NA3HL announces Divisional Stars of the Week
The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) today announced the Divisional Stars of the Week presented by Easton for the week ending November 2, 2014. 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: Ryan Martin, forward, Wisconsin Whalers
Wisconsin forward Ryan Martin, 19, made his return to the line-up a few weeks ago after being sidelined with mononucleosis to start the season and hasn’t missed a beat. The same skill and play that saw the Rochester, MN native earn the NA3HL Rookie of the Year Award last year, has translated into success in the first six games this season and last weekend was no exception. Martin (5’10/170) helped the Whalers to a weekend home-and-home sweep of the La Crosse Freeze. In the two wins, Martin had six points (4 goals, 2 assists) and was a +6. In each of the two wins, Martin had two goals and an assist. In just six games played this season, Martin has 10 points. “It was a tough home and home series and Ryan was great. We also got some great goaltending as well. He is just getting back from having mono and really showed signs of playing like he did last year. Ryan is blessed with a lot of skill,” said Wisconsin head coach Tom McDermott.
2nd Star: Austin Wisely, F, Peoria Mustangs
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Devin Farkas, F, West Michigan Wolves – Adam Havener, F, St. Louis Jr. Blues – Franky Melton, F, St. Louis – Michael Tratar, F, West Michigan Wolves – David Volkmann, G, Wisconsin Whalers – Austin Ziakas, D, Peoria Mustangs
East Division Star of the Week: Mark McGee, forward, Toledo Cherokee
Toledo forward Mark McGee, 20, is another player that has experienced a lot of NA3HL success in a short amount of time. This past weekend the native of Canton, MI led the Cherokee to a weekend road sweep of Cincinnati. McGee (5’9/185) totaled seven points in the two wins, which included four goals and three assists. In addition he was a +3. On Saturday, McGee had a hat-trick and two assists in a 6-1 win. On Sunday, he had the game-winning goal and an assist in a 5-1 win. In just five games with Toledo this season, McGee has 12 points. “Mark is an elite player, he has been a great addition to our lineup and his play this weekend showed that,” said Toledo head coach Kenny Miller.
2nd Star: Tyler Dalton, F, Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Glen Bates, G, Toledo Cherokee – Jessie Fracassi, F, Cincinnati Swords – Adam Schaffer, D, Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks – Gennadi Zabeline, D, Cincinnati Swords
Frontier Division Star of the Week: Jack Cleaver, defenseman, Gillette Wild
With a weekend road split in Helena against the Bighorns, the Gillette Wild moved into 2nd place in the Frontier Division with an 8-5-0 record. 18-year-old defenseman Jack Cleaver was a factor in both games as the San Jose, CA native continued his recent strong of strong play. On Friday night, Cleaver (5’10/165) assisted on the eventual game-winning goal in a 5-1 win over the Bighorns. On Saturday night, Cleaver had a goal and an assist in a close 4-2 loss. For the weekend, Cleaver totaled three points and was a +5. For the season, Cleaver leads all Wild defensemen in scoring with six points in 11 games played. “Jack played exceptional all weekend. It was important for us to get a quality win on the road and show we can compete in any situation,” said Gillette head coach Tom Winkler.
2nd Star: Dylan Garton, F, Great Falls Americans
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Alex King, F, Gillette Wild
South Division Star of the Week: Tre Kautzman, forward, Topeka Capitals
The Topeka Capitals kept pace in the South Division with a weekend sweep on the road in Dallas against the Jr. Stars. Leading the way was 18-year-old forward Tre Kautzman, who had a four-point weekend, which included three goals and an assist. Kautzman (6’0/175) also posted a +4 rating in the two games. On Friday night, Kautzman had two goals and an assist in a 6-0 shutout win. On Saturday, he scored another goal in a 4-2 win. For the season, Kautzman has eight points in 10 games played for the Capitals. “Tre has come into his own lately and he has really played well. We are very happy with his progress and he is getting better every day,” said Topeka head coach Anthony Bohn.
2nd Star: Topi Aheristo, F, Nashville Jr. Predators
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Andrew Cooley, D, Topeka Capitals – Grant Dukus, F, Point Mallard Ducks – Matiss Gelazis, D, Nashville Jr. Predators
West Division Star of the Week: Brett Gravelle, forward, North Iowa Bulls
The North Iowa Bulls have won six games in a row and conversely forward Brett Gravelle has been on fire during that time. The 18-year-old forward from Forest Lake, MN showed his skills this past weekend as the Bulls completed a weekend home sweep of the Breezy Point North Stars. Gravelle (5’11/165) had six points (3 goals, 3 assists) in the two wins. On Friday, Gravelle had a goal and an assist in a 10-0 shutout win. On Saturday, he doubled his output with two goals and two assists for a four-point night in a 7-5 win. For the season, Gravelle leads the Bulls in scoring with 18 points in 12 games played. “Brett was really good last week, especially on the power play. He is the reason it has been more effective lately. He is a very skilled guy who loves to shot the puck,” said North Iowa head coach Todd Sanden.
2nd Star: Tommi Ahlgren, G, North Iowa Bulls
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): David Horsmann, D, Granite City Lumberjacks – David Kenney, F, Granite City Lumberjacks