NA3HL announces Divisional Stars of the Week presented by Bauer Hockey
The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) today announced the Divisional Stars of the Week presented by Bauer Hockey for the week ending October 8, 2019. The divisional stars of the week are awards 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: Jacob Wiethaupt, F, St. Louis Jr. Blues
Wiethaupt put on a show at the NA3HL East Showcase, bagging six points in three games played. After being held off the scoresheet in the opening contest of the weekend, Wiethaupt exploded with two goals and two assists against Northeast, followed by another pair of goals against Atlanta. Wiethaupt’s 16 points are good for a share of ninth in the NA3HL.
2nd Star: Joey Fodstad, F, Rochester Grizzlies
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Jacob Best, F, Coulee Region Chill — Devin Naidow, G, Coulee Region Chill — Garrett Smith, F, Rochester Grizzlies — Brett Tome, G, St. Louis Jr. Blues
Coastal Division Star of the Week: Kolye Bankauskas, F, Northeast Generals
The league’s leading scorer was at it again during the East Showcase, bagging 10 points in three games to bring his total to 13g-12a—25pts in just nine games this season. Sunday saw him set up three teammates for goals, while Monday featured a balanced goal and an assist from Bankauskas. He truly shined on Tuesday, as he bagged his second hat-trick of the season and another two helpers for his second outing of five or more points in the 2019-20 season.
2nd Star: Anthony Viola, F, New England Stars
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Michael Lempiainen, F, New England Stars — Stephen Gerbis, F, Northeast Generals
Frontier Division Star of the Week: AJ Ruskowski, G, Bozeman Icedogs
The Icedogs are off to a scorching 7-0-0 start, and Ruskowski’s work between the pipes is a huge reason why. With wins in each of his first two starts this year, Ruskowski bagged another two W’s in a home-and-home against Helena last week, stopping 82 of 85 shots including a 37-save shutout on Saturday. Ruskowski has yet to post a single-game save percentage lower than .917, and leads all goalies with three or more starts with a .959 mark on the season.
2nd Star: Trevor Mellen, G, Great Falls Americans
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Nathan Fanning, F, Gillette Wild — Jake Hayes, F, Great Falls Americans — Jacob Kaminski, F, Gillette Wild — Ian McIntosh, D, Helena Bighorns — Justin Schwartzmiller, F, Sheridan Hawks — Luke Thiesen, F, Helena Bighorns — Christian Veneruzzo, F, Bozeman Icedogs
Northeast Division Star of the Week: Kolby Donovan, F, Danbury Colonials
Danbury struggled at the outset of the East Showcase but capped it off with a huge win, thanks to efforts like Donovan’s. The Colorado native bagged assists in each of the opening two contests at the showcase before coming up clutch for his team with a 2g-1a—3pts performance — including the GWG — in a 4-1 win over previously unbeaten L/A. Donovan now boasts points in four straight games after netting a single goal in his first five outings of the season.
2nd Star: Dylan Dinzik, D, Skylands Kings
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): James Clarke, F, Skylands Kings — Michael Nardi, G, Danbury Colonials
South Division Star of the Week: Jack Cooper, F, Texas Brahmas
Cooper was held scoreless in his first game this season, but has hit the scoresheet in each contest since, including a stunning six points across two games last week. As Texas split a weekend set with Louisiana, Cooper assisted both Brahmas tallies on Saturday, and netted his first hat-trick of the year on Sunday to go with another helper — his fourth straight game with an assist. In total, Cooper boasts nine points in five games to start the season, which leads the Brahmas.
2nd Star: Andrei Rusakov, F, Atlanta Capitals
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Joey Allegrini, D, Atlanta Capitals — Trevor Borlace, F, Texas Roadrunners — Cole Garver, G, Texas Roadrunners — Grant Griffin, F, Louisiana Drillers — Grady Reis, G, Louisiana Drillers — Findlay Wood, F, Texas Brahmas
West Division Star of the Week: Cam Fagerlee, F, North Iowa Bulls
Fagerlee entered the week with points in two straight, and kept his momentum rolling with a whopping 4g-4a—8pts in a pair of wins over Willmar. His first hat-trick of the season highlighted Friday’s victory, where he also grabbed an assist, while Saturday saw Fagerlee shift to a playmaking role as he scored the game-winning goal and set up three others for another win. Fagerlee has now potted 11 points in his last four games to climb atop the Bulls’ scoring ranks.
2nd Star: Blake Spetz, F, Granite City Lumberjacks
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Matt Dahlseide, F, North Iowa Bulls — Ryan Pogue, F, Granite City Lumberjacks - Caleb Strong, F, Alexandria Blizzard
