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 19, 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: Elias Holan, Forward, West Bend Power

Elias Holan and the West Bend Power put on a show this weekend, sweeping their rivals, the Rochester Grizzlies, on home ice. The Fairbanks, AK native turned in his best performance of the season with back-to-back multi-point efforts.

Friday night saw fireworks from both sides in a 7–6 barnburner, with Holan notching his first career two-goal game, both coming in the second period as the Power’s second and fifth tallies.

Saturday’s rematch was a tighter battle, but Holan once again led the charge. The rookie forward scored the opening two goals, including the game-winner, before setting up the insurance marker to collect all three possible points and cap off a statement weekend for West Bend.

Head Coach Jason Woods highlighted the dedication behind Elias Holan’s recent success, pointing to the hard work he’s put in off the ice: “The work Elias has been putting in was on display this past weekend. Endless amounts of time in the shooting room and diving into film offered big time results. He is a gifted skater and as a young player, his upside is huge!”

2nd Star: Jace Jordan, F, St. Louis Jr. Blues

3rd Star: Danny Jurcich, F, West Bend Power

East Division Star of the Week: Brody Emond, Forward, Maine Nordiques 

Brody Emond and the Maine Nordiques battled through a busy four-game stretch, finishing 2-2 on the week, and for the second time this season, the returning forward earned weekly honors.

Despite the split results, Emond was a steady force offensively, finding the scoresheet in all four contests. He opened the week with an assist on Maine’s lone goal against New Hampshire, then followed up by breaking through for the Nordiques’ only tally in a tough matchup with New Jersey.

After a setback on Friday, Emond helped spark Maine’s weekend turnaround with back-to-back wins. In Saturday’s 4-2 victory, he set the tone early, assisting on the first three goals before adding one of his own to complete a four-point night. He carried that momentum into Sunday’s 5-2 win, extending his scoring streak to three games with a pair of goals, including the eventual game-winner.

Maine Nordiques Head Coach Dylan Farrell-Reny spoke highly of returning forward Brody Emond following another strong week of performances: “Brody’s point streak just keeps rolling, and right now, nothing seems to slow him down. His relentless pursuit of the puck and natural scoring touch have driven success for both himself and the team. He’s playing his true game with confidence, and it shows every night. The East Division is one of the toughest out there, but he never lets that slow him down. He’s a great teammate, a strong leader in the room, and a huge piece of the puzzle for our group. I’m just glad he’s on my team. I wouldn't want to be the one trying to defend against him.” 

2nd Star: Sean Bailey, F, Long Beach Sharks

3rd Star: Anderson Weimer, G, Norwich Sea Captains

Frontier Division Star of the Week: Cooper Clouse, Forward, Great Falls Americans

Cooper Clouse and the Great Falls Americans split their weekend, defeating the Badlands Sabres before falling just short in an overtime battle against the Gillette Wild.

During Friday’s 6-2 win over the Sabres, second-year forward Clouse delivered his best performance of the season, recording his first multi-goal game.Clouse jumpstarted the offense with the Americans’ first and third goals, including the eventual game-winner, and added two helpers down the stretch to complete a dominant four-point night.

Saturday’s matchup with Gillette was a back-and-forth thriller, with both teams trading goals throughout. Clouse helped swing the momentum with a power-play assist to even things at 2-2 late in the second, then came up big once more, burying the game-tying goal with less than two minutes left to force overtime.

After a weekend of standout play, Head Coach Greg Sears reflected on Cooper’s early-season impact and his growing role as a leader on the team: “Coop had a really strong weekend and continues to build on a solid start to the season. As a veteran, he’s done a great job stepping into more of a leadership role and setting the standard for how we want to play. He leads by example both on and off the ice, and the younger guys feed off that energy.”

