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 February 22, 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 five divisions of the NA3HL as nominated by their head coaches.
Central Division Star of the Week: Hunter Vorva, goalie, West Michigan Wolves
The West Michigan Wolves gave their division title chances a big shot in the arm as they picked up a big weekend sweep in Wisconsin against the Whalers. 19-year-old goalie Hunter Vorva was on fire during the weekend as the Kalamazoo, Michigan native started and won both games, giving up just two goals in the process. Vorva (5’10/150) faced a total of 111 shots in the two games and made 109 saves. On Friday, Vorva made 57 saves in a 2-1 win and on Saturday he made 52 saves in a 3-1 win. For the season, Vorva ranks 1st among all NA3HL active goalies with a 94.2% save percentage. “Hunter is playing very strong right now and he has a lot of confidence. He is ready for the next level and it is showing in the way he has climbed the ladder of development,” said West Michigan head coach Marc Fakler.
2nd Star: Mitchell McPherson, F, Peoria Mustangs
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Devin Farkas, F, West Michigan Wolves – Billy Hindle, G, St. Louis Jr. Blues – Chris Johansen, G, Wisconsin Whalers – Nathan Marlow, D, Peoria Mustangs – Andrew McGlynn, F, St. Louis Jr. Blues – Evan Moyse, G, Wisconsin Whalers – Dan Toycen, F, La Crosse Freeze – Taylor Trapp, F, La Crosse Freeze
East Division Star of the Week: Ryan Bloom, forward, Metro Jets
The Metro Jets kept their division title hopes alive with a sweep of Southern Tier to stay in a tie for the 1st place in the East Division. Newly acquired forward Ryan Bloom, 19, had three goals during the weekend sweep with a +2 rating. He scored the game-winning goal in both of the wins. On Friday night, the Northville, Michigan native had two goals, including the game-winner, in a 5-4 win. On Saturday, Bloom (5’11/175) had the game-winner in a 4-0 win. In five games with the Jets this season, Bloom has seven points and six goals. He spent the earlier part of this season with the Michigan Warriors in the NAHL. "Ryan has been a great addition to our club and has made a smooth transition from the Warriors. He brings another element of offensive punch and is a character young man. Hopefully this environment will help provide him another element of exposure, because he has a bright future,” said Metro head coach Justin Quenneville.
2nd Star: Brenden Williams, F, Cincinnati Swords
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Oliver Ahlberg, F, Cincinnati Swords – Brandon Desrosiers, F, Southern Tier Xpress – Kameron Limburg, G, Metro Jets
Frontier Division Star of the Week: Gunnar Mogck, forward, Bozeman Icedogs
Bozeman leading scorer Gunnar Mogck, 19, helped his team split a pair of weekend games and had five points in the process. On Friday, the native of Fargo, North Dakota, had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 loss vs. division-leading Great Falls. On Saturday, Mogck (5’7/170) scored twice, including the game-winning goal, in a 4-1 win against Yellowstone. He was also +2 for the weekend. In 44 games this season, Mogck leads the team with 50 points and 23 goals. “Gunnar has been upping his game at the end of the year and has done a good job for us before heading to the Top Prospects Tournament in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Gunnar leads the team in scoring for the second season in a row and has done a much better job in the defensive end as well," said Bozeman head coach Mark Vichorek.
2nd Star: Tyler Reble, D, Gillette Wild
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Ryan Bochert, F, Gillette Wild – Johnny Bonta, F, Helena Bighorns – Devin Panzeca, F, Bozeman Icedogs – Marvin Simmons, F, Glacier Nationals – Nick Trefry, D, Helena Bighorns
South Division Star of the Week: Devin Pierce, forward, Texas Jr. Brahmas
Texas forward Devin Pierce, 18, was a one-man wrecking crew this weekend as the playoff-bound Jr. Brahmas picked up a three-game sweep on the road in Sugar Land. The 5’11/175 lbs. native of Franklin, Tennessee, totaled 11 points in the three wins and was a +6. On Friday, Pierce had two goals and three assists in a 9-3 win. On Saturday, he recorded three more assists in an 8-2 win and on Sunday, he scored two more goals and added an assist in a 8-2 win to complete the big weekend. In 30 games this season with Texas, Pierce has 40 points. "Devin once again demonstrated his growth and development as a player this past weekend. He is really hitting his stride at the right time of year for us, and it was a great way to head up to Top Prospects this week as a representative of the Brahmas on the NA3HL Selects team there. He works hard on and off the ice on his game to better himself and it shows. He's really playing lights out hockey for us right now,” said Texas head coach Al Rooney.
2nd Star: Justin Provencher, D, Point Mallard Ducks
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Nick Ford, F, Texas Jr. Brahmas – Chris Mallon, G, Dallas Jr. Stars – Nick Mammel, F, Nashville Jr. Predators – Brad Reitter, F, Point Mallard Ducks – Aaron Torres, F, Dallas Jr. Stars
West Division Star of the Week: Brett Gravelle, forward, North Iowa Bulls
The North Iowa Bulls put themselves in the driver’s seat for another division title as they picked up a weekend home-and-home sweep over the Twin City Steel. 19-year-old forward Brett Gravelle was a big part of the offense that scored 12 goals in the two wins as the Forest Lake, Minnesota native chimed in with five points in the two wins. On Friday, Gravelle (5’10/180) had two assists in a 7-5 road win in Twin City and on Saturday, he picked up three more assists in a 5-2 home win against the Steel. For the season, Gravelle ranks 2nd in the team scoring with 57 points in just 34 games played. “The consistency in his production is driving his success. Brett has had a big impact on the power play, which is a big part of our overall success as a team,” said North Iowa head coach Todd Sanden.
2nd Star: David Kenney, F, Granite City Lumberjacks
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Mathias Ahman, D, Twin City Steel – Chris Amsden, G, North Iowa Bulls – Brooke Evans, F, Breezy Point North Stars – Ryan Herbert, F, Breezy Point North Stars – Will Mix, F, Granite City Lumberjacks – Tom Reilly, F, Twin City Steel
