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 26, 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: Brendon Miller, Forward, Peoria Mustangs

The Peoria Mustangs broke into the win column, splitting their weekend series with the Minnesota Wilderness thanks in large part to a dominant performance from ‘08 forward Brendon Miller, who racked up nine points (6 goals, 3 assists) over the two games.

In game one, the Mustangs earned their first win of the season in an 8–4 victory. After trailing 2–0 late in the first, Miller sparked the comeback with his first goal of the night before Peoria added another to even things up heading into the second. He stayed hot from there, assisting on the go-ahead goal, scoring again to make it 4–3, and adding another helper before the end of the second period. In the final frame, the Pekin, IL native capped off a monster night with two more goals, finishing with six points in the win.

Despite a narrow 6–5 loss in game two, Miller once again led the charge offensively. He opened the scoring for Peoria in the first period, then helped fuel the late push, assisting on the Mustangs’ third goal and burying their fifth to close out another strong showing.

Peoria Head Coach Luke Gruden was impressed with Brendon’s play over the weekend, highlighting his growth and confidence: “Brendon had a tremendous weekend. He played with confidence and consistently moved his feet to create space and opportunities. As one of the younger players on our team, and in the league, his growth is evident. I only see him continue to develop and play with even more confidence as the season progresses.”

2nd Star: Peter Burke, G, West Bend Power

3rd Star: Mason Decker, F, Rochester Grizzlies

East Division Star of the Week: Noah Levesque, Forward, New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings 

The New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings had a light schedule with just one game on tap, but they made it count, rolling to an 8–1 road win over the Norwich Sea Captains.

Captain and leading scorer Noah Levesque led the charge with a dominant four-point outing. He set the tone early, assisting on both first-period goals as New Hampshire took a 2–1 lead after 20 minutes. He kept things rolling in the second, scoring his first of the day to give New Hampshire a 3–1 lead. His scoring didn’t stop there, as he added his second of the game, the team’s eighth, to seal the win.

With the standout performance, Levesque now sits at 24 points (9 goals, 15 assists) through 13 games and has recorded multi-point efforts in six of them.

Speaking on his captain’s impact beyond the scoresheet, Jr. Mountain Kings Head Coach Clint Cassavaugh shared: “Noah is a leader on and off the ice. He brings intensity every day to practice and pushes his teammates to make them better every day.”

2nd Star: Jay Montgomery, D, Long Beach Sharks

3rd Star: Wyatt Strahan, F, Long Beach Sharks
 

Frontier Division Star of the Week: Kaden Rhyder, Goaltender, Great Falls Americans

After earning All-NA3HL Third Team honors during the 2024-25 season, third-year Great Falls netminder Kaden Rhyder continues to shine in the NA3HL, delivering a standout weekend for the Americans with wins over the Sheridan Hawks and Yellowstone Quake. The Elizabethtown, PA native was rock solid in net, posting his best numbers of the season.

Game one was a statement win, handing the Hawks only their second loss in the last 10 games. In the 3-1 victory, Rhyder faced an incredible 50 shots, stopping 49 for a remarkable .980 save percentage, his top performance so far this season. He carried that momentum into game two as the Americans rolled to a 7-1 win over the Quake, making 25 saves on 26 shots. Over the weekend, Rhyder faced 76 shots total, allowing just two goals for an outstanding .973 save percentage.

Americans Head Coach Greg Sears was thrilled with Rhyder’s performance, noting his leadership and impact on the team: “It was great to see Kaden back to his old self after the injury. He’s a true leader for us, both on and off the ice, and he had an outstanding weekend that really set the tone for the team.”

2nd Star: Riley Schmidt, F, Gillette Wild

3rd Star: Mathieu Chernauckas, G, Butte Irish 

South Division Star of the Week: Josh Middleton, Goaltender, New Mexico Ice Wolves

The New Mexico Ice Wolves were back in action this weekend, picking up two of three games on the road against the Ice Bats, with their only setback coming in a shootout. Goaltender Josh Middleton once again earned weekly honors, playing a key role in all three contests as the team collected five of six possible points and extended his personal record to 7–0–1–1 on the season.

