeing the open space, moved into a good position for Matt to feed him the ball. Shane, with a clean break on the net, patiently waited for the goalie to open up and once again slotted it home five-hole for his 2nd goal of the game!

Later in the 3rd period, Shane would pick up an assist and return the favor to linemate Matt Holleran with a slick feed into the slot, and Holleran completed the goal to earn Shane the helper.

To finish off his day, Shane would score once more off an assist from defensive linemate Dan Gately, who brought the ball into Gretzky’s Office and fed Shane a point-blank pass in front of the net. Shane didn’t make a mistake and buried it to complete the hat trick and conclude his fantastic performance.

Shane ended the day with 3 goals and 1 assist for 4 total points, resulting in his best game of the season! Great work, Shane! Keep up the scoring!

#2 Offensive Player of the Week – Matt Holleran (Stick Figures) [2 Goals / 2 Assists / 4 Points]

Speaking of the Stick Figures, our 2nd-place offensive player this week is none other than Stick Figures Assistant Captain Matt Holleran.

Matt was also a pivotal part in the destruction of the Mustangs in Week 8’s game.

Matt started off his day in the 2nd period with his forward linemate Shane. While drawing defenders toward himself, he simultaneously pulled them away from Shane. The moment the opening appeared, Holleran fed him a perfect pass that Shane completed for a goal, earning Matt the assist.

His next point would come in the 3rd period to help extend the lead, with a very blue-collar grinding goal in front of the net off his backhand. The ball popped into the air and somehow found its way past the goalie for his 1st goal of the day.

His next goal was pure skill and patience. After receiving a pass from Shane, Holleran shot it into one of the defender’s feet. Matt would follow it up, grab the loose ball, and get a breakaway, tricking the goalie into committing to the right side, only for Matt to switch to his backhand and tuck it home on the left side. What a beauty!

His last point of the day came off a great assist. He brought the ball behind the net, and his captain and defensive linemate Jeff found space right in the slot for an easy goal.

Overall, Matt ended the day with 2 goals and 2 assists, totaling 4 points. A great match and also his best game of the season as well! Excellent job!

#3 Offensive Player of the Week – Ryan Gurley (Spiders) [1 Goal / 3 Assists / 4 Points]

Our final offensive player slot goes to Spiders forward Ryan Gurley, who has had a stellar season all year long.

Gurley was an assist machine in Week 8, creating unique offensive opportunities for his teammates all game long.

Starting off on the very first goal for the Spiders, Gurley received a great pass from Aiden Lovett. Gurley then drew the defender away from the slot, and Ryan Jennette noticed the open space. In the very same second, Gurley fed him a perfect pass right onto the stick of Jennette, who buried the first goal.

Only a few minutes later, Gurley again dragged a defender toward himself and slipped a pass into open space in the slot for linemate Brian McDermott, who slapped at the ball in the slot. Although the goalie got a piece of it, it wasn’t enough, and it went in for Brian’s first goal of his SSBHL career, adding another assist to Gurley’s day.

Early in the 3rd period, Gurley once again worked some playmaking magic. With elite flex defenseman Tito covering him, Gurley drew him in, beat him into the corner, and at the same time saw Lovett streaking into the slot. Gurley fed him a pass that Lovett put top shelf into the goalie’s water bottle for his 3rd assist of the day.

Gurley would wrap things up off an assist from Steve Swi. From his own defensive end, Gurley launched a wild shot down the rink that curved considerably, fooled the goalie, and slipped in five-hole for his 1st goal of the day.

Gurley ended the day with 1 goal and 3 assists, closing out the day with 4 points. Overall, a fantastic game for Gurley on the playmaking front!

Draining Defenders

#1 Defensive Player of the Week – Ryan Jennette (Spiders) [1 Goal / 1 Assist]

This week, our best defensive player is Ryan Jennette of the Spiders, who was a force from start to finish.

Jennette was a wall of frustration and aggravation to the Smokey Joes, especially Captain Matt Swan. Multiple times throughout the match, Swan would try getting around Jennette or throwing the ball through his feet with no success.

