NA3HL announces Easton Hockey Divisional Stars of the Week
The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) today announced the Divisional Stars of the Week presented by Easton Hockey for the week ending September 20, 2015. 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 six divisions of the NA3HL as nominated by their head coaches.
Central Division Star of the Week: Daniel Toycen, forward, La Crosse Freeze
The La Crosse Freeze sit in 1st place in the Central Division thanks to their opening weekend sweep of the Chicago Jr. Bulldogs. Forward Daniel Toycen, 19, had a big four-point weekend in the two wins. On Saturday, Toycen (5’8/165) had an assist in a 5-3 win. On Sunday, the native of Chipewa Falls, Wisconsin, had a goal and three assists in a 6-1 win. Toycen is in his second year with the Freeze. Last season he registered 28 points in 41 games played. “Daniel is back for his second season with the Freeze. He is a special player that shows up everyday to make himself and his teammates better. His great opening weekend is no surprise as we expect him to have a very successful year,” said La Crosse head coach Ryan Egan.
2nd Star: Peter Henderson, F, Wisconsin Whalers
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Tommi Ahlgren, G, North Iowa Bulls – Ben Henderson, F, La Crosse Freeze – David Johnson, G, North Iowa Bulls – Austin Lewis, F, Wisconsin Whalers
East Division Star of the Week: Auston Palumbo, forward, Pittsburgh Vengeance
Although he played in just one game over the weekend, Pittsburgh forward Auston Palumbo, 19, made it count. The native of Mesa, Arizona, helped the Vengeance to a 3-0 shutout of the Southern Tier Xpress. Palumbo (5’11/165) had two of the three goals on the night, including the game-winner. For the season, Palumbo leads the Vengeance in scoring with six points in five games played. “Auston is a player that works hard for what he gets and his willingness to play in the dirty areas has been reflected in his production,” saud Pittsburgh head coach Dave Dorsey.
2nd Star: Tyler Houmard, F, Wooster Oilers
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Trevor Kalinowski, G, Metro Jets – Ryan Spencer, G, Wooster Oilers – Jacob Stack, G, Pittsburgh Vengeance – Tyler Zalecki, F, Toledo Cherokee
Frontier Division Star of the Week: Tegan Harrington, forward, Great Falls Americans
The Great Falls Americans opened the defense of their Frontier title last weekend with a convincing 12-1 win over the Glacier Nationals. 18-year-old forward Tegan Harrington (6’0/185) led the way in the win with a goal and three assists and a +4 rating. Harrington is a native of Wasilla, Alaska and previously played for Wasilla High School. “Tegan is a great kid and a leader on and off the ice. He competes hard and we are excited about what he brings to the table. It is early in the season, but he played great for his first junior hockey game,” said Americans head coach Jeff Heimel.
2nd Star: Connor Dunn, D, Helena Bighorns
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Brendan Jester, F, Great Falls Americans – Riley Keays, F, Helena Bighorns
Midwest Division Star of the Week: Daniel Dolliver, goalie, Cincinnati Thunder
The Cincinnati Thunder opened up their new home at the Cincinnati Gardens with a big sweep in in-state rival Toledo Cherokee this past weekend. Goalie Daniel Dolliver, 19, stood out in both wins as the native of Richmond, Virginia, stopped 46 of 50 shots in the two wins. On Saturday, Dolliver (5’9/185) made 15 saves in a 3-1 win. The next day, he made 31 saves in a 5-3 win. For the season, Dolliver has a 2.52 goals against average and a 90.9% save percentage. “We are very happy for Daniel. He was a late addition for us this summer and has come in and worked hard all through camp and into the season. He is playing with a lot of confidence right now and is giving us a chance to win every time he's played,” said Cincinnati head coach Ryan Colville.
2nd Star: Michael Redmon, F, Nashville Jr. Predators
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Chance Homerin, F, Peoria Mustangs – Albert Janele, F, Cincinnati Thunder - Trent Kulcyk, F, Nashville Jr. Predators – Zach Mitchell, F, St. Louis Jr. Blues – Austin Wisely, F, Peoria Mustangs – Zach Young, G, St. Louis Jr. Blues
South Division Star of the Week: Justin Dunn, forward, Point Mallard Ducks
Point Mallard forward Justin Dunn, 19, picked up right where he left of from last season with another big scoring weekend as the Ducks swept a weekend road series against the Evansville Thunderbolts. The Trenton, Michigan native racked up six points in the two wins, which were also the Ducks first of the season. On Friday, Dunn (5’11/165) had the game-winning goal and an assist in a 5-4 win. On Saturday, he scored twice, including another game-winning goal, and added a pair of assists in an 8-2 win. Last season, Dunn had 48 points in just 37 games played. “Justin had an outstanding opening weekend. He is a very elusive forward who competes extremely hard every shift,” said Point Mallard head coach Tom Winkler.
2nd Star: Bryan Whelan, F, Texas Jr. Brahmas
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Justin Delisle, D, Point Mallard Ducks – Kevin Mackey, G, Sugar Land Imperials – Brandon Perrone, G, Texas Jr. Brahmas – Luca Valenza, F, Sugar Land Imperials
West Division Star of the Week: Trevor Cornelius, defense, Granite City Lumberjacks
For the second straight week a Granite City defenseman has won the player of the week award, but this time it was 17-year-old Trevor Cornelius. The native of St. Cloud, Minnesota had three points in Granite City’s two wins over the weekend, which included wins over Breezy Point and Alexandria. On Friday, Cornelius (5’11/180) had an assist and was +2 in a 5-0 shutout over the North Stars. On Saturday, he scored twice, including the game-winning goal in a 4-1 win over the Blizzard. “Trevor really gave us a spark this past weekend with his offensive play. His confidence grew with every shift during the weekend. I think he definitely opened some doors in the NAHL with his play this past weekend,” said Lumberjacks head coach Brad Willner.
2nd Star: Jared Erickson, F, Twin City Steel
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Lucas Carroll, F, Granite City Lumberjacks – James Hale, F, Twin City Steel
