It's been way too long since I did a blog post, given my new responsibilities for other websites, but the midseason awards seemed as a good a time as any to get back on the horse. We'll begin with the women, since their second half begins tomorrow with a matchup against fledgling program Merrimack.
It's been a bit of an up-and-down first half for Chris Wells squad, who finished 2015 at 9-9-1, and 4-4-0 in ECAC play. That puts them in the familiar position of fifth in the ECAC.
It was really the beginning of the season that put SLU in a bit of a hole, given that they started 0-5-1. However, these games came against some of the top teams in the country, Northeastern, Boston College and Clarkson. So, given that they ended by getting swept, their .500 record is nothing to turn your nose at.
Neither is the production of the Saints top scorers. Kennedy Marchment is on pace to obliterate her stats from last year, with 18 points in 19 games so far. Amanda Boulier ranks second on the team with 15 points, and Brooke Webster has overcome a sluggish start, posting 13 points through the first half.
The instability in the Saints play has been in goal. It's hard to fault any of the goalies who have played for not matching Carmen MacDonald's level, especially when the two netminders who have played the majority of the games brought just 11 games of experience, all Brooke Wolejko's, and not all starts.
It seems like Wells has settled on first year Sonja Shelly as his starter, as she has started more than Wolejko and Grace Harrison combined, though don't expect her to own a monopoly on the crease for SLU.
The Saints get a bit of a break, starting the second half off against Merrimack. They should have no trouble with the first year program, and the game affords them the ability to get their legs back under them before heading to Brown and Yale, two important ECAC games.
It's been a bit of an up-and-down first half for Chris Wells squad, who finished 2015 at 9-9-1, and 4-4-0 in ECAC play. That puts them in the familiar position of fifth in the ECAC.
It was really the beginning of the season that put SLU in a bit of a hole, given that they started 0-5-1. However, these games came against some of the top teams in the country, Northeastern, Boston College and Clarkson. So, given that they ended by getting swept, their .500 record is nothing to turn your nose at.
Neither is the production of the Saints top scorers. Kennedy Marchment is on pace to obliterate her stats from last year, with 18 points in 19 games so far. Amanda Boulier ranks second on the team with 15 points, and Brooke Webster has overcome a sluggish start, posting 13 points through the first half.
The instability in the Saints play has been in goal. It's hard to fault any of the goalies who have played for not matching Carmen MacDonald's level, especially when the two netminders who have played the majority of the games brought just 11 games of experience, all Brooke Wolejko's, and not all starts.
It seems like Wells has settled on first year Sonja Shelly as his starter, as she has started more than Wolejko and Grace Harrison combined, though don't expect her to own a monopoly on the crease for SLU.
The Saints get a bit of a break, starting the second half off against Merrimack. They should have no trouble with the first year program, and the game affords them the ability to get their legs back under them before heading to Brown and Yale, two important ECAC games.
First Half Awards
Most Valuable Player: Kennedy Marchment
This was a relatively easy choice. 18 points in 19 games puts her on pace for her best season. She has a game winning goal, two power play goals and has been the engine that drives the Saints offense, along with Boulier. Her consistency gives her the edge over Boulier, who had 6 of her 15 points in a three game stretch.
If the Saints are to make a splash in the second half and edge their way up to the fourth position and gain home ice advantage in the first round of the ECAC tournament, Marchment's production will need to remain at a high level. There is no reason to expect it to drop either.
Top Rookie: Justine Reyes
Reyes has been a pleasant surprise for the Saints, who needed to replace considerable production that was lost to graduation. Her 11 points in 19 games has been most effective at aiding that as she has spent time on the second and third lines for the Saints while also getting power play time.
Her production should only increase in the second half as chemistry is established with consistent linemates, and she will be a fixture on the Saints offense for the rest of the season and in the future.
Unsung Hero: Kirsten Padalis
This is the second time Padalis has claimed this award. Padalis is in the top two in ice time for SLU defenders, sees time on the second power play unit and kills penalties on the top PK pair. In other words, there is no situation in which Padalis is not Well's go-to-defender.
She has six points on the year, on pace for roughly her career average. She's blocked 41 shots in 19 games, including five in a game on two separate occasions. Her importance to the Saints success in all three zones can't be underrated, even though she may not appear towards the top of the stats sheet in terms of goals and assists.
Five games to watch in the second half:
Obviously, every game is important, but these five present intriguing and important matchups for the Saints:
1/15 vs Harvard: The Crimson are one of the teams to beat in the ECAC, and if the Saints want to push their way into the top four, games like these need to end up as SLU wins.
1/16 vs Dartmouth: The afternoon after facing Harvard, SLU hosts Dartmouth in another crucial ECAC matchup against the team that currently occupies the last home ice spot. If SLU gets swept at home by Harvard and Dartmouth, that would deal a serious blow to their position in the standings. They must win at least one of these games.
1/22 at Colgate: The Raiders are the good surprise team in the ECAC this year, but have a lot of youth. SLU already lost to Colgate to close out 2015, and to be swept by a team competing for a home ice spot would be detrimental.
1/28-1/30 vs Clarkson: The Golden Knights swept the non-conference series between the two teams, but the Saints will need at least a split in the ECAC series. To take zero points in the ECAC and 4 losses in the PairWise would be a serious blow to SLU's home-ice/PairWise goals.
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