NA3HL Announces Bethel University Stars of the Week

The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) is pleased to announce the Divisional Stars of the Week for the week ending October 12, sponsored by Bethel University. This weekly award recognizes the top-performing players from each of the league’s six divisions, as nominated by their head coaches, for their outstanding contributions on the ice. 

Central Division Star of the Week: Lonnie Land, Forward, St. Louis Jr. Blues

The St. Louis Jr. Blues kept their hot streak rolling this weekend, extending their win streak to six with a sweep over the Wisconsin Woodsmen. Assistant Captain Lonnie Land led the charge with four points across the series. 

Friday night’s 5–3 victory was all about special teams, with four of St. Louis’ five goals coming on the power play. After a quiet first period, Land came alive in the second, first setting up the team’s third goal with the primary assist, then burying a power play tally of his own late in the period, which would stand as the eventual game-winner. Land carried his momentum into the third period, adding another power-play assist to cap off a strong night for himself and the J-Notes’ special teams.

Saturday’s matchup was a thriller, as St.Louis took a 3–2 overtime win against Wisconsin. Land picked up right where he left off, scoring back-to-back goals just minutes apart in the second period to get St. Louis on the board and set the stage for the weekend sweep.

Following a weekend sweep of the Woodsmen, Head Coach Matt Occello reflected on Land’s hard work and key contributions: “Lonnie had a great weekend for us versus the Woodsmen, putting up some key points in both victories on the weekend. His commitment to showing up every day ready to compete and work hard is a signature trait that he brings to the table. He has shown through his leadership on and off the ice that he wants this team and his teammates to have success this season. He has taken great strides in his development, and we are excited to continue to watch him grow even more over the course of the rest of the season.”

2nd Star: Mason Decker, F, Rochester Grizzlies

3rd Star: Ben Knutson, G, West Bend Power

East Division Star of the Week: James Steinberg, Defense, Long Beach Sharks 

The Long Beach Sharks picked up a big four points in the standings with a two-game sweep of the Maine Nordiques. After appearing in a handful of games with the Sharks last season, ‘07 defenseman James Steinberg has found his groove this year, emerging as the team’s leading scorer among defensemen.

Saturday night featured Long Beach’s most dominant performance of the season, as they rolled to a 7-0 victory over Maine. Steinberg set the tone early, assisting on the team’s opening goal before scoring his second goal of the season to put the Sharks up 5-0. He finished the night strong with an assist on the sixth goal, totaling three points on the day. 

Sunday was a tighter contest, but Long Beach still came away with a 7-4 win. Steinberg kept the momentum going, racking up three assists, one on the power play, one at even strength, and one shorthanded.

Sharks Head Coach Jeff Tory spoke about what makes James Steinberg such a key player for the team: “James is an extremely poised young defenseman that sees the game at a very high level. His vision and playmaking ability especially under pressure is impressive while still playing a smart, responsible game defensively.”

2nd Star: Brendan Dalton, F, Long Beach Sharks

3rd Star: Jake Wilkerson, D, Norwich Sea Captains

Frontier Division Star of the Week: Shayne Smith, Forward, Yellowstone Quake

The Yellowstone Quake had a standout weekend, earning three points in the standings after an overtime loss in game one against Butte and claiming their first victory of the season the following night against Great Falls. Rookie forward Shayne Smith, Yellowstone’s second-leading scorer, made a major impact on the scoresheet throughout the weekend.

Although Yellowstone fell 4-3 in overtime, Smith found his way onto the scoresheet with one of the team’s three power-play goals.

Saturday, the Quake truly shined, claiming a dominant 6-1 victory over the Great Falls Americans. With a 3-1 lead after two periods, Yellowstone did not take their foot off the gas in the third. Smith was a driving force in the final 20 minutes, scoring back-to-back goals to open the period, including one on the power play. He capped off the night with an assist on the team’s final goal, finishing the weekend with four points and extending his goal-scoring streak to three consecutive games.

2nd Star: Jeff Slivon, F, Sheridan Hawks

3rd Star: Elijah White, D, Sheridan Hawks 

South Division Star of the Week: Joshua Reaska, Forward, Texas Brahmas

Joshua Reaska continues to turn heads in the NA3HL, earning weekly honors for the second time after he and the Texas Brahmas dominated the road with a sweep of the Austin Ice Bats.

The Brahmas newcomer opened the scoring for the team, netting the first goal of the game shorthanded and setting the tone for both the rest of the game and the series. He continued his impact on the penalty kill, assisting on Jayani Benson’s goal to put Texas up 4-1 midway through the third period in a game they would go on to win 5-1.

Reaska continued to impress on Saturday, once again leading the charge in the Brahmas’ 7-5 victory. The Chicago native dominated the opening frame, recording a hat trick in the first twenty minutes, highlighted by a power-play goal to start the scoring. He added another powerplay tally late in the second to break a 3-3 tie and give Texas the lead heading into the third. Reaska closed out his standout performance with a power-play assist and the final goal of the night, wrapping up an incredible weekend.

With eight points over two games, Reaska is now averaging 2.14 points per game and has tallied 15 points in seven games this season.

Head Coach Michael Rooney reflected on what makes Reaska such a special player: “Josh was able to add to his hot start to the season this week. He really put his goal scoring ability on display this weekend. Even when being targeted by opponents, he's able to score goals that are both big and timely for the moment swings. He finds different ways to score, he’s not just a one trick pony. His work ethic away from the puck sets himself up with plenty of dangerous opportunities. He battles through pressure and competes hard in all situations of the game. He’s a pleasure to coach, any coach or team would be ecstatic to have him. He’s a player that everyone needs to know when he’s on the ice.”

2nd Star: Josh Middleton, G, New Mexico Ice Wolves

3rd Star: Gavin Erickson, G, Texas Brahmas

Southeast Division Star of the Week: Tobin Tuzinsky, Forward, Carolina Rage

Carolina Rage forward Tobin Tuzinsky has made a seamless jump to the junior level after three seasons developing in the NAPHL. The Rage were unstoppable over the weekend, completing a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Capitals while racking up an impressive 28 goals over the series.

Tuzinsky dominated the series, contributing 10 goals and seven assists in three games. He opened the weekend on fire, netting four goals in each of the first two games, including a hat trick in the first period of game 1 and another in the second period of game 2.Beyond his goals, he added seven assists, keeping the team’s offense firing on all cylinders. 

This was Tuzinsky’s best series to date, and with 17 points on the weekend, the ‘06 forward now leads the Rage in scoring. 

2nd Star: James Parnell, D, Carolina Rage

3rd Star: Marlon Derksen, F, Pelham Prowlers

West Division Star of the Week: Garrett Plaude, Forward, Granite City Lumberjacks

The Granite City Lumberjacks are one of just three teams in the league to remain undefeated, thanks to a two-game sweep of the Minnesota Wilderness. Rookie forward Garrett Plaude has been a key factor in their hot start, averaging just over a point per game and finding the back of the net in all but one contest so far this season.

Friday’s 4-1 victory was powered by special teams, as all of Granite City’s goals came on the man advantage. With less than a minute remaining, Plaude With under a minute left in the game, Plaude added the fourth and final goal for the Jacks, his second power-play tally of the season.

Plaude carried that momentum into Saturday’s matchup, opening the scoring with two goals in the first period during Granite City’s eventual 5-2 victory. This performance marked both his second multi-goal game of the season and his first game-winning goal. 

2nd Star: Kellen Kantaris, F, Mason City Toros

3rd Star: Gabe Otis, G, Minnesota Moose