NA3HL announces Bauer Divisional Stars of the Week
The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) today announced the Divisional Stars of the Week presented by Bauer Hockey for the week ending September 11, 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 eight divisions of the NA3HL as nominated by their head coaches.
Central Division Star of the Week: Steven Mordini, defenseman, North Iowa Bulls
New Bulls defenseman Steven Mordini, 18, had a goal and an assist in a weekend split against Peoria in the Bulls home opener. The 5’11/185 lbs. native of Baraboo, WI, had both points in a 7-3 loss on Saturday and he was a +1 on Sunday in a 4-3 overtime win. “Steven was a dominant player for us last weekend. He has the ability to use his speed and hands to elude opponents and is as dynamic offensively as any defenseman we have had here. He plays an up tempo game that creates opportunities for himself and teammates,” said Bulls head coach Todd Sanden.
2nd Star: Connor Clemons, F, North Iowa Bulls
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): None
Coastal Division Star of the Week: Martins Vitolins, forward, Long Beach Sharks
Long Beach forward Martins Vitolins had 10 points in a weekend sweep of the East Coast Minutemen this past weekend. The 5’8/165 lbs. native of Riga, Latvia, recorded seven points in a 14-2 win on Friday and three points in a 5-4 win on Saturday. Vitolins, 20, has the early NA3HL scoring lead after one weekend. “Martins certainly had an explosive start to the year. He has certain goals in mind for the season and I feel that if he works extremely hard he can accomplish his personal as well as his team goals for the season,” said Sharks head coach Mike Stanaway.
2nd Star: Anton Zemba, G, Cape Cod Islanders
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Oskar Lindburg, F, Long Beach Sharks
East Division Star of the Week: EJ Gilbert, forward, Toledo Cherokee
Toledo forward EJ Gilbert, 18, had a big weekend in a weekend sweep of Wooster as the 6’2/180 lbs. native of Dexter, MI, had eight points, including seven goals in two weekend wins. That included five goals in a 7-2 win on Saturday night. “EJ has the ability to score whenever he is on the ice and he did that this weekend. He and his line mates were able to take over both games this past weekend,” said Cherokee head coach Kenny Miller.
2nd Star: Ricky Kwapich, F, Toledo Cherokee
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Cole Barney, D, Wooster Oilers – Andrew Kormos, G, Metro Jets – Trenton Molnix, F, Wooster Oilers – Trevor Momot, F, Metro Jets
Midwest Division Star of the Week: Tomas Loeffelman, forward, St. Louis Jr. Blues
St. Louis forward Tomas Loeffelman, 18, led his club to a opening weekend home sweep of the Cincinnati Thunder. The 5’8/155 lbs. native of Oakville, MO, had five points in the two wins, which included three goals. “Tommy set the tone for our forwards for the season. He played hard and competed all weekend and was rewarded on the score sheet,” said Jr. Blues head coach Chris Flaugher.
2nd Star: Austin Wisely, F, Peoria Mustanags
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Tony Iacullo, F, Peoria Mustangs – Regnars Udris, D, St. Louis Jr. Blues
Northeast Division Star of the Week: Mathias Yttereng, goaltender, Skylands Kings
Skylands Kings goalie Mathias Yttereng, 19, had quite the season debut this weekend as the 6’1/210 lbs. native of Trondheim, Norway, made 53 saves in a 4-3 shootout win on Saturday over the Binghamton Jr. Senators. "As one of only a handful of returning players, Mathias is taking on a leadership role on and off the ice. In first game back, his outstanding play allowed team to earn a victory," said Kings head coach Alex Shindelman.
2nd Star: None
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): None
West Division Star of the Week: Trystin Sabina, forward, Breezy Point North Stars
Breezy Point forward Trystin Sabina, 20, had a good weekend in the opening games for the North Stars as the 5’9/170 lbs. native of Kansas City, MO, had five points in two games. Four of the five points came in an 8-0 win over Rochester on Saturday night. “Trystin spent Friday getting the rust off and came out Saturday against Rochester playing his game. We as a staff are looking forward to seeing what he can accomplish this season, as he aims to land with an NCAA program by seasons end,” said North Stars head coach Jon Jonasson.
2nd Star: David Carey, F, Alexandria Blizzard
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Sam Moberg, G, Breezy Point North Stars