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 March 13, 2016. 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: Adam Orn, defenseman, North Iowa Bulls
North Iowa Bulls defenseman Adam Orn, 20, had a big weekend as the Bulls put a cap on a record-breaking regular season with a three-game sweep of the Chicago Jr. Bulldogs. The native of Ramsey, MN, had 10 points and was a +11 in the three wins, in which the Bulls outscored Chicago, 36-0. On Friday, Orn (6’0/185) had an assist in a 14-0 win. On Saturday, he had two assists in a 12-0 win and on Sunday, he had two goals and five assists in a 10-0 win. For the season, Orn finished in a tie for 3rd among scoring of NA3HL defensemen with 49 points in 46 games played, however, his +69 rating was tops among all NA3HL players. “Adam has steadily raised his game and will be looked upon to continue raising it as we enter the playoffs,” said North Iowa head coach Todd Sanden.
2nd Star: Peter Henderson, F, Wisconsin Whalers
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Ben Henderson, F, La Crosse Freeze – David Johnson, G, North Iowa Bulls – Trey McMillen, D, Rochester Ice Hawks – Nick Paulson, F, Rochester Ice Hawks – Ben Ratner, F, Wisconsin Whalers
East Division Star of the Week: Tyler Zalecki, forward, Toledo Cherokee
Toledo, who will be the #2 seed in the East Division heading into the playoffs, put a nice cap on their regular season with a sweep of the Cincinnati Thunder. Forward Tyler Zalecki, 20, had a good weekend, recording five points and a +2 rating in the two wins. On Friday, the native of Northwood, OH, had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win. On Saturday, Zalecki (5’11/185) had two goals, including the game-winner, and an assist in another 5-2 win. For the season, Zalecki finished 2nd in team scoring with 63 points in 45 games played, which included a team-high 43 assists. “Tyler was a force this weekend. He took the game over Saturday and is very deserving of this award this week,” said Toledo head coach Kenny Miller.
2nd Star: Matt Dempsey, F, Metro Jets
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Vincent Casale, F, Pittsburgh Vengeance – Graham Day, F, Metro Jets – Jacob Stack, G, Pittsburgh Vengeance
Frontier Division Star of the Week: Johnny Bonta, forward, Helena Bighorns
Despite on missing out of the playoffs by two points, the Helena Bighorns did what they had to do over the weekend to have a chance, which was sweep their series against Glacier. Forward Johnny Bonta, 20, made his last junior hockey games count as the native of West Chester, OH, had six points and was a +6 in the two wins. On Friday, Bonta (5’10/150) had four assists in a 6-2 win at home over the Nationals. On Saturday, he scored the game-winning goal in his final junior hockey game and added an assist in another 6-2 win on the road in Glacier. For the season, Bonta had 42 points in 47 games played, which ranked tied for 2nd in scoring for the Bighorns. “Johnny has worked hard the last two seasons for this program and is consistently one of the top producers on the ice. This past weekend against Glacier he had a hand in almost every goal scored and was the hardest worker on the ice. The coaching and management staff are proud to have had Johnny here in Helena his last two seasons. Johnny is currently weighing his options for college hockey next season and we are excited to seem him continue to progress at the next level,” said Bighorns general manager Jon Jonasson.
2nd Star: Kyle Johnson, F, Great Falls Americans
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Kegan Couture, F, Bozeman Icedogs – Riley Holwegner, F, Gillette Wild – Lance Knudson, G, Yellowstone Quake – Steven Nisbet, F, Bozeman Icedogs – Jarrett Scheibel, F, Helena Bighorns
Midwest Division Star of the Week: Anthony Iacullo, forward, Peoria Mustangs
Thanks to three points in two games over the weekend, the Peoria Mustangs managed to lock up the #2 seed in the Midwest Division with a win and overtime loss against the division-leading St. Louis Jr. Blues. Forward Anthony Iacullo, 18, kept his hot play going in the series with five points and a +4 rating in the two games. On Saturday, the native of Barrington, IL, had two assists in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Jr. Blues. On Sunday, Iacullo (5’6/160) had a hat-trick in a 4-1 win that secured 2nd place and home ice in the division during the upcoming Midwest Division Semi-Finals. For the season, the reigning NA3HL Forward of the Month, had 30 points in just 16 games played and finished the regular season riding a six-game point streak. “Anthony is at the top of his game right now and going into the playoffs he will need to continue playing at a high level. He has the capability of taking over a game and he is being rewarded for it,” said Peoria head coach Tyler Rennette.
2nd Star: James Frantz, F, Cincinnati Thunder
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Dominic Caito, F, St. Louis Jr. Blues – Kyle Kinnaman, F, Cincinnati Thunder – Tomas Loeffelman, F, St. Louis Jr. Blues – Jack Power Wayvon, D, Peoria Mustangs
South Division Star of the Week: Jonathan Adnell, forward, Sugar Land Imperials
The Sugar Land Imperials are headed to the playoffs and geared up this past weekend with a three-game home series against the Euless Jr. Stars. Forward Jonathan Adnell, 21, had a big weekend as the native of Stockholm, Sweden, had nine points in the three games and finished as Sugar Land’s scoring leader during the regular season. On Friday, Adnell (5’10/169) had a hat-trick, including the game-winning goal and added an assist in a 5-4 overtime win. On Saturday, he recorded another hat-trick and an assist in an 8-2 win. On Sunday, he scored another goal in a 5-4 loss. For the season, Adnell had 67 points in 47 games played. “Jonathan has once again stepped up for the team with his incredible weekend. Back-to-back hat tricks and multiple assists helped our team at a crucial time, as we gear up for the playoffs. We will continue to look to Jonathan to help lead our team again in the coming weekend in Alabama,” said Imperials General Manager Jamie Feltus.
2nd Star: Sean Angle, G, Louisiana Drillers
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Brock Brown, F, Texas Jr. Brahmas – Sam Gagnon, F, Texas Jr. Brahmas – Luca Valenza, F, Sugar Land Imperials
West Division Star of the Week: Matt Flom, forward, Granite City Lumberjacks
Thanks to five points in three games this past weekend, the Granite City Lumberjacks locked up the NA3HL’s West Division regular season title and #1 seed in the playoffs. Forward Matt Flom, 18, had a big weekend as the native if Minot, ND, had six points and was a +5 in the three games. On Friday, the Lumberjacks clinched the division with a 5-3 win at home over the Twin City Steel as Flom scored twice in the win. On Saturday, Flom (5’6/165) had a goal and an assist in a 6-0 shutout win on the road in Breezy Point. On Sunday, Flom had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 shootout loss at home against the North Stars to round out the regular season. In 39 games played this season, Flom finished 2nd on the team with 38 points. “Matt had a solid weekend for us. He has great vision and distributes the puck well. He has been a key player down the stretch with 16 points in his last eight games,” said Lumberjacks head coach Brad Willner.
2nd Star: Ryan Mezera, F, Breezy Point North Stars
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Casey Esselman, D, Granite City Lumberjacks – Wes Paupore, G, Breezy Point North Stars
