Challenge Issued To Forwards

Our 2006-07 Belle Tire Wizards team featured arguably the MWEHL most explosive group of scoring forwards.

Not a particularly strong team defensively, the 06-07 squad relied on outscoring teams and routinely netted 5 or more goals per game with several games of 7 and 8 goals against some of the best teams in the United States.

In 06-07 all 9 forwards on our team finished in the top 43 players in the league in scoring with 6 forwards ranking in the league's top 20. The team featured three equally balanced forwards lines and all 9 forwards on the team scored between 20 goals and 31 goals.

However, through 9 games this season our forwards have combined to score a paltry 23 goals for a goals per game average as a unit of approximately 2.5 per game. While our defensemen and goaltenders have been outstanding in their performance and have met or exceeded expectations thus far, our forwards must pick it up - now.

Our entire unit of talented forwards needs to start forechecking harder and driving to the net more agressively to cause turnovers, create scoring chances, and hunt for rebounds and tip ins. Too much perimeter play and not enough aggressive play on the forecheck and in front of the opponents net has been our team's #1 deficiency so far this season.

The coaches are issuing a challenge to the entire forward unit to start doing what is needed to increase goal production to an output level that corresponds with their significant talent level.