Benitez MJHL POW

(From www.manitobajuniorhockeyleague.com)

The Waywayseecappo Wolverines find themselves in a playoff spot thanks to the stellar goaltending of Ryan Benitez, who has been named this week’s MJHL Player of the Week.

The native of Denver put on a goaltending clinic last week, posting a spotless 3-0 record for the Wolverines, who sit fifth in the Sher-Wood Division with 24 wins and 54 points in 51 games. During his winning streak, Benitez turned aside 69 of 73 shots on net. One of his victories was a 2-0 shutout.

Currently, Wayway sits in a playoff spot due to the MJHL’s crossover format in the postseason. The Wolverines, who are 8-1-0-1 over their last 10 games, have more points than the fourth-place team in the Addison Division: Winnipeg Blues.

Benitez, 20, came to the Wolverines via Yarmouth Mariners of the Maritime Junior League on December 1. Since joining the MJHL he’s made a quick impression against opponents, building an 8-5 record in 13 starts. He sits second in the goaltending race with a goals against average of 2.31 and .911 save percentage.

The runners up for the MJHL Player of the Week were 18 year old goaltender Ryan Delorme of the OCN Blizzard and 20 year old forward Jake Rombach of the Winkler Flyers.