With both the Ice Wolves and Ice Bats among the South Division’s top teams, Middleton faced heavy fire, seeing a total of 133 shots across the series. His busiest night came in Saturday’s shootout loss, where he stopped 52 of 54 shots, keeping New Mexico in contention. All three matchups were nail-biters, decided by just one goal, including a standout effort in game one where Middleton stopped 34 of 36 shots. He wrapped up the weekend with an impressive .947 save percentage, standing tall and keeping New Mexico competitive in every game.

Reflecting on his standout weekend, Ice Wolves Head Coach Isaac Washburn shared thoughts on Middleton’s consistent impact: “We're really glad to see Josh get recognized for his continued strong play in net as he held us in each game this weekend, making extremely timely saves.  He has been an absolute workhorse and the ultimate competitor for us this season and gives us a chance every night, continuing to battle relentlessly even when we're not at our best in front of him.  He approaches each day, whether for practice or games, with great consistency of detail and professionalism in the way that he prepares, recovers, and goes about his business.”

2nd Star: Carter Lehmann, F, El Paso Rhinos

3rd Star: Mason Manderfield, F, Austin Ice Bats

Southeast Division Star of the Week: Carter Gnau , Forward, Louisiana Drillers

Carter Gnau and the Louisiana Drillers kept their momentum rolling, extending their record to 13–0 after a win over Pelham and a three-game sweep of the Carolina Rage. Despite being a rookie, the ‘06 forward from Fort Wayne, IN, has found his groove in the NA3HL, recording points in all 13 games so far this season, averaging an impressive 2.5 points per game.

This weekend was another dominant showing for Gnau, as he racked up 13 points (8 goals, 5 assists) across four games. In Thursday’s matchup against the Prowlers, he made his mark in the second period, assisting on the Drillers’ fifth goal before scoring the sixth in an 8–3 victory. The momentum carried into the Carolina series in Greer, where Gnau recorded three points (1 goal, 2 assists) in game one. He didn’t slow down in games two and three, posting identical four-point efforts in each, including back-to-back hat tricks paired with an assist each night, earning his first two hat tricks of the season.

Drillers Head Coach Chris Francis shared his thoughts on Gnau’s strong start to the season and impact on the team: “Carter has been very consistent for our group during the beginning part of this season. His team first approach has been contagious throughout the line up night in and night out. We are happy to see he is being rewarded personally but I know he has a bigger goal in mind.”

2nd Star: Lucas Dyer, F, Texas RoadRunners

3rd Star: Brody Neish, F, Louisiana Drillers

West Division Star of the Week: Carter Oothoudt, Forward, Granite City Lumberjacks

The Granite City Lumberjacks stayed hot, keeping their perfect record intact with a 5–3 win over the Minnesota Moose in a thrilling West Division matchup. The Moose jumped ahead early in the second to make it 2–1 after a tightly contested first, but Granite City quickly flipped the narrative and controlled the game from there. Second-year forward Carter Oothoudt powered the offense, scoring back-to-back goals in the second period, including one on the power play, to swing the momentum in the Jacks’ favor. With the scoreboard showing 4–3 heading into the final frame, the Little Falls, MN native capped off his stellar night with a third-period tally to complete his first hat trick of the season.

Following Oothoudt’s standout performance, Jacks Head Coach DJ Vold highlighted his growth and leadership, sharing: “Carter has really stepped up for us, both on and off the ice, since returning to the team. He’s been a great example for the younger guys, and it’s great to see him rewarded for all his hard work.”

2nd Star: TJ Gibson, F, Mason City Toros

3rd Star: Zac Norberg, F, Minnesota Wilderness