Not only that, but Jennette also opened the scoring with the Spiders’ first goal of the game off a slick feed from Ryan Gurley.

All game long, Jennette was blocking shots with his feet, constantly breaking up odd-man rushes, and injecting himself into the offensive play by jumping down and performing perfect rotations with his linemates for smooth transition play.

His defensive IQ was also on full display, as every time danger began forming in the defensive zone, Jennette was right on top of it to disrupt the play.

Ryan would also earn a nice assist on a dump-out from behind his own net. The Joes defenseman could not gain clean possession, and Aiden Lovett jumped on it and fired home a wrist shot that beat the goalie clean.

Overall, Ryan Jennette ended the day with 1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points, while also logging multiple blocked shots, defensive breakups, and strong offensive-zone possession time!

#2 Defensive Player of the Week – Jeff Beattie (Stick Figures Captain) [2 Goals / 0 Assists / 2 Points]

The Sticks continue to stay in the playoff race due in part to the position changes and production of players like Jeff!

Jeff started the season as a forward, but his recent move to defense has really paid off. His production has seemingly increased in the points category as well.

Not only do his speed and athleticism contribute greatly to the team’s defensive game, but he is also a scoring threat from the blue line and has the stamina to sprint back into his own zone and break up opportunities.

This has been key in the recent success of the Stick Figures.

Jeff started out the game with the first goal of the game off a low, quick shot from the point that beat the goalie five-hole to give them the early lead.

Much later in the 3rd period, even though the game was relatively safe, Jeff would strike again. He sprinted in front of the net, with linemate Holleran spotting him and feeding him a perfect pass. Jeff would pot home the goal to extend the lead to 7-2.

Jeff was also incredible in his own zone, applying constant pressure and maintaining a strong presence on the rink. Nobody had any room to breathe in his defensive zone while he was out there.

With his agility, speed, defensive IQ, and ability to jump into the offense, he’s quickly becoming one of the best defenders in the league and will look to keep the pace going into Week 10’s doubleheader.

#3 Defensive Player of the Week – Stephen Ritz (Gators) [1 Goal / 1 Assist / 2 Points]

In Week 8, we saw a defensive clinic put on by the entire Marshfield Gators squad.

Between Captain Josh Charmatz, Brendan O’Brien, and Connolly occasionally rotating back from forward, the whole team was dialed in and limited shots across the board.

One player on the blue line who really stood out was Stephen Ritz, who has been a backbone player for the Marshfield Gators all season long.

Ritz, who has also missed no games this season, has been the definition of dependable and reliable, with solid defensive play, positioning, and the added benefit of occasional point production from the blue line.

Against the Moths in Week 8, Ritz helped extend the lead in the 2nd period with a fantastic snipe from the slot. After receiving a slick pass from Matt Avenia, Ritz stepped into the shot and buried the wrister.

On the final goal of the game, Ritz spotted a streaking Matt Connolly breaking free up top and fed him a terrific lead pass. Connolly carried it into the offensive zone and ripped a blocker-side snipe.

Ritz ended the day with 1 goal and 1 assist, giving him a nice 2-point game.

The Gators’ success this season is due in large part to players like Ritz stepping up and locking things down on the blue line. He’s going to be relied upon heavily in this week’s doubleheader against the first-place Spiders.

Overall, great work!

Grand Goaltending

#1 Goalie of the Week – Nick Bonofiglio (Gators) [GAA 1 / SA 33 / SV 32 / Save % .970]

Back in our Number 1 Goalie spot this week is the dependable Marshfield Gators netminder, Big Nick Bono!

Nick was once again fantastic in his matchup against the Mothmen and slammed the door shut, allowing only a single goal on 33 shots.

Nick was a wall the entire game. Any shot from the point, slot, or wings was calmly stopped and controlled by the composed goaltender.

Nick’s performance this season has been very strong. He has faced the most shots in the league at 331 and has stopped 289 of them, resulting in a very respectable .891 save percentage.

