NA3EHL announces Easton Hockey Stars of the Week
The North American 3 Eastern Hockey League (NA3EHL) today announced the Divisional Stars of the Week presented by Easton Hockey for the week ending January 31, 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 two divisions of the NA3EHL as nominated by their head coaches.
East Division Star of the Week: Mike Jessman, forward, Cape Cod Islanders
In three games at the NA3EHL Showcase, Cape Cod forward Mike Jessman, 20, recorded nine points and was a +1 as the 1st place Islanders went 2-1 at the event. The native of Falmouth, MA, and Islanders leading scorer began his weekend with four assists in a 5-3 win over the Lockport Express on Friday. On Saturday, Jessman (5’7/185) had a goal and an assist in a 5-4 win over the Wilkes-Barre Miners. On the final day of the event, he factored in on all his team’s goals as he had a goal and two assists in a 5-3 win. Jessman’s 62 points leads Cape Cod in scoring this season. “Mike is our top scorer and his unselfish play makes all the players around him better. He has been a huge key to our success this season,” said Dan Hodge, President of the Islanders.
2nd Star: Matt Bachman, F, East Coast Minutemen
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Brandon Hamner, F, New England Stars – Hunter Ledwith, F, Skylands Kings – Cole Skelly, D, Skylands Kings
West Division Star of the Week: Daniel Backstrom, forward, New York Aviators
The Aviators had a great Showcase, going 3-0, and forward Daniel Backstrom, 21, exploded for some eye-popping numbers at the event. In the three wins, the native of Helsinki, Finland, had 15 points, which included six goals, nine assists and a +18 rating. On Friday, Backstrom (6’0/190) had two goals and four assists in an 11-0 win over the Northeast Generals. On Saturday, he recorded another two goals and four assists in a 11-3 win over the Maine Wild. On the final day, he had two goals, including the game-winner, and an assist in a 5-4 win over Lockport. For the season, Backstrom ranks 2nd in team scoring with 67 points in 28 games played. “Daniel and his entire line had a dominant performance at the Showcase. We are looking for him to continue to be an impact player as we get ready for the post-season,” said New York head coach Mike Stanaway.
2nd Star: Kyle VanWagner, G, Syracuse Stampede
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Justin Allen, F, Roc City Royals – Mathieu Beaudet, G, Wilkes-Barre Miners – Ryan Flanagan, F, Wilkes-Barre Miners – Chris Gasiewicz, F, Lockport Express – Jared Karas, F, Jersey Shore Wildcats – Patrick Massey, G, Roc City Royals – Frank Vecchio II, F, Lockport Express – Nate Walker, F, Syracuse Stampede
