NA3HL announces Bauer Divisional Stars of the Week
Honors go to Mitch Dolter (North Iowa), Jesse Johnson (Great Falls), Nick Balestra (St. Louis) and Will Mix (Granite City).
The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) announced today the Divisional Stars of the Week presented by Bauer Hockey for the week ending January 1, 2017. The divisional stars of the week are 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: David (Mitch) Dolter, forward, North Iowa Bulls
Faribault, MN native Mitch Dolter returned from the holiday with the gift of goals for the North Iowa Bulls. The 19-year-old forward netted three goals this weekend, which included one on the power-play, and one being a game-winner. Dolter was +3 through the weekend for North Iowa. “Mitch Dolter, from Faribault, MN has been finding the back of the net consistently lately. His three goals last weekend were part of a stretch where he has scored in 5 of our last 6 games,” said General Manager and Head Coach Todd Sanden.
2nd Star: Mike Lyons, defenseman, North Iowa Bulls
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Bailey Schmitz, goaltender, Rochester Ice Hawks
Coastal Division Star of the Week: did not play this week.
East Division Star of the Week: did not play this week.
Frontier Division Star of the Week: Jesse Johnson, defenseman, Great Falls Americans
Playing a strong two-way game this weekend was Great Falls defenseman Jesse Johnson. The 20-year-old from Anchorage, AK notched five points for the Americans, including two goals and three assists. Johnson was also a +5. “Jesse recently got his wisdom teeth removed, and he had not seen game-speed on the ice in a bit. To see him come back, and not miss a beat, was great,” said Assistant Coach Erik Gatson.
2nd Star: Dane Rieger, defenseman, Helena Bighorns
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Zach Ahiers, defenseman, Bozeman Icedogs – Alex Kruger, goaltender, Helena Bighorns – Liam Millar, forward, Bozeman Icedogs – Adam Vandenbos, forward, Great Falls Americans
Midwest Division Star of the Week: Nick Balestra, forward, St. Louis Jr. Blues
Ringing in the new year with double-digit points was St. Louis forward Nick Balestra. The 18-year-old Jr. Blues stand out registered ten points through the weekend, which included four goals (one game-winner) and six assists. The Ballwin, MO native was +6, and had two goals on the power-play. “Nick had an outstanding weekend on the scoresheet. He played a big role in our 3-game sweep, and helped the team snap their losing streak,” said Head Coach Chris Flaugher.
2nd Star: Jack Hatton, forward, St. Louis Jr. Blues
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): none.
Northeast Division Star of the Week: did not play this week.
South Division Star of the Week: did not play this week.
West Division Star of the Week: Will Mix, forward, Granite City Lumberjacks
Granite City’s Will Mix showed off his leadership this weekend for the Lumberjacks. The 20-year-old from Kennewick, WA scored three goals, including a game-winning goal, and was +2 through the weekend. “Will had a great offensive game for us against Alexandria. Just after Alex tied the game, he scored on the next shift to lead us to victory. That's being a great leader,” said Head Coach Bradley Willner.
2nd Star: Alex Weissenborn, goaltender, Willmar WarHawks
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Brady Dahl, forward, Granite City Lumberjacks – Dylan Gast, forward, Willmar WarHawks – Max Kjome, defenseman, New Ulm Steel – Orlando Scherz, forward, New Ulm Steel
