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Wolves and Mavericks in Fight for Playoff Spot
2016-06-17
The New Brunswick Mavericks and Sackville Sportwheels Wolves are making a statement in 2016, but only one will see the reward for their hard work in a playoff spot. Who will squeeze in? READ MORE for more details.
Colin Beiswanger
It’s been a season of change in the ECJLL. Gone are the tiers that defined the league the past few seasons, and with it is a renewed sense of competition in the middle of the standings.
The Sackville Sportwheels Wolves, coming off two strong drafts in which they added significant playmakers on the offensive side of the ball, stunned the league two weeks ago with a convincing win over the Halifax Northwest Marley Lions 10-4. The hometown advantage played well for the Wolves, as they killed Northwest on fast break points.
While the Lions shut down 2016 first overall pick Michael Anthony, the rest of the offence picked up where he left off. A balanced attack outscored the Lions 4-1 in the third period. The Lions had trouble finding their groove offensively, and took horrible penalties down the stretch. This win was huge for the Wolves confidence, who had not beaten the Marley Lions since a 2014 playoff game. The last Regular Season victory over the Lions would have been in 2011.
The NB Mavericks are no slouch either, with a 4-5-2 record they currently sit in fourth place – the final playoff spot no less. The Mavericks have wins over the Southwest Hurricanes and the Wolves, and two hard-fought ties with the Halifax Northwest Marley Lions. If not for two last second goals by the Lions Chris Walker in each of those games, the Mavericks would have two additional wins under their belt and be sitting in the Top 3 in the standings.
What has changed in 2016? A youth movement for both teams not seen in a long time. Andrew Nielson, currently sitting first in the ECJLL Scoring race, has come out of nowhere to score 50 points (26G 24A) in only eight games played. I’m unsure if we have ever had a rookie win the scoring title in the ECJLL.
A supporting cast for Neilson is also getting it done. Alex Miller and Jack Boyle also rank in the Top 10 in ECJLL scoring with 26 pts (16G 10A) and 25pts (12G 13A) respectively. Their defence is led by Captain Nic Thompson and Nick Buck, and backstopped by arguable the ECJLL’s best goaltender so far this season in Keegan Delaney.
And for the Wolves, depth can also be accredited with the rejuvenation of their program. Connor Aquanno, the 2015 first overall pick in the ECJLL draft, now has a supporting cast that includes rookies through the ECJLL draft Michael Anthony and Mitchell Broussard who have combined for almost 30% of the team’s goals this year. With solid depth on the right side in rookie Ben McKay this team has seen significant improvement this year. The team has welcomed Zac Carrigan with open arms after playing for Linsly in West Virginia. Zac had four goals in his debut against the Southwest Hurricanes, and will feature prominently on the left side with Aquanno and Liam Reid.
ECJLL veterans Ryan Arsenault and goalie Dan Hubley have been leading the team on the floor, and a young group of coaches has been generating optimism in the team for quite some time. Jay Titchmarsh and Kyle Peace have put their stamp on the team this season, and along with Assistant Cody Marche have put their team in a position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014 by default as only four teams were in the league at that point.
With four points separating the Wolves from the Mavericks, it will be a tough road for the Wolves. Next Saturday's game between these two teams in Sackville will be a definining moment of this season for one team, and a nail in the coffin for the other. If the Mavericks can steal two points, it may all but put the Wolves out of contention. However, two games against rival Mi’kmaq Warriors still await the Wolves down the stretch. Expect a race to the finish for both teams, who expect to be in the playoffs this year. For the loser of this battle, there is still reason for optimism. They both arguably have the two best groups of young players in the ECJLL and will look to unseat the established tier of Lions, Hurricanes, and Bandits come 2017.
It’s been a season of change in the ECJLL. Gone are the tiers that defined the league the past few seasons, and with it is a renewed sense of competition in the middle of the standings.
The Sackville Sportwheels Wolves, coming off two strong drafts in which they added significant playmakers on the offensive side of the ball, stunned the league two weeks ago with a convincing win over the Halifax Northwest Marley Lions 10-4. The hometown advantage played well for the Wolves, as they killed Northwest on fast break points.
While the Lions shut down 2016 first overall pick Michael Anthony, the rest of the offence picked up where he left off. A balanced attack outscored the Lions 4-1 in the third period. The Lions had trouble finding their groove offensively, and took horrible penalties down the stretch. This win was huge for the Wolves confidence, who had not beaten the Marley Lions since a 2014 playoff game. The last Regular Season victory over the Lions would have been in 2011.
The NB Mavericks are no slouch either, with a 4-5-2 record they currently sit in fourth place – the final playoff spot no less. The Mavericks have wins over the Southwest Hurricanes and the Wolves, and two hard-fought ties with the Halifax Northwest Marley Lions. If not for two last second goals by the Lions Chris Walker in each of those games, the Mavericks would have two additional wins under their belt and be sitting in the Top 3 in the standings.
What has changed in 2016? A youth movement for both teams not seen in a long time. Andrew Nielson, currently sitting first in the ECJLL Scoring race, has come out of nowhere to score 50 points (26G 24A) in only eight games played. I’m unsure if we have ever had a rookie win the scoring title in the ECJLL.
A supporting cast for Neilson is also getting it done. Alex Miller and Jack Boyle also rank in the Top 10 in ECJLL scoring with 26 pts (16G 10A) and 25pts (12G 13A) respectively. Their defence is led by Captain Nic Thompson and Nick Buck, and backstopped by arguable the ECJLL’s best goaltender so far this season in Keegan Delaney.
And for the Wolves, depth can also be accredited with the rejuvenation of their program. Connor Aquanno, the 2015 first overall pick in the ECJLL draft, now has a supporting cast that includes rookies through the ECJLL draft Michael Anthony and Mitchell Broussard who have combined for almost 30% of the team’s goals this year. With solid depth on the right side in rookie Ben McKay this team has seen significant improvement this year. The team has welcomed Zac Carrigan with open arms after playing for Linsly in West Virginia. Zac had four goals in his debut against the Southwest Hurricanes, and will feature prominently on the left side with Aquanno and Liam Reid.
ECJLL veterans Ryan Arsenault and goalie Dan Hubley have been leading the team on the floor, and a young group of coaches has been generating optimism in the team for quite some time. Jay Titchmarsh and Kyle Peace have put their stamp on the team this season, and along with Assistant Cody Marche have put their team in a position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014 by default as only four teams were in the league at that point.
With four points separating the Wolves from the Mavericks, it will be a tough road for the Wolves. Next Saturday's game between these two teams in Sackville will be a definining moment of this season for one team, and a nail in the coffin for the other. If the Mavericks can steal two points, it may all but put the Wolves out of contention. However, two games against rival Mi’kmaq Warriors still await the Wolves down the stretch. Expect a race to the finish for both teams, who expect to be in the playoffs this year. For the loser of this battle, there is still reason for optimism. They both arguably have the two best groups of young players in the ECJLL and will look to unseat the established tier of Lions, Hurricanes, and Bandits come 2017.