The Central Hockey League handed out their weekly ‘Player of the Week’ and ‘Goaltender of the Week’ awards today, and both awards went to players on Texas-based CHL teams.
Rio Grande Valley’s Grant Goeckner-Zoeller won the Player of the Week honor, while Allen’s Chris Whitley picked up the ‘Goaltender of the Week’. Goeckner-Zoeller averaged two points per game in his performances last week, while Whitley won two games, allowing just two goals on 78 shots, and earning a shutout. Here is the league’s press release:
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(Tempe, Arizona) – The Central Hockey League announced today that the recipients for the Oakley CHL Player and Goaltender of the Week for the period ending November 22nd, 2009 are forward Grant Goeckner-Zoeller of the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees and goaltender Chris Whitley of the Allen Americans.
Goeckner-Zoeller had a productive week netting a game-winning shootout goal, in the Killer Bees’ win versus Odessa and two power play points in their win against Texas. Goeckner-Zoeller took the last shot of the shootout for Rio Grande Valley to seal the victory on Saturday November 21st. The 26-year-old Los Angeles, CA native ended the week with six points (3-3=6) and a +1 plus/minus rating. Goeckner-Zoeller had a hand in more than half of the Killer Bees’ goals this week to help Rio Grande Valley finish the week 2-1-0.
Whitley wins this week’s award after allowing just two goals in 120 minutes played. The wins jumped the Americans into second place in the Southern Conference with a 10-3-1 record on the season. The Oshawa, Ontario native stopped 76 of 78 shots to make for an outstanding save percentage of .974 on the week, including a shutout win where he stopped 33 shots against Corpus Christi on November 21st.
In recognition of their achievements both Goeckner-Zoeller and Whitley will receive a special gift from Oakley.
Oakley CHL Player of the Week
Grant Goeckner-Zoeller, Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
Position: F
(Weekly Totals)
Games Played: 3
Goals: 3
Assists: 3
Points: 6
Plus/Minus: +1
Oakley CHL Goaltender of the Week
Chris Whitley, Allen Americans
Position: G
(Weekly Totals)
Games Played: 2
Record: 2-0-0
GAA: 1.00
Save %: 0.974
Saves: 76 of 78
