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 January 5, 2020. 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: Tyler Bihun, F, Peoria Mustangs
Bihun opened the new year with a bang, snapping a seven-game pointless skid with a stunning six points in two games over the weekend. After scoring once and assisting twice on Saturday, Bihun’s playmaking was again on display as he notched three helpers in Sunday’s win over Coulee Region. Bihun’s quiet season on the scoresheet lit up in a big way after his outburst, effectively doubling his point totals to 4g-8a—12pts this season.
2nd Star: Brett Tome, G, St. Louis Jr. Blues
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Joey Boccardi, D, St. Louis Jr. Blues — Jesper Hofling, F, Rochester Grizzlies — Clayton Shultz, D, Rochester Grizzlies — Jared Wisely, F, Peoria Mustangs
Coastal Division Star of the Week: Luke Church, F, Maine Wild
The Wild picked up a pair of statement wins over Danbury over the weekend, thanks in large part to five points from Church. Friday saw him nab a goal and an assist, while Saturday featured a pair of goals and another helper. Church’s lamplighting prowess stretched his goal streak to four games, during which he netted eight times. Church has now logged 19g-16a—35pts in 32 games this season, prior to Wednesday’s matchup.
2nd Star: Nicholas Wracker, F, Northeast Generals
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Ian Kuntz, D, Northeast Generals
Frontier Division Star of the Week: Abraham Laggis, F, Helena Bighorns
Laggis saw his six-game point streak snapped on New Year’s Eve, but rebounded with a whopping eight points in a back-to-back set against Yellowstone last weekend. He bagged his first hat-trick of the season on Friday en route to a stunning four-goal, two-assist showing that night. Laggis then followed up his remarkable performance with another two assists on Saturday, stretching his season totals to 13g-19a—32pts in 31 games this season.
2nd Star: Jake Hayes, F, Great Falls Americans
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Darren Donovan, F, Helena Bighorns — Jacob Kaminski, F, Gillette Wild — Harley Nyhuis, F, Great Falls Americans — Declan Young, F, Gillette Wild
Northeast Division Star of the Week: Andrew Engel, G, Elmira Jr. Soaring Eagles
Engel was a busy man between the pipes for Elmira last week, starting three straight games from Friday-Sunday and winning all three despite facing 152 shots in that span. Though he allowed nine goals during that stretch, Engel’s heavy workload saw him post a stout .942 save percentage with 143 total saves, turning aside 48, 57 and 38 pucks in the respective contests. Engel has now won four of his last five starts.
2nd Star: Khole Hibbert, F, Skylands Kings
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Jacob King, G, Skylands Kings — Thomas Liebold, F, Elmira Jr. Soaring Eagles
South Division Star of the Week: Jacob Cummings, F, Louisiana Drillers
A pair of tight tilts against the RoadRunners saw the Drillers split the set, but Cummings’ first two outings in a Louisiana sweater featured a good bit of offensive flair from the Alaskan forward. After netting his first goal on Friday in a tough loss, Cummings lit the lamp once more on Saturday and set up two other goals to drive a 4-2 Drillers win and make it four points across his first two NA3HL contests.
2nd Star: Trevor Borlace, F, Texas RoadRunners
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Michael Krupinski, D, Texas RoadRunners — Blake Siewertsen, F, Louisiana Drillers
West Division Star of the Week: Bailey Sommers, F, Granite City Lumberjacks
Sommers was a beacon of consistency for Granite City, scoring five times in back-to-back tilts against Willmar and Alexandria. A two-goal, one-assist effort on Friday gave way to his first hat-trick of the season on Saturday, during which he also grabbed the game-winning strike. Sommers’ six-point swing saw his season totals climb to 18g-10a—28pts in 27 games this year.
2nd Star: Noah Roitman, D, North Iowa Bulls
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Evan Babekuhl, G, North Iowa Bulls — Mason Enright, F, New Ulm Steel — Ryan Pogue, F, Granite City Lumberjacks
