MASL TEAM OF THE WEEK – WEEK SEVEN

by Jeff Husted

KANSAS CITY (Dec 13, 2016) – Although Week Seven featured one team with a shutout and another team that only allowed one goal, it was the highest scoring week of the season overall. These are the players who outshined the rest and earned a spot on the Team of the Week.

The MASL Team of the Week is selected using the Stars awarded at each game and by soliciting nominations from each team. Players nominated by teams were each awarded three points and stars were awarded 3 points (1st Star), 2 points (2nd star) and 1 Point (3rd star) respectively.

Goalkeeper: 
William Vanzela (Baltimore Blast)
– Vanzela set the tone early against the Florida Tropics on Saturday. On the night he faced 15 shots and saved every one. This is the second shutout in the MASL this season and Vanzela’s fifth in his career.

Defender: 
Stefan Stokic (Kansas City Comets)
– Stokic tallied 7 blocks over the weekend as he continuously sacrificed his body to keep shots away from goal. In Sunday’s win over the Blast, Stokic had 4 blocks and 2 goals.

Midfielders:
Ian Bennett (Milwaukee Wave)
– This is Bennett’s second consecutive week as one of the league’s elites. He scored seven goals in the Wave’s win over the Chicago Mustangs, who were leading the Central Division at the time. Bennett’s seven goals are the most scored in a game by one player this season.
Tiguinho Dias (Ontario Fury) – Tiguinho had two goals and an assist on Saturday night as he led his team to a near-victory against Tacoma.

Forwards:
Franck Tayou (Soles de Sonora)
– Tayou scored six goals and an assist against the El Paso Coyotes on Saturday. Tayou now leads the league with 30 points on the season.
Stefan St. Louis (St. Louis Ambush) – St. Louis scored two goals and an assist last Friday on the way to the his team’s first win of the season. Although the Florida Tropics built a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter, Stefan never gave up, scoring the first goal of the game, and then putting the final nail in the coffin in the fourth quarter.

Honorable Mention:
Kraig Chiles (San Diego Sockers), Matt Clare (San Diego Sockers), Vinicius Dantas (Baltimore Blast), Leo Gibson (Kansas City Comets), Dan Antoniuk (Tacoma Stars), Taylor Bond (Chicago Mustangs), Micheal Ramos (Tacoma Stars), Stephen Paterson (Kansas City Comets)