Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that rookie Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending March 5 after posting a 2-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 0.50 and save percentage of .985.
Villalta earns the award for the second time this season turning aside 64 shots in a pair of road victories for the CHL’s fifth ranked Greyhounds who continue to hold first place in the OHL’s West Division with a 43-15-3-1 record. On Friday night he earned first star honours posting his first career shutout, a 37-save performance, as part of a 6-0 win over the Guelph Storm, then finished the week Sunday making 27 saves and earning second star honours in a 2-1 triumph over the Kitchener Rangers.
A 17-year-old from Kingston, ON, Villalta committed to the Greyhounds prior to the 2016-17 campaign after competing last season as a member of the Greater Kingston AAA Midget Hockey Club last season. He currently carries a 22-2-0-0 record powered by 16-straight wins earlier this season and holds the league’s fifth best goals-against-average with a mark of 2.51 along with a solid save percentage of .913.
Also considered for the award this week was Matthew Welsh of the Charlottetown Islanders who earned a pair of first star honours with a 2-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory making 60 saves for a goals-against-average of 0.50 and save percentage of .984. In the WHL, Michael Herringer of the Kelowna Rockets who posted a 3-0-0-0 record making 74 saves for a goals-against-average of 1.10 and save percentage of .961.
2016-17 Vaughn CHL Goaltenders of the Week:
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5: Matthew Villalta (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Feb. 20 – Feb. 26: Zach Sawchenko (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Zach Sawchenko (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Feb. 6 – Feb. 12: Brodan Salmond (Kelowna Rockets)
Jan. 30 – Feb. 5: Stuart Skinner (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
Jan. 23 – Jan. 29: Jeremy Helvig (Kingston Frontenacs)
Jan. 16 – Jan. 22: Matthew Welsh (Charlottetown Islanders)
Jan. 9 – Jan. 15: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Francis Leclerc (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Griffen Outhouse (Victoria Royals)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Dylan Wells (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Connor Ingram (Kamloops Blazers)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Matthew Villalta (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Patrick Dea (Edmonton Oil Kings)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Zach Sawchenko (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Troy Timpano (Erie Otters)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Reilly Pickard (Acadie-Bathurst Titan)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Ryan Kubic (Vancouver Giants)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Logan Flodell (Saskatoon Blades)
Sept. 26 – Oct. 2: Samuel Harvey (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 25: Liam Herbst (Guelph Storm)
OHL Writers 