The Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League announced Central Plains Capitals' goalie Riley Sveistrup is the CCM Player of the Week. He started all three games for the Caps last week, coming out with a 2-1 record.

Sveistrup stepped into the starting role when Miles Minor went down with an injury a few weeks ago. He's been stellar since then, earning a five-game wining streak during the span. His lone loss came to the first-place Winnipeg Wild.

"It's something special that a lot of guys really don't get the chance to do, especially in Midget hockey," says Sveistrup. "You don't really get to go on long streaks in net. That usually only happens when you move up or you're getting paid to play. It was nice to see how some of the goaltenders I look up to in the NHL play, they play 10 games in a row and win, so it was nice to get that opportunity to feel like them. Going 7-1 in December is something special to be a part of."

Sveistrup doesn't have to best numbers in his first year with the team, with a .902 save percentage and a 3.23 goals-against average. That puts him around the middle of the pack among the league leaders. But his stats matter where it counts. He's second in wins (11) and says his defenders have made his job easier by helping in in many different ways.

"They've really done a great job keeping me in games," he admits. "Especially in our last game against Interlake. It wasn't exactly my hottest game of the year, but we kept pushing, and the defence told me to just keep kicking. In the third period I came up with a few big saves in the last five minutes, and that was all because of them keeping me mentally in it."

Sveistrup and the Caps are off until January 7, when they host the Thrashers. He's looking forward to some time off the ice to rest, so he can be 100% for game time.