He has been the reason the Gators have won several games this season, and with perfect attendance, he has been reliable, dependable, and a goalie his team can lean on in difficult games.

Nick ended Week 8 with an insane .970 save percentage, the best of the week.

Nick is going to be tested hard tomorrow in his matchup against the Spiders. With players like Aiden and Gurley charging the net, it should be a great matchup to watch.

#2 Goalie of the Week – Dan Harding (Spiders) [GAA 2 / SA 49 / SV 47 / Save % .959]

Coming in at the 2nd-place slot this week is Spiders goaltender Dan “DH” Harding, who was stellar against the always-dangerous Smokey Joes, the same team that thwarted his squad in last season’s playoffs.

Harding came into the game looking sharp from the opening whistle. After facing a barrage of shots early, he stood strong and weathered the storm.

That is, until later in the 1st period when he surrendered a strange low-side goal.

Throughout the season, Harding has looked solid and has faced the 2nd-highest shot total in the league at 318. He has stopped 289 of them while allowing only 29 goals all season.

That gives him a sparkling .909 save percentage and a GAA of roughly 3.63.

He has been an engine of consistency for the Spiders when needed and has shown he is locked in this season with his eyes firmly on the prize that escaped him last year.

In Week 8 specifically, Harding faced a massive 49 shots and stopped all but 2, finishing with an excellent .959 save percentage and a GAA of 2.0.

All in all, a great game and a strong performance against a very dangerous offensive team.

#3 Goalie of the Week – Brad Wall (Stick Figures) [GAA 2 / SA 36 / SV 34 / Save % .944]

It feels like almost every write-up since Week 4 has included Brad Wall somewhere in the Top 3 performers.

He has been nothing short of incredible since his trade. The numbers do not lie.

Brad has been on a revenge tour and has been putting together outstanding performances week after week.

This season, Brad has logged more minutes than any other goalie. He has faced 273 shots and stopped 245 of them, giving him the best save percentage of his career so far at .897, just a hair away from .900.

Brad also owns the best GAA in the league at 3.47.

Against his former team, the Mustangs, Brad got a little revenge of his own by stopping 34 of the 36 shots he faced and maintaining a stingy 2.00 GAA as his team cruised to victory.

Brad has had a storybook season since the trade and would love nothing more than to break the hearts of the Smokey Joes by helping his team sneak into that elusive 4th-place playoff spot.

This week’s doubleheader will require two wins if the Stick Figures want a realistic shot at making it happen, and with Brad backing them between the pipes, they certainly have a chance.

Standings so far…

1st Place – Spiders: 6-2-0 / Points 12 / GF 49 / GA 30 / GD +19 (1st Seed)
2nd Place – Gators: 5-3-0 / Points 10 / GF 36 / GA 36 / GD 0 (2nd Seed)
3rd Place – Mustangs: 5-3-0 / Points 10 / GF 39 / GA 41 / GD -2 (3rd Seed)
4th Place – Smokey Joes: 4-3-1 / Points 9 / GF 35 / GA 42 / GD -7 (4th Seed)
5th Place – Stick Figures: 3-4-1 / Points 7 / GF 41 / GA 38 / GD +3 (2 Points Behind 4th)
6th Place – Mothmen: 1-6-1 / Points 3 / GF 31 / GA 44 / GD -13 (Eliminated)

Upcoming Doubleheader Games…

(5/31/26) 8:30 AM – Smokey Joes at Mustangs
(5/31/26) 9:25 AM – Mustangs at Smokey Joes
(5/31/26) 10:20 AM – Stick Figures at Mothmen
(5/31/26) 11:15 AM – Mothmen at Stick Figures
(5/31/26) 12:10 PM – Spiders at Gators
(5/31/26) 1:05 PM – Gators at Spiders

Make sure you are all well rested, energized, and I would not party too hard the night before!

Should be a fun way to end the season, and I’m looking forward to the playoffs!

Thank you all!

Dan H