(submitted photo/Broad Leaf Media)

By Mat Barrett

Melfort Mustangs

Mustangs duo highlight SJHL yearly award winners

Feb 27, 2019 | 2:13 PM

As the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) regular season inches closer to its end, the league has announced their yearly award winners.

Two Melfort Mustangs have taken home some hardware this year as Justin Ball and Carson Albrecht have both been honoured.

Ball has been named the league’s Most Valuable Player as he sits first in league scoring with 102 points in 55 games played and only three remaining. He leads the league in goals with 53, and his season also included a 33 game point streak early in the year. Balls numbers are already out of this world, but some other stats make them even more miraculous. Balls 53 goals are tied for the third most in one season by a Mustang, and he is just the third player since the year 2000 to hit 50 goals. The 20-year-old also has an 18 point cushion on the SJHL scoring race.

Albrecht is second in league scoring with 87 points in 53 games played. His 54 assists sit him in second in the SJHL and his 33 goals have him in fourth. Recently, Albrecht has really heated up, leading him to shoot up the SJHL scoring leaderboard. In his last six contests, Albrecht has six goals, and 10 assists. The Mustang Captain has also had a great season off the ice, being named the Mustangs representative for the SJHL’s RBC Community Ambassador Team. The Martensville native also committed to the University of North Dakota in the NCAA to play for the Fighting Hawks next season.

FSIN

Chief Bobby Cameron re-elected for fourth term as FSIN Chief

Oct 31, 2024

Economy

Economy stalled in August, Q3 growth looks to fall short of Bank of Canada estimates

Oct 31, 2024

Take a break

Hawks hope hiatus helps to turn season around

Oct 30, 2024

Melfort’s dynamic duo has led the team to a tie atop the Sherwood Division and the SJHL with just three games left, and much to be decided in playoff position. The Mustangs take on the team they are tied with, the Nipawin Hawks, in a weekend home and home on March 1 and 2.

Other award winners in the SJHL included former Tisdale Trojan, and current Kindersley Klipper Justen Close, who won his second straight goalie of the year award. He was joined by his bench boss Clayton Jardine who was named Coach of the Year. Rounding out the awards were Cody Spagrud of the Battlefords North Stars who won Defenceman of the Year, and Melville Millionaires forward Luke Spadafora winning Rookie of the Year.

–

mat.barrett@jpbg.ca