NA3HL announces monthly player awards for January
The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) has announced its monthly player awards for the month of January. The Easton Hockey NA3HL Forward of the Month is Ryan Maksimovic from the Chicago Jr. Bulldogs. The Easton Hockey NA3HL Defenseman of the Month is Noah Gilreath from the Point Mallard Ducks. The Vaughn NA3HL Goaltender of the Month is Evan Moyse from the Wisconsin Whalers. Only players who are nominated by their respective teams are considered for the NA3HL monthly awards.
Easton Hockey NA3HL Forward of the Month: Ryan Maksimovic, Chicago Jr. Bulldogs
Chicago Jr. Bulldogs forward Ryan Maksimovic was dominant in the month of January. Not only did the 20-year-old native of Northbrook, IL lead the NA3HL in scoring during the month, but he did everything in just six games played. Maksimovic (5’11/180) totaled 17 points during the month, which included 8 goals and 9 assists and a +11 rating. Three of his eight goals were game-winners. Maksimovic registered multi-point games in all six outings and it included back-to-back four-point games in which Maksimovic had a hat-tricks and game-winning goals in both. He continues the month of February on a 9-game point streak. Maksimovic joined the Jr. Bulldogs this season in early December and has been a true offensive force. In just 15 games, he already has 25 points. Maksimovic played in all 48 games for Chicago last season and had 47 points. “Ryan is a high-energy player. A lot of his goals come in the high traffic area where the rebounds are. He’s willing to pay the price to get the puck in the back of the net,” said Chicago General Manager Ken Kestas.
Runner-Up: Ryan Dunner, Texas Jr. Brahmas
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Cameron Birklid, Billings Bulls – Jordan Carey, Breezy Point North Stars - Jake Champaign, Point Mallard Ducks – David Kenney, Granite City Lumberjacks – Zach Koonce, Metro Jets – Nils Markgren Pittsburgh Vengeance – Ryan Martin, Wiscosin Whalers - Andy McGlynn, St. Louis Jr. Blues – Brandt Miller, Helena Bighorns - Bryce Mitzel, Gillette Wild – Steven Nisbet, Bozeman Icedogs – Jay Paul, Twin City Steel – Aaron Torres, Dallas Jr. Stars – Dan Toycen, La Crosse Freeze – Dakota Ulmer, West Michigan Wolves – Tyler Zalecki, Toledo Cherokee
Easton Hockey NA3HL Defenseman of the Month: Noah Gilreath, Point Mallard Ducks
The Point Mallard Ducks put together a run in January that clinched them a post-season berth and were able to maintain their level of play thanks to the likes of defenseman Noah Gilreath. The 19-year-old dman from Grosse Ile, MI, had a great month as he played in all 12 games and recorded 13 points, along with a +7 rating. Gilreath managed a point in seven of the 12 games and had two goals and 11 assists. His month included a four-point games and three, two-point games. Gilreath (6’0/178) has 36 points to date, which not only leads all Point Mallard defensemen, but ranks tied for 2nd in the NA3HL among all defensemen. His 28 assists also ranks him tied for 2nd among NA3HL defensemen. Gilreath was selected to compete for the South Division team in the 2015 NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament. “Noah has loads of offensive talent and has develop into a very well-rounded player. Noah is a strong skater, great puck mover, and competes extremely hard every time he touches the ice. It has been a pleasure to coach Noah, he leads by example, he is always hungry to learn more and develop his game,” said Point Mallard head coach Craig Bushy.
Runner-Up: Ralfs Karelis, Billings Bulls
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Mathias Ahman, Twin City Steel – Brandon Baker, Dallas Jr. Stars – Chris Brown, St. Louis Jr. Blues – Gavin Cummings, Pittsburgh Vengeance – Mike DiFranco, West Michigan Wolves – Mitchell Gwost, Granite City Lumberjacks – Linder Kenyon, Breezy Point North Stars – Tyler Layle, Metro Jets – Anthony Miller, La Crosse Freeze – Jake Nicks, Bozeman Icedogs – Lance Pennington, Gillette Wild – Nick Trefry, Helena Bighorns - Caleb Vosters, Wisconsin Whalers
Vaughn NA3HL Goaltender of the Month: Evan Moyse, Wisconsin Whalers
Wisconsin goalie Evan Moyse, 18, was a workhorse for the 1st place Whalers during the month of January as the native of Olmsted Township, OH, helped his team to a 6-3 record. Moyse (6’2/170) appeared in eight games during the month and posted a 5-2 record. He faced a whopping 269 shots and made 254 saves during the month, which was good for a 94.4% save percentage in January. He also posted a 2.02 goals against average during the month. Moyse, who played the past two years in the NAPHL for the Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks, posted his first NA3HL shutout during the month, which came back on Jan. 10 in a 2-0 road win in Peoria. He also made a season-high 51 saves in a 3-2 loss against Granite City on Jan. 25. “Evan has been playing very strong for us. He has really improved every month this season and is playing his best hockey this year. We hope he can keep moving and play well down the stretch for us,” said Wisconsin head coach Tom McDermott.
Runner-Up: Alex Feese, Gillette Wild
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Brian Baker, Pittsburgh Vengeance – Roman Bengert, Point Mallard Ducks – Jesse Garcia, Granite City Lumberjacks – Robbie Goor, Twin City Steel – Jaxson Gosnell, Breezy Point North Stars – Joe Hacker, Texas Jr. Brahmas – Billy Hindle, St. Louis Jr. Blues – Kameron Limburg, Metro Jets – Adam Ranck, Helena Bighorns - Denijs Romanovskis, Bozeman Icedogs - Cameron Scheuren, La Crosse Freeze - Cole Semchak, Billings Bulls – Chance Turner, Dallas Jr. Stars – Hunter Vorva, West Michigan Wolves
About Easton
Easton Hockey continues to rank atop the industry in sticks and gloves and is growing faster in skates than any other company. It also offers a comprehensive collection of protective gear including helmets and pants. To learn more, go to www.eastonhockey.com
About Vaughn
Vaughn is the official Goaltending Equipment Partner to the NAHL and serves as the Preferred Goaltending Equipment Supplier of the NA3HL and NAPHL. Founded in 1982, Vaughn became one of the first major hockey production companies to use multiple foam layers in equipment. As strictly a goalie equipment company, the main focus for Vaughn is the innovation and quality of their product. Visit Vaughn online at: www.vaughnhockey.com