2nd Star: Max Arlt, F, Gillette Wild

3rd Star: Riley Schmidt, F, Gillette Wild 

South Division Star of the Week: Carter Tuplin, Forward, El Paso Rhinos

Carter Tuplin and the El Paso Rhinos had a phenomenal weekend, taking two of three games from cross-state rivals the Austin Ice Bats. First-year Rhinos forward and team-leading scorer Tuplin made a huge impact, recording points in all three contests and helping fuel El Paso’s success.

In game one, Tuplin got the offense going, netting the first goal of the night on the power play to spark momentum for the Rhinos. Game two saw him deliver his best performance of the season, a four-point explosion in a 7-4 win. After El Paso fell behind 1-0, Tuplin scored the team’s first goal on the power play, then made his mark on special teams with a shorthanded assist to even the score at 2-2. He added two more points in the second period, scoring at even strength and assisting again on the power play.

Even in Saturday’s narrow 5-4 loss, Tuplin continued his hot streak, opening the scoring once more and adding another assist to finish the weekend with a point in every game. 

Head Coach Alec Sherman spotlighted Tuplin’s effort and versatility, praising his contributions on every line and special teams this past weekend: “Carter was a work horse for us this weekend. We utilized him in every scenario, PP/PK & even strength. He’s a true Rhino player. He shows up to work and battles day in and day out. He was a major player in our success this weekend.”

2nd Star: Joshua Reaska, F, Texas Brahmas

3rd Star: Nicholas Catalano, F, Texas Brahmas

Southeast Division Star of the Week: Wyatt Mineheine, Forward, Texas RoadRunners

Wyatt Mineheine continued his hot streak, earning weekly honors again after the Texas RoadRunners swept a three-game series on the road against the Atlanta Capitals.

Mineheine made an immediate impact in game one, assisting on the RoadRunners’ second goal of the period on the power play before scoring twice himself to close out the first frame. He kept the momentum going in the second period, recording two shorthanded points, a goal and an assist, and adding an even-strength goal. He capped off the night by assisting on the game’s final goal, finishing with a dominant performance.

Saturday’s contest was more of the same, as Mineheine assisted on the opening shorthanded goal and went on to score four times, three in the second period and one in the third. In the series finale, he continued to make his presence felt, netting a power-play goal and adding four assists to finish the series with 17 points. 

After a weekend of stellar performances, Head Coach Mike Beavis emphasized just how impressive Wyatt Mineheine’s consistency and production have been: “Game after game, Wyatt keeps finding ways to shine, and a 4.15 points per game average makes it clear he’s on another level right now.”

2nd Star: Brody Neish , F, Louisiana Drillers

3rd Star: Brayden Pelcl, F, Louisiana Drillers

West Division Star of the Week: TJ Gibson, Forward, Mason City Toros

TJ Gibson and the Mason City Toros had a weekend to remember, sweeping their two-game series against the Minnesota Wilderness. Now in his second season with the Toros, Gibson continues to lead the team in points after another standout weekend.

Game one was a back and forth thriller, ending 7-6 in favor of Mason City. The Wilderness jumped out to a 3-1 first-period lead, but Gibson made a statement by scoring with just one second left to cut the deficit to 3-2. After Minnesota added the lone goal of the second period to go up 4-2, the Toros erupted in the third, scoring five goals. Gibson assisted on the team’s third and fifth goals before adding the sixth himself to fuel the comeback.

Game two was a dominant performance from Mason City, as they blanked the Wilderness 7-0. Gibson got things started by assisting on the opening goal, then scored the third and assisted on the fourth, including a power-play helper. With seven points over the weekend, Gibson now averages 1.42 points per game, totaling 17 points in 12 games, and continues to be a driving force for the Toros.

TJ Gibson’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, and Head Coach Alex North had plenty of praise for the veteran forward’s scoring and setup ability: “I am very happy for TJ to get this recognition. He has shown that not only is he able to put pucks in the net, but also set up the guys around him to score as well.”

2nd Star: Caleb Waller, F, Alexandria Blizzard

3rd Star: Blaze Bauer, F, Mason City Toros