Helping to backstop his team to four wins out of six games in the month of September made the choice for GOJHL Golden Horseshoe Goalie of the Month an easy one. Joe Gladnick from the Port Colborne Pirates was a staple player for his team throughout September. The Warminster, PA native stands 6’1 and weighs 155lbs. His work ethic has not gone unnoticed and opposing teams can’t seem to beat him. Gladnick’s highlight game in September came on the 24th against the Niagara Falls Canucks where he stoped 44 of 47 shots he faced for a big 4-3 overtime win.

The September Mid Western Conference Goalie of the Month award goes to Guelph Hurricanes net minder Talon D’Orazio. The 5’10, 171lbs goalie has been nothing but fantastic in the early stages of the hockey season. Playing in five games, D’Orazio managed to win three while stopping 133 of 146 shots he faced. D’Orazio’s highlight game came on September 19th against the Elmira Sugar Kings when he backstoped his Hurricanes to a 5-2 victory, making 34 saves in the process.

Scoring an amazing nine goals and eight assists in eight games DJ Turner is the hands down favorite to be the GOJHL Western Conference Player of the Month in September. Turner helped to lead his LaSalle Vipers to a 5-3 record in September. The Windsor native stands 5’8 and weighs 165lbs, making him a quick shifty forward to catch. Turner managed to score three short handed goals in September, a stat that is not easily accomplished in the GOJHL. His highlight game came on September 22nd against the Sarnia Legionnaires where he scored a goal and five assists.

Anthony Querin, from the LaSalle Vipers, has quickly become one of the GOJHL premier defenceman. Recognized for his shut down ability, Querin was the perfect choice as the September  Western Conference Defenceman of the Month. The 5’10, 160lbs Windsor native uses his pure hockey smarts while playing against bigger opponents. In seven games in September he managed to score two assists and collect only four penalty minutes while constantly being matched up against teams top lines. Querin helped to lead the Vipers to a 5-2 record in the first month of the regular season.

Helping to backstop the Strathroy Rockets to a 5-2 record, Marc Nother has become Septembers Western Conference Goalie of the Month. The London native stands 6’0 and weighs 185lbs. his amazing reflexes and ability to see the puck has been nothing short of fantastic for the Rockets in the first month of the season. in seven games he faced 194 shots saving 182 of them. Nother’s highlight game came on September 11th against the St. Thomas Stars where he shut them out, making 28 saves for a 5-0 victory.

The Stratford Cullitons have enjoyed plenty of success so far this season in large part due to the fantastic play of thier goalie Evan Groenestege. His remarkable October was good enough to make him the Mid Western Conference Goalie of the Month. Winning five of eight games in October, Groenestege managed to turn away 229 of the 247 shots he faced. The Wartburg native stands 6’1 and weighs 170lbs making him a big body in the net. His quick reflexes and ability to see the puck have helped him become the number one guy in Stratford. Groenestege’s highlight game came on October 19th against the Kitchener Dutchmen, he made 23 saves on route to a solid 3-0 victory for his Cullitons.

The Guelph Hurricanes would not be sitting in second place in the Mid Western Conference if it was not for the outstanding play of goaltender Jeff Flagler. The 6’1, 180lbs Owen Sound Native is enjoying plenty of success this season with his new team. In the six games he played in November, Flagler managed to record three wins, two losses and a shoot out loss. Facing 213 shots, he was able to turn away 197 of them and always managed to give his Hurricanes teammates a chance to win the game. Flagler’s high light game in November came on the 14th when he faced the Owen Sound Greys, he turned away 32 of 34 shots on route to a 11-2 victory for the Hurricanes.

The sudden surge of Dustin Scott comes as no surprise to his coaches and teammates. Scoring 20 points in just eight games makes him the perfect choice for the Golden Horseshoe Conference Player of the Month. The 5’10, 165lbs speedy forward has a pure goal scorer’s instinct and can put the puck in the net or on his linemates stick at any time. The Collingwood native is currently enjoying his second season with the Niagara Falls Canucks and tore apart the conference last month scoring 11 goals and 9 assists. His strong play helped the Canucks win seven games while dropping just one in overtime. Scott’s highlight game came on the 12th against the Fort Erie Meteors, he scored two goals and four assists the Canucks won 9-2.

The Thorold Blackhawks have had plenty of success this season and a chunk of it is because of the performance of their goaltender Tom Trowell. His three wins in four games has made him an excellent selection for the Golden Horseshoe Goalie of the Month. The 6’0, 180lbs Trowell has a fantastic ability to see the puck and cover all angles with speed and ease. His calm demeanour during games helps his team play better. The Auburn, NY native is currently enjoying his first season with the Blackhawks and shows no signs of letting up this season. In his four games in November he made 99 saves on 108 shots. Trowell’s highlight game came on November 5th against the Niagara Falls Canucks, he made 32 saves in a 3-2 over time win.

