HUNTERSVILLE, NC (March 10, 2020) – The Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) today announced that Zach Nieminen of the Peoria Rivermen has been named the Warrior Hockey/SPHL Player of the Week for March 2-8.
Nieminen scored four goals, including one game-winner, added three assists and was +4 as the Rivermen went 3-0-0 over the weekend to regain a share of first place in the SPHL standings.
On Friday, the Ajax, Ontario native scored two goals and added two assists as Peoria jumped out to a 4-0 lead after one period en route to a 5-1 win over Birmingham. Though he was held without a point in Peoria’s 3-2 win over the Bulls on Saturday, Nieminen recorded his second multi-goal outing of the weekend on Sunday as the Rivermen rallied to defeat Roanoke 3-2 in a shootout. After scoring early in the second period to knot the game at one, Nieminen found the net on both of his shootout attempts, the second of which gave Peoria the sudden-death win in the sixth round.
Now in his second full season in the SPHL and first with the Rivermen, Nieminen currently ranks third on the team in goals (15) and points (34). Before turning pro, Nieminen played four years at Buffalo State College where he was a Male Senior Scholar-Athlete Award nominee in 2017-2018.
Also nominated: Artt Brey, Birmingham (1-1-0, 2.79 gaa, 0.920 save%) Matthew Barnaby, Evansville (2 gp, 4g, hat trick), Brian Bowen, Fayetteville (3 gp, 3g, 4a, gwg), Shawn Bates, Huntsville (2 gp, 2g, 1a), Connor Powell, Pensacola (3 gp, 3g, 2a), Ricky Kramer, Quad City (3 gp, 4a) and Matt Beer, Roanoke (3 gp, 3g, 1a, shg)
