EIHL Three Stars: Game Week 2
Each game week of the Elite Ice Hockey League season our beat writers will be nominating players to be awarded our Three Stars from the weekend’s games. Here’s who got the award in week two.
Mike Wirll (Dundee Stars)
Four games into the season and the Dundee Stars top the Elite League thanks in no small part to the efforts of Mike Wirll.
The Canadian right wing forward is in his 3rd Elite League season having arrived at the Dundee Stars last year from the Braehead Clan. He made an immediate impact on Tayside averaging well over a point per game, and that scoring prowess has continued as Dundee already lead the way in this embryonic season.
With 2 of the league’s “big boys” arriving in northern Scotland, Nottingham and Sheffield were put to the sword by the current front-runners, Wirll finishing the weekend with 3 goals and 2 assists. With Belfast at the Odyssey on the horizon, Wirll will remain a key man in a strong Dundee side.
Mike Zacharias (Coventry Blaze)
With such a successful weekend for the Blaze, there are several potential stars of the week. With 11 goals scored, it would be obvious to look at the forwards. However confidence for the team came from the back and with a man of the match, shut-out securing performance in Belfast followed by 30 from 31 saves on Sunday at home, my vote is for netminder Mike Zacharias. In two completely different situations, Zacharias remained calm and resolute providing the rock from which team victories are built on. Blaze fans will be hoping for more of the same from their new number 1.
Andrew Lord (Cardiff Devils)
Cardiff Devils’ power forward Andrew Lord is quickly becoming a fans favourite with the Red Army faithful, as he aided his team to victory Sunday night on the road. Lord’s deadly forecheck, coupled with an eye for a goal, renders him dangerous in the offensive zone and a valuable asset to the Devils team.
Over the weekend, the Devils narrowly lost at home to the Braehead Clan on Saturday evening, to the final score of 3-4. Lord, who is 6’3” and 205 lbs, was a standout player on the Devils side, exerting considerable amounts of pressure on the Clan defence. The Canadian was rewarded for his perseverance, as he netted a powerplay goal in the second period.
On Sunday, with the Devils trailing 3 goals to the Hull Stingrays, Lord swung into action setting up a powerplay goal for Phil Hill. The right winger would go on to score twice during the match, including the game winner, to clinch a 4-3 victory for the Devils.
Andrew Lord currently sits third in the league for scoring, after netting a total of 4 goals and 4 assists in just 4 games, and will be vital to this devils squad if they are to battle for silverware this season.