Scoring an outstanding seven goals and 16 assists in just nine games has made London Nationals forward Noah Schwartz the perfect choice for the GOJHL Western Conference Forward of the Month for November. Schwartz has been a staple player for the Nationals this season, in November he helped his club to a 8-1 record. The 5’10, 187lbs Toronto native is enjoying a very productive first season with the Nationals and shows no signs of slowing down his production. His highlight game came on November 6th against the LaSalle Vipers, he scored three goals and added two assists while his team went on to win 7-5.

It’s not every day a team finds a defenseman who is capable of consistantly shutting down team’s best players. The St. Thomas Stars have found that in their defenseman Marcus Michalski who has become the GOJHL Western Conference Defenseman of the Month in November. The 6’0, 180lbs Woodstock Native enjoyed a productive month scoring two goals and adding four assists while playing a regular shift against team’s best forwards. With Michalski on the blue line, the Stars were able to win seven of their ten games in November. His highlight game came on November 13th when he scored two assists and the Stars went on to win 4-1 against the Strathroy Rockets.

The London Nationals have enjoyed much success this season as a team thanks in large part to the stellar play of their big defenceman who can shut down opposing teams and pose an offensive threat. At the centre of that defensive core is Steven Taylor, a massive 6’3, 207lbs defensemen who scares the other teams forwards when they go into the boards against him. Taylor’s awesome play in December has earned him the GOJHL Western Conference Defenceman of the Month Award. In six games in December Taylor managed to score one goal and four assists while consistantly playing against opposing teams best lines each night. The Toronto native is currently enjoying his first season with the Nationals and will no doubt be a key factor in thier run for the Sutherland Cup this year. Steven’s highlight game came on December 3rd against the St. Marys Lincolns, he scored a goal and added an assists as the Nationals went on to win 4-3.

The London Nationals have enjoyed a big winning streak this season that has seen them shoot up to the tops of the Western Conference standings. Goaltender Mike Coulter has played a big roll in making sure that the Nationals are the number one team in their conference. Playing in five games in December, Coulter managed to win all five games while blocking 178 of the 189 shots he faced. His 6’3, 185lbs frame takes up plenty of the net, thus giving the opposition not much space to put the puck in the net. The Birr native is known for his quick reflexes and ability to see the puck with traffic in front of him. This is Coulters third season with the Nationals and with any luck it will be a very successful run to the Sutherland Cup. Mike’s highlight game in December came on the 9th against the Leamington Flyers where he saved 42 of 43 shots he faced in a 2-1 win for the Nationals.

Helping to lead his Elmira Sugar Kings to a top three spot in the Mid Western Conference makes Lukas Baleshta the perfect choice for the Mid Western December Player of the Month. Baleshta managed to score 4 goals and added 10 assists in just six games in December. the Winterbourne native stands at 6’1 and weighs 170lbs. His highlight game in December came on the 17th against the Listowel Cyclones where he scored 3 goals and added 2 assists in an 8-4 victory for the Sugar Kings.

Without a strong net minder no hockey team can survive. The Kitchener Dutchmen have found that goaltender this season in Duncan Long. Winning 4 of his 6 starts in December was good enough for Long to become the Mid Western Conference Goaltender of the Month in December. The Brantford native stands at 6’0 and weighs 185lbs. His big fram makes it tough for opponents to get the puck through him and his quick reflexes help him to always be in the way of the puck. Long managed to make 181 saves on 193 shots he faced in December. His highlight game came on the 19th against the Waterloo Siskins where he made 27 saves in a 4-0 win for the Dutchmen.

The St. Catharines Falcons have found their “Ace” goaltender this season in Brett Sinclair. This young man has enjoyed plenty of personal success this season and his play in December has made him the Golden Horseshoe Conference Goaltender of the Month. This is the second time Sinclair has been given this honour this season. In December the St. Catharines native turned away 226 of the 239 shots he faced while helping his Falcons win five of eight games. The 5’10, 165lbs netminder is able to see all angles when facing shooters and this has helped him become so successful. His highlight game in December came on the 19th against the Welland Canadians, he saved all 21 shots he faced in a 4-0 win.

The Strathroy Rockets have enjoyed a winning season thanks in large part to the play of their leading scorer Walter Easter who has become the January Western Conference Forward of the Month. Easter, a london Native has been nothing short of spectacular this season. In January he managed to net 18 goals while adding 7 assists. The 6’0, 185lbs right winging helped the Rockets win six of nine games in January and his stellar play propelled them to the top of the Western Conference standings. Easter had two five point nights in January, the first on the 8th against the LaSalle Vipers – he scored three goals and two assists in a 10-5 win. His second five point night came on the 29th against the St. Marys Lincolns – he scored three goals and two assists in a 6-4 victory.

