Willows named Sher-Wood Hockey/ECHL Player of the Week

Matt Willows of the Reading Royals is the Sher-Wood Hockey ECHL Player of the Week for Jan. 30-Feb. 5.

Willows scored four goals and added three assists for seven points in three games last week.

The 25-year-old tallied an assist in a 3-2 win at Toledo on Wednesday, had a goal and an assist in a 7-5 victory over the Walleye on Friday and picked up a hat trick while adding an assist in a 4-3 win at Wheeling on Saturday.

A native of Congers, N.Y., Willows has 24 points (11g-13a) in 23 games with the Royals after posting 11 points (4g-7a) in 17 games with Allen.

Under an American Hockey League contract with San Jose, Willows has posted 101 points (38g-63a) in 111 career ECHL games with Reading, Allen and Florida. Last season, he was named ECHL Rookie of the Year after leading first-year players with 66 points (23g-43a) in 71 games. He has added five points (3g-2a) in 12 career AHL games with San Jose and Worcester.

Prior to turning pro, Willows recorded 90 points (45g-45a) in 130 career games at the University of New Hampshire.

On behalf of Matt Willows, a case of pucks will be donated to a Reading youth hockey organization by Sher-Wood Hockey, the exclusive puck supplier of the ECHL. Since beginning its sponsorship of the award in 2000-01, Sher-Wood Hockey has donated more than 35,000 pucks to youth hockey organizations in ECHL cities.

Runners Up: David Makowski, Allen (3 gp, 4g, 5a, 9 pts.), David Pacan, Brampton (3 gp, 4g, 3a, 7 pts.) and Erik Bradford, Utah (3 gp, 3g, 4a, 7 pts.).

Also Nominated: Brendan O’Donnell (Florida), Mike Embach (Fort Wayne), Tyler Barnes (Indy), Carter Verhaeghe (Missouri), Ben Danford (Orlando), Sam Warning (Quad City), Alden Hirschfeld (Toledo), Garrett Ladd (Tulsa) and Zach O’Brien (Wichita).

PREVIOUS WINNERS

Oct. 14-16                  Kyle Bonis, Toledo Walleye

Oct. 17-23                  Emerson Clark, Tulsa Oilers

Oct. 24-30                  Lindsay Sparks, Rapid City Rush

Oct. 31-Nov. 6          Trevor Cheek, Fort Wayne Komets

Nov. 7-13                    Justin Buzzeo, Atlanta Gladiators

Nov. 14-20                 Alex Wideman, Indy Fuel

Nov. 21-27                 Sam Warning, Quad City Mallards

Nov. 28-Dec. 4         Vaclav Karabacek, Elmira Jackals

Dec. 5-11                    Jacob MacDonald, Toledo Walleye

Dec. 12-18                 Mike Cazzola, Fort Wayne Komets

Dec. 19-23                 Spencer Asuchak, Allen Americans

Dec. 27-Jan. 1          Justin Crandall, Reading Royals

Jan. 2-8                        Brodie Dupont, Norfolk Admirals

Jan. 9-15                     Christian Hilbrich, Wheeling Nailers

Jan. 16-22                  Justin Taylor, Kalamazoo Wings

Jan. 23-29                   Carter Verhaeghe, Missouri Mavericks