Rirruto week

 LEWIS CENTER, OH - The Arrowhawks will face the summer session champion Rirruto this Friday in Dublin. The game will be a showdown of great goaltending, solid defensive play and highly skilled forwards. It'll be the first time the Hawks will face Rirruto with their full roster, including netminder Jason 'Bad Moon Rising' Jensen back in net and the law firm line of Griffith, Griffith and Griffith. Jensen skated out during the summer session, racking up league-leading PIMs and proving to be a physical force in both zones. The Griffith boys have yet to play a game together but if past sessions are any indication, the top line should be dangerous and provide many offensive chances.

Rirruto will ice a formidable defensive quad and perhaps the league's top goaltender, though Jensen may have something to say about that. More than likely, this matchup will be determined by who can stay out of the penalty box -- something the Hawks have been unable to do so far this session. The Hawks carry a game lead entering the contest (2-1) and are coming off a stellar victory against previously undefeated Ruckmoore.

The winner will be positioned among the top of the league and poised for a good fall run.

Arrowhawk center/winger Bryan Wharton will be a player to watch. Wharton has historically done well against Rirruto, potting goals and racking up assists with the Big Pucks last session. His new linemates, Mark Monahan and Tom Morgan will need to get him the puck early and often. If chances are hard to come by, look for the Hawks to shuffle their lines pairing Kevin Griffith with Wharton, a duo that amassed over 30 points in the championship summer session of 2011.

A league leading PIM man Nick 'Crosscheck' Lanctot must stay out of the sinbin if the Hawks are to prevail Friday. The Vegas line has Rirruto as a half goal favorite. The Over/Under line is currently set at 6 goals.

The leading goal scorer for Rirruto is defenseman Scott Mansfield with two goals. Most of their offense is distributed among their skilled forwards with four notching a goal each. Michael Bohland is the usual suspect for shooting down the Hawks. The defense will need to be aware of him in all zones.

Considering the Hawks will roll three solid scoring lines including Sean 'Blue' Wright and Oleg 'Epic Win' Chetverikov, their legs should be fresh in the third period. If the game is close, the nod should go to the Hawks.