Calvin Thomson of the St. Marys Lincolns has become a well known shut down defenceman in his first season in the GOJHL. His impressive play and poise with the puck has made him the perfect recipient for the January Western Conference Defenceman of the Month. The Woodstock native stands 6’0 tall and weighs in at 180lbs of pure muscle. In the Lincolns 10 games in January, Thomson was able to shut down teams best players in order for his club to win 6 of those games. The big stay at home defensemen uses his size and his hockey sense to defeat the opposition. Thomson’s highlight game in January came on the 23rd against the Lambton Shores Predators, he scored a goal and the Lincolns won the game by the score of 11-2.

The London Nationals have enjoyed plenty of success this season due in large part to the play of their top goaltender, Taylor Edwards. Playing for his home town, Edwards has seen his fair share of ice time this season. In January he played in five games, winning four of them and becoming the January Western Conference Goaltender of the Month. The 6’0, 165lbs guardien of the net was able to turn away 136 of the 141 shots he faced in January. Edwards highlight game came on the 5th against the Fort Erie Meteors when he stopped all 24 shots he faced as his Nationals went on to win the game by a final score of 9-0.

The struggles this season continued for the Lambton Shores Predators. The team once again failed to make the post season. However, one highlight emerged in forward Matt Rupert. The speedy forward managed to become the February GOJHL Western Conference Player of the Month. Standing at 5’10 and weighing 180lbs, Rupert managed to use his speed and strength to drive to the net, scoring many of the goals for the Predators this season. February saw Rupert play in eight games, netting 10 goals and 5 assists. The Predators went winless in those eight games but the Grand Bend native always managed to impress the opposition. Ruperts February highlight game came on the 12th against the LaSalle Vipers, he scored 3 goals in a 11-4 loss.

The St. Thomas Stars have the perfect offensive defencemen this season in Adam Wallace. His size and hockey smarts earned him the honours of becoming the GOJHL Western Conference Defencemen of the Month in February. Wallace, a Woodstock native, managed to score six goals and 8 assists in the 9 games he played in February. The 6’1, 200lbs defencemen was a true force for the stars this season, he killed penalties and was a quarterback on their power play this season. Finishing the regular season in fourth on the team in points, Wallce will be a key ingredient in the success of the stars in the post season. His highlight game came on February 18th against the Chatham Maroons where he scored a goal and added two assists in a 5-3 Stars victory.

The Listowel Cyclones have enjoyed three seasons of watching one of their top forwards grow into a dominant GOJHL player. Brett Catto is a force that demands respect when he is on the ice and it is for this reason that he has become the February GOJHL Mid Western Conference Player of the Month. The Kincardine native enjoyed plenty of success in February playing in nine games he was able to net 10 goals and added 13 assists. The 5’11, 190lbs forward owed much of his successful 23 point month to his size and speed. The Cyclones went on a great run winning six of those nine games and thus find themselves in the mix of things in this post season. Catto’s highlight game in February came on the 4th against the Owen Sound Greys where he scored 3 goals and an assists as his club went on to win 18-2.

The Elmira Sugar Kings have once again had a fantastic regular season and will no doubt be a tough team to face in the post season. This is in large part thanks to their veteran goaltender Matthew Smith. His fantastic performance in February earned him the honours of becoming the GOJHL Mid Western Conference Goaltender of the Month. In his six starts, Smith won all six games. Stopping 152 of 164 shots he faced Smith was key to the success of his club. The Waterloo native is currently enjoying his second season with the Sugar Kings and his fourth season in the GOJHL. Standing at 5’11 and weighing 175lbs his ability to see the puck through screans has made him a real threat this season. Smith’s highlight game in February came on the 20th against the Listowel Cyclones when he stopped 40 of 42 shots he faced as his club went on to win the game 3-2.

The Welland Jr. Canadians have enjoyed watching their regular season leading scorer Craig Laliberte grow into a very mature and successful GOJHL player this season. It’s just Laliberte’s first season in the GOJHL but already this is his seccond Player of the Month Award. The Sudbury native has dazzled opposition all season with his timely goals, awesome passes and accurate shooting. Standing at 5’11 and weighing 185lbs Laliberte is a force when he hits the ice. In 9 games in February he managed to net 9 goals, and added 16 assists. Laliberte’s highlight game in February came on the 4th against the Niagara Falls Canucks, he scored a goal and added four assists for a very close 5-4 victory for his Canadians.