Huntington Center record crowd and Machovsky shutout highlight week: Saturday night was amazing on many fronts. First, the Walleye welcomed in a Huntington Center record 8,374 fans for the 12th sellout crowd of the season. Second, goaltender Matej Machovsky shined Saturday night with 33 saves in posting his first shutout in a Walleye uniform leading Toledo to a 3-0 win over the Manchester Monarchs. Third, Toledo stopped a modest two-game losing skid with the Saturday night win.
Machovsky rises: With the shutout Saturday night, Matej Machovsky collected his fifth win of the season. The zero he posted in the win lowered his season goals against to 2.28 which is second best among all ECHL goaltenders. The 24-year-old saw his save percentage rise to .921 with 33 stops in the contest.
It took a bit: After losing back to back games by the same score of 3-0, Austen Brassard scored just 1:04 into Saturday’s game to end a stretch that saw the Walleye go without a goal for 141 minutes and 15 seconds.
Three days, three games downtown TTown: It’s a home weekend ahead of the Walleye as they host rival Fort Wayne on Friday night. Toledo has not fared too well against the Komets with a 1-4-1 record. Saturday night is the first meeting of the season between the Walleye and the Kansas City Mavericks. The Mavericks joined the Central Division this season. Finally, Cincinnati will coast into Toledo for the final game of the weekend on Sunday afternoon. Toledo just dropped a 3-0 contest to Cincinnati last Friday and have been held without a goal in each of the last two meetings.
Weekend of FUN: The Hanson Brothers, the ice hockey playing siblings from the movie "Slap Shot", will be in the house on Friday clowning around with fans and having fun on the ice. On Sunday, the Walleye host the first-ever Walleye Winter Family Festival. There will be face-painters, balloon artists, a magician, a winter craft and more taking over the concourse for all to enjoy. The first 1,500 kids, 12 and under, will receive thundersticks! For tickets visit toledowalleye.com.
Walleye Player of the Week: Shane Berschbach (1 goal – 4=1 assist = 2 points)
Walleye Goaltender of the Week: Matej Machovsky (1-0-0, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 save %)
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