NA3HL announces Divisional Stars of the Week
The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) today announced the Divisional Stars of the Week presented by Easton for the week ending October 19, 2014. The divisional stars of the week is an award given each week of the regular season to the top performing players in each of the five divisions of the NA3HL as nominated by their head coaches.
Central Division Star of the Week: Peter Henderson, forward, Wisconsin Whalers
Wisconsin Whalers leading scorer Peter Henderson, 19, helped the Whalers take three of four points in their home-and-home series with new state rival, the La Crosse Freeze. The native of Libertyville, Illinois, had five points in the two games, which included three goals and two assists. On Saturday, Henderson (5’11/175) had two goals and an assist in a 7-1 win. On Sunday, Henderson had a goal and an assist in a 6-5 overtime loss. His 16 points leads the Whalers in scoring so far this season. “Peter is playing great for us. He has many talents… skating, speed and intelligence. He understands what it takes to make he and his teammates successful and he is one of our offensive leaders,” said Wisconsin head coach Tom McDermott.
2nd Star: Tommy Heinzman, F, St. Louis Jr. Blues
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Cooper Cothran, G, St. Louis Jr. Blues - Marshall Gevers, F, Peoria Mustangs – Clayton Layne, F, Peoria Mustangs – Kyler Patenaude, G, West Michigan Wolves – Steven Rhodes, F, West Michigan Wolves – Daniel Toycen, F, La Crosse Freeze – Taylor Trapp, F, La Crosse Freeze – Nathan Viberg, F, Wisconsin Whalers
East Division Star of the Week: Tyler Dalton, forward, Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks
Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks leading scorer Tyler Dalton, 19, helped the team to a weekend home-and-home split with the Southern Tier Xpress as the native of Northfield, Ohio totaled seven points in the two games. On Saturday, Dalton (5’10/180) had an assist in a tough 7-2 loss on the road at Southern Tier. On Sunday, Dalton and Cleveland rebounded for a 7-1 win. Dalton had a goal and five assists in the victory. For the season, Dalton has 16 points in 12 games played. “Tyler provides a lot of veteran leadership and his play in the second game of the weekend was a testimonial to that. He put the team on his shoulders and made sure we were going to get out of the weekend with a win,” said Cleveland head coach Bob Jacobson.
2nd Star: James Schroeder, G, Cincinnati Swords
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Marc Anderson, F, Cincinnati Swords – David Bogart, D, Toledo Cherokee – Matt Dempsey, F, Metro Jets – Zach Koonce, F, Metro Jets – Alec Rounds, G, Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks – Austin Turner, F, Toledo Cherokee
Frontier Division Star of the Week: Brandt Miller, forward, Helena Bighorns
Although he played in just one game last weekend, Helena Bighorns forward Brandt Miller, 20, made the most of it. The Havre, Montana native posted a six-point night in an 11-0 win against Bozeman. Miller’s night included two goals and four assists and a +4 rating. Miller (5’7/155) assisted on the first three goals of the game and scored both his goals in the 2nd period. For the season, Miller has nine points in six games played. “He played the best he has all season and has been a leader since Day 1. That is hopefully going to translate into consistency for the remainder of the season for him,” said Helena head coach Jon Jonasson.
2nd Star: Evan Hauser, G, Great Falls Americans
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Trent Dillinger, F, Gillette Wild – Alex Lundstrom, F, Billings Bulls – Grant Martens, G, Helena Bighorns – Cody Page, F, Great Falls Americans – Sean Pilet, F, Yellowstone Quake – Mason Stewart, D, Yellowstone Quake – Steven Thompson, F, Billings Bulls
South Division Star of the Week: John Severson, forward, Texas Jr. Brahmas
The Texas Jr. Brahmas picked up a much needed sweep this past weekend in a home-and-home series with the Dallas Jr. Stars. Newly acquired forward John Severson, 19, made an immediate impact with a four-point weekend, which included three goals and one assist. On Friday, the native of Rockford, Illinois had an assist as the Brahmas shutout the Jr. Stars, 2-0. On Saturday, Severson (5’9/165) had a hat-trick, which included scoring all three goals in a 3-2 win. “Jon has been a nice addition and was a dominant player this weekend. He made his shots count and had a lot of chances to score. We picked up two very big wins and hopefully that momentum is something we can build on,” said Texas head coach Al Rooney.
2nd Star: Chris Mallon, G, Dallas Jr. Stars
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Hank Roers, F, Topeka Capitals – Alex Sauer, F, Topeka Capitals
West Division Star of the Week: Gavin Mindt, defenseman, Alexandria Blizzard
It was two more wins for the 6-2 Alexandria Blizzard this past weekend, which included a home-and-home sweep of Twin City. Defenseman Gavin Mindt, 17, helped out on both sides of the puck as the 6’0/185 lbs. defenseman totaled four points in the two wins and was also a +4. On Friday, the native of Bismarck, North Dakota, had a goal and an assist in a 6-1 home win over the Steel. On Saturday, he scored twice in a 5-1 road win in Twin City. For the season, Mindt has five points in seven games. “Gavin had a really good week. First and foremost, he put defense first and was fortunate enough to contribute offensively. He has been a really nice contribution to the team,” said Alexandria head coach Jeff Crouse.
2nd Star: Joe Kleven, D, North Iowa Bulls
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Evan Bisek, G, Alexandria Blizzard – Joe Burgmeier, F, North Iowa Bulls – Jordan Carey, F, Breezy Point North Stars – Alek Groth, F, Granite City Lumberjacks – Dallas Marvin, F, Granite City Lunberjacks – Dakota McDonald, G, Breezy Point North Stars
