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 October 18, 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: Kohei Sato, forward, North Iowa Bulls
It has only been four games since his return, but North Iowa forward Kohei Sato, 19, has made them count and this past weekend was no exception. The native of Nishitokio, Japan, helped the Bulls to a weekend road sweep in Alexandria against the Blizzard. Sato (6’0/180) had three points in the weekend sweep and was a +2. On Friday, Sato had a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over the Blizzard. On Saturday, he scored again in a 5-2 win. In four games with the Bulls this season, Sato has six points. He had 16 points in 27 games played with the Bulls last season. "Kohei used his speed well this weekend and it led to chances for him and his line mates. It is good to have him back in the line-up and he makes our team better,” said Bulls head coach Todd Sanden.
2nd Star: Max McConnell, G, Wisconsin Whalers
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Brett Gravelle, F, North Iowa Bulls – Jerame Schuetzle, F, La Crosse Freeze – Dan Toycen, F, La Crosse Freeze – Nathan Viberg, F, Wisconsin Whalers
East Division Star of the Week: Ryan McCarty, defenseman, Wooster Oilers
Wooster defenseman Ryan McCarty, 17, had a breakout weekend as the Oilers won a home-and-home series against their intra-state counterpart Cincinnati Thunder. The native of Wooster, OH, had five points in the weekend sweep and was a +4 from the blueline. On Friday, McCarty (6’0/170) scored a goal and assisted on two others as the Oilers won on the road in Cincinnati, 5-3. On Saturday, McCarty assisted on two more goals in a 7-1 home win over the Thunder. The five points were his first of the season. “Ryan's goal sparked the team on Friday. He missed the remaining 3/4 of last season due to a season ending concussion in Marquette. His consistent defensive play along with his offensive contributions helped achieve victories for us both days,” said Wooster head coach Valetino Hernandez.
2nd Star: Kevin Shand, F, Metro Jets
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Marcus Gloss, G, Pittsburgh Vengeance – Nicholas Lyon, F, Pittsburgh Vengeance – Mathias Tellstrom, F, Metro Jets – Alec Walny, F, Toledo Cherokee – Tyler Zalecki, F, Toledo Cherokee – Mike Zenone, F, Wooster Oilers
Frontier Division Star of the Week: Marvin Simmons, forward, Glacier Nationals
Glacier Nationals leading scorer Marvin Simmons, 19, was a one-man wrecking crew this weekend as the Nationals picked up a weekend home split against the Gillette Wild. The veteran forward from Phoenix, AZ, was all over the ice as he totaled eight points and was a +6 in the two games. On Friday, Simmons had three assists and was a +1 in an 8-4 loss. On Saturday, Simmons was even better as he had a hat-trick and two assists and was a +5 in a 6-4 win. For the season, Simmons leads the Nationals with 13 points in nine games played. "Marvin is an explosive player who has a knack for the back of the net. He's been doing very well adjusting his game to be more of a two-way player. He really has come on in the last couple weeks both on and off the ice. We're very excited about his development," stated Nationals head coach Butch Kowalka.
2nd Star: Curtis Greenbush, F, Yellowstone Quake
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Kegan Couture, F, Bozeman Icedogs – Tony Dahlberg, F, Yellowstone Quake - Nick Thompson, D, Bozeman Icedogs
Midwest Division Star of the Week: Andrej Buchko, forward, Peoria Mustangs
The Peoria Mustangs posted a weekend split at home against the always tough Nashville Jr. Predators. Veteran forward Andrej Buchko, 18, was a factor in both games for the Mustangs as he totaled three points in the two games. Buchko (5’9/170) started his weekend on Saturday as he had the game-winning goal late in the 3rd period in a 2-1 win over Nashville. The next day, the native of Peoria, IL had a goal and an assist and was +2 in a 5-4 loss. In 12 games played this year, Buchko has 13 points. In 46 games played with the Mustangs last year, he posted 23 points. “Andrej had a great weekend for us. He scored a few big goals on the weekend for us. He is a player that I am confident to use in key situations and he rises to the challenge of playing against great teams. I am going to be expecting an awful lot from him the rest of the season,” said Peoria head coach Tyler Rennette.
2nd Star: Tomas Loeffelman, F, St. Louis Jr. Blues
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Jack Power Wayvon, D, Peoria Mustangs – Zach Young, G, St. Louis Jr. Blues
South Division Star of the Week: Josh Hamilton, forward, Point Mallard Ducks
The Point Mallard Ducks showed they are one of the best teams in the NA3HL so far this season with a weekend home sweep of the Midwest Division-leading St. Louis Jr. Blues. Ducks forward Josh Hamilton, 19, was the pressure player this weekend as he registered four goals and was +4 in the two, one-goal wins. On Friday, the native of Jamestown, NC, had the game-tying goal and the game-winning goal in overtime as the Ducks beat the Jr. Blues, 4-3. On Saturday, Hamilton scored two more goals, including another game-winner with less than a minute to go in regulation as the Ducks won 5-4. In 11 games played this year, Hamilton (5’8/140) already has 20 points. "Josh has been a consistent threat in all three zones, he plays outstanding defense and he has a great knack for the net. He has delivered quite a few clutch goals for us this year. He competes hard for loose pucks and he goes hard to give net. It is great to see him rewarded for his hard work,” said Ducks head coach Tom Winkler.
2nd Star: Jonathan Adnell, F, Sugar Land Imperials
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Matt Goodman, D, Point Mallard Ducks – Kyle Hooper, F, Sugar Land Imperials – Artus Laukaitis, F, Atlanta Capitals - Kyle Rimbach, F, Atlanta Capitals
West Division Star of the Week: Joe Costello, forward, Twin City Steel
The Twin City Steel remained in 1st place in the West Division thanks to their weekend home sweep over the visiting Chicago Jr. Bulldogs. Veteran forward Joe Costello, 19, made a bog impact during the weekend with nine points and a +5 rating in the two wins. On Friday night, the native of Rochester, MI had a hat-trick and two assists in a 6-4 win over the Jr. Bulldogs. On Saturday, Costello (5’11/165) had two more goals and two assists in an 11-4 win. For the season, Costello leads the Steel in scoring with 17 points in nine games played. "Joe has truly been a leader both on and off the ice this season for us. His determination and hard work paid off this weekend and he has earned everything he has gotten. It's great to have a guy like Joe on your team who doesn't take any days off and makes the others around him better,” said Steel head coach Jay Witta.
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Will Mix, F, Granite City Lumberjacks – Tyler Mros, D, Granite City Lumberjacks