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| Tyler Parks (no. 1 goalie) |
When the Jr. Blues and Bandits face off Friday, Springfield enters the contest with an overall record of 9-13-1--and that's with allowing the third most goals in the MidWest division through the first twenty-three games in the 2011-2012 season.
The Blues are third in the division with allowing 82-goals--and ahead of them is only Chicago (113 goals allowed), and Coulee Region (88 goals allowed)--and as you can see, the teams that have problems with the goalie position, are struggling in the 'points' department in the standings.
The first half of the season ended with the Junior Blues using a trio of three goalies. The likes of both Tyler Parks and Connor Girard started ten games each while Caleb Neal started just four games.
Parks (4-4-1) and Girard (4-6-0) combined to be 8-10-1 in nineteen starts--and Neal went 1-3 in his four starts behind the net. The trio totaled numbers of twenty-three games behind the net--and went 9-13-1--which has the team in the fourth place spot in the MidWest with nineteen points. They currently have allowed eighty-two goals on 655-shots and own a .889 save percentage--which isn't too bad, but could be better--and as I stated, will need to be if this team is going to make a run.
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| Connor Girard (no. 2 goalie) |
With the talented core that head coach Joe Dibble is in charge of, the goalies MUST step it up the last couple of months and put up some big-time numbers from who ever is behind the net. Instead of the games that the team allows four or five goals, they have got to turn them into one-to-two goal games, maybe even one when it's needed (which honestly shouldn't be much from this offense).
Parks, who will be turning just 20 in May of 2012, looks to be the leader of the three--so alot of weight will be on his shoulders. He leads the three in minutes behind the net with 561 minutes--and also leads the three with a .916 save percentage (26 goals allowed, 282 saves).
So while the team didn't get off to the best start--this team can rally around the struggles and turn it into something special. Any team that has kids fighting for pride, the city, and for higher prospects' of a sport, anything unthinkable is possible.
Tyler Parks. Connor Girard. Caleb Neal. The team has the talent--as well as you three youngsters behind the net--and while everyone in Springfield is watching, it's your guys' turn to shine with the lights on bright!
- Tyler Parks (10 GM. 561 minutes. 4-4-1. 26 GA. 2.78 GAA. 282 SV. .916 SV%)
- Connor Girard (10 GM. 581 minutes. 4-6-0. 1 SO. 34 GA. 3.51 GAA. 294 SV. .896 SV%)
- Caleb Neal (4 GM. 237 minutes. 1-3-0. 16 GA. 4.04 GAA. 79 SV. .832 SV%)
(23 games. 9-13-1. 82 GA. 3.57 GAA. 655 SV. .889 SV%)
I agree the goalies must play well in the coming months. However it will fall on Parks and Girard's shoulder now that Caleb Neal was released which is definetly a plus when you look at how bad he was in the games he played in. He was statistically almost the worst goalie in the league. Connor Girard came into this season as the number one goalie but he let that slip through his fingers. He has played very up and down and I am not sure if this is because of his age and he just needs some more time to mature. He played well in high school but this is a different league. If you look at Tyler Parks in net he has put together some very strong performances against very good teams, except the 5 goals against Chicago. He has played the majority of his games against St. Louis, Janesville, and Topeka which are very good teams. If Ryan Hardy had played him earlier in the season maybe the would have a few more wins. Either way with the departure of Caleb Neal the team is left with 2 very capable goalies of taking this team deep into the playoffs but the team in front of them has to do their part as well.
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