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 25, 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: Jacob Silverstein, goalie, La Crosse Freeze
Silverstein, the 16-year-old from Minnetrista, Minnesota collected his first NA3HL win during his debut against Alexandria on Saturday. The 6’1/140 lbs goaltender earned a 0.938 SV% with 30 saves on 32 shots through 56 minutes of play. “Jacob was called on in relief in his first NA3HL action, and gave our team a chance to win,” said Head Coach Rob Hodnicki. “The guys rallied around him and Jacob made a lot of big saves down the stretch to earn his first win.”
2nd Star: Kadin Machusak, F, La Crosse Freeze
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): none
Coastal Division Star of the Week: Martins Vitolins, forward, Long Beach Sharks
The 20-year-old forward Martins Vitolins continued his blazing start to the season by tallying 13 points and a +6 rating over the weekend. The 5’8/165 lb native of Riga, Latvia collected 5 goals, including the game-winning goal, in Sunday’s game against New England. Vitolins’ efforts allowed him to extend his point streak to 6 games. “Martins had an incredible game,” said Head Coach Mike Hanaway. “He is a very competitive player that can put up numbers. What makes him a good player is he could care less about the points. The only points he cares about are the two points for winning.”
2nd Star: Peter Ciccarelli, G, Northeast Generals
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Oscar Lindberg, F, Long Beach Sharks – Landon Hasenfuss, F, Northeast Generals – Anton Zemba, G, Cape Cod Islanders
East Division Star of the Week: Graham Day, forward, Metro Jets
20-year-old forward, Graham Day, pushed his point streak to 7 by way of 7 assists in two games against Pittsburgh. The 6’1/190 lbs forward of Rochester, Michigan stood at +4 after the two-win weekend. "Our guys did a great job distributing the puck this weekend and it showed on the stat sheet. Our captain was one of those who contributed on many goals and a big reason for our play as a group this past weekend. Graham has really grown into a versatile player and has a bright future ahead of him," said Head Coach Justin Quenneville
2nd Star: Dylan Naumovski, F, Metro Jets
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): none
Frontier Division Star of the Week: Riley Holwegner, forward, Gillette Wild
Holwegner, the 19-year-old Wild forward saw his first action in 2016-17, collecting 1 goal and 4 assists over the weekend against the Glacier Nationals. The 5’10/190 lbs native of Bismarck, North Dakota finished his opening weekend with a +7 rating. "Riley had a big opening weekend for us. He is one of our leaders on the team and it was great to see him get off to a fast start this season. He is a player that we rely heavily on and to see him play so well out of the gates was definitely a joy to watch as a coach,” said Head Coach Brendon Hodge.
2nd Star: Luke Olson, G, Bozeman Icedogs
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Zach Ahiers, D, Bozeman Icedogs – Keith Gustin, F, Billings Bulls – Colt Johnson, F, Gillette Wild – Dillon Steh, F, Billings Bulls
Midwest Division Star of the Week: Samuel Dorff, defenseman, Cincinnati Thunder
Defenseman Samuel Dorff netted his first goal of the season on Saturday night, contributing his team’s weekend sweep over Evansville. Dorff, the 6’0/185 lbs 18-year-old from West Chester, Ohio also collected 3 assists and a +2 rating. “Sam had a great weekend that included his first ever NA3HL goal,” said Head Coach Ryan Colville. “As a young player in his 2nd season, Sam has grown tremendously on the ice in a year and continues to excel off the ice. He has always been a great, rugged defender and his offense is now starting to catch up.”
2nd Star: Weiland Parrish, F, Nashville Jr. Predators
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Daniel Dunaway, F, St. Louis Jr. Blues – Ivan Galaguzov, F, St. Louis Jr. Blues – Logan Orem, F, Nashville Jr. Predators – Cobin Sanborn, F, Cincinnati Thunder
Northeast Division Star of the Week: Tyler Uravage, forward, Binghamton Jr. Senators
A 3-goal, 3-assist performance by 19-year-old Tyler Uravage helped the Senators grab two wins over Cape Cod this weekend. With a +4 rating through both games, the 6’1/180 lbs Wyoming, Pennsylvania native was also credited with the game-winning goal on Sunday. “Tyler's work-ethic on and off the ice has been outstanding early in the season,” said Head Coach Chris Laganiere. “His contributions on the ice this past weekend led our team to two big wins.”
2nd Star: Martin Sten, G, Syracuse Stampede
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Rocco DeRollo, D, Syracuse Stampede – Peter Izzo, F, Roc City Royals – Conor Landrigan, F, Binghamton Jr. Senators – Viktor Vasilev, F, Jersey Shore Wildcats
South Division Star of the Week: Nolan Bivlocic, goalie, Atlanta Capitals
20-year-old goaltender Nolan Bivlocic held strong for the Capitals over the weekend, recording two shutouts in his season debut. The 6’2/180 lbs native of Los Gatos, California stopped 78 shots of 80 through 120 minutes of play. “Biv was by far the difference this past weekend. Any time you go on the road, especially early in the season in a tough rink like Point Mallard, your goaltender must be your best player. He looked poised and comfortable and our guys fed off his confidence,” said Atlanta Head Coach Dennis Canfield.
2nd Star: Jacob Istre, F, Louisiana Drillers
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Melker Kroon, F, Texas Jr. Brahmas – Anton Minaev, F, Atlanta Capitals
West Division Star of the Week: Tristyn Sabina, forward, Breezy Point North Stars
Breezy Point forward Tristyn Sabina lit the lamp for the North Stars with a 5-goal, 2-assist performance over the weekend. The 5’9/170 lbs native of Kansas City, Missouri contributed a +5 total rating through the two-game sweep over Wisconsin. "Tristyn had another great weekend where he was consistently one of the best players on the ice,” said Head Coach Jon Jonasson. “Along with his 7 points this weekend, he played a 200ft game which is making him a threat anywhere on the ice."
2nd Star: Kennan Lund, F, Granite City Lumberjacks
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Josh Laven, F, Breezy Point North Stars – Alex Nagel, F, New Ulm Steel – Orlando Scherz, F, New Ulm Steel – Owen Sikich, F, Granite City Lumberjacks