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 November 2nd, 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: Gus Feldker, Forward, St. Louis Jr. Blues

The St. Louis Jr. Blues came away with three of four possible points in a split with the Wausau Cyclones, and rookie hometown standout Gus Feldker was front and center. It marked the best weekend of his junior career to date, with the first-year forward making an impact in both games.

In game one, the Jr. Blues clawed back after falling behind 2–0 early in the second. Once the score was even at two, the ’08 forward took over, netting back-to-back goals, the final two of the night, for his first junior tallies, including the game-winner in a 4–2 comeback victory.

Game two didn’t swing St. Louis’ way, falling 2–1 in overtime, but Feldker still made an impact, assisting on Caden Lindley’s lone Jr. Blues goal to bring his weekend total to three points.

The Jr. Blues have now earned points in 10 straight outings and sit tied with West Bend atop the standings.

His breakout performance didn’t go unnoticed by Head Coach Matt Ocello: ““Gus had a great breakout weekend. Scoring his first goals of the season, they were two big goals for us on Friday night versus the Cyclones including the game winner. With his skill, he has the ability to score some quality goals and make plays by using his speed and driving the net. The coaching staff is excited to see how he develops over the course of this season in the league.”

2nd Star: Travis Visvadra, G, St. Louis Jr. Blues

3rd Star: Tristan Hearley, D, West Bend Power

East Division Star of the Week: Will Zinnen, Goaltender, Long Beach Sharks

After posting a shutout the previous week, the Long Beach Sharks kept rolling, improving to 7-3 in their last 10 games with wins over the New Jersey Titans and Norwich Sea Captains, backed by standout rookie goaltender Will Zinnen.

On Wednesday against the Titans, the Madison, WI native turned aside 27 of 29 shots for a .931 save percentage. He followed it up on Saturday with another strong performance in a 2-1 nail-biter against Norwich, stopping 31 of 32 shots and shutting down all three Sea Captains power-play chances.

In total, Zinnen faced 61 shots on the week and turned away 58 for a stellar .950 save percentage. Now 3-1 on the season, the rookie netminder continues to prove he’s more than ready for the spotlight, and the future looks bright in Long Beach.

Despite being a rookie, Zinnen has already earned the trust of the staff. According to Head Coach Jeff Tory: “Will is a very talented young goalie. His preparation, athleticism, and compete level stand out every day, and they allow him to perform at a high level every time he steps on the ice. He brings consistency, confidence, and a work ethic beyond his years, and it’s paying off for both him and our team.”

2nd Star: Talon Schackman, F, New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings

3rd Star: Tyler Miller, G, Maine Nordiques

Frontier Division Star of the Week: TJ Wonnacott, Goaltender, Sheridan Hawks

Second-year Hawks netminder TJ Wonnacott delivered a standout weekend, playing a major role as Sheridan secured wins over the Bozeman Icedogs and Helena Bighorns. This was one of his biggest tests of the season, and he answered in a big way with his best back-to-back outings of the year.

On Friday, Wonnacott backstopped a 3–0 shutout win against Bozeman, turning aside all 23 shots he faced, including a perfect effort on eight Icedogs power-play chances, to earn his first shutout of the season.

Saturday’s matchup with Helena was one fans across the Frontier Division had circled, and Wonnacott rose to the occasion again. He faced 33 shots and surrendered just one goal in a 2–1 victory, locking down another crucial win for the Hawks.

With the sweep, Wonnacott improved to 6–2 on the year. His weekend numbers were stellar, stopping 55 of 56 shots for a .982 save percentage, a statement performance from Sheridan’s returning goaltender.

The Hawks' staff took notice of Wonnacott’s composure and confidence in net. As Head Coach JJ Santagata shared: “This was obviously a big weekend for us and especially TJ. Seeing TJs calmness and confidence gave us the ability to play our game in front of him. He’s been reliable and consistent for us in the crease. Having a reliable #1 is massive in this league and TJ brings us that each weekend he’s in the net. Happy to see him earn this recognition and continue to get better each week here.”

2nd Star: AJ Prioli, F, Great Falls Americans

3rd Star: Damen Baxter, G, Yellowstone Quake 

South Division Star of the Week: Patrick Garvey, Defenseman, Texas Brahmas

The Texas Brahmas continue to set the pace in the South Division, staying perfect at 13-0 after completing a three-game sweep of the West Texas Wranglers at home. Leading the charge from the blue line was second-year defenseman Patrick Garvey, who delivered his best series of the season with points in all three contests.

The Silver Lake, OH native opened the weekend strong in Friday’s 7-0 win, assisting on the game’s first goal before burying one of his own for the Brahmas’ sixth tally of the night. Saturday’s matchup was tighter, but Garvey still made an impact, picking up the assist on the insurance marker in a 2-0 shutout win.

He capped the weekend in style on Sunday, scoring twice in the opening period, including a power-play goal, as the Brahmas rolled to a 7-2 victory. The performance marked Garvey’s first multi-goal game of the year, and with the season not even a month and a half old, he now sits just six points shy of surpassing his point total from last year.

After a weekend where Garvey proved his value in every role he was given, Head Coach Michael Rooney had high praise: “Pat is a really talented player. At first glance people see him for a big body, but he’s so much more than that as a player. He’s a true character in the room that loves the game and wants to see the team succeed more than anything. He’s one of the most dangerous players in the league. He has deceptive skill coupled with a quick release. His size, toughness, and skating ability makes him a nightmare for other teams to match up against. 

Seeing him win star of the week is something special. He stepped up in a big way for us this weekend. He was asked to move up to forward for the first time in a few years and he did not disappoint. He definitely earned this honor and showed why he’s one of the most versatile players in the league.”

2nd Star: Benjamin Humphreys, F, Texas Brahmas

3rd Star: Kole Kite, G, West Texas Wranglers

Southeast Division Star of the Week: Brody Neish , Forward, Louisiana Drillers

The Louisiana Drillers are showing no signs of slowing down following last year’s Fraser Cup championship. This year’s group remains perfect at 16-0 after a dominant three-game sweep of the Bayou State Rougarou, and returning veteran Brody Neish once again led the charge.

A fourth-year Drillers forward and last season’s team points leader, Neish picked up right where he left off. Louisiana overwhelmed the Rougarou with 43 goals across the weekend while allowing only two, and Neish was at the center of the offensive explosion.

He came out firing with back-to-back four-goal performances, recording a hat trick in the second period of Friday’s opener and another hat trick in the first period on Saturday. He added five assists across the first two games before closing the sweep with a goal and four more helpers in the finale.

In total, Neish racked up 18 points over three games, a statement weekend from a veteran who continues to set the standard for an undefeated Drillers squad.

Head Coach Chris Francis shared his thoughts on Neish’s leadership and performance this season: “Brody’s leadership and veteran presence this season has been on the next level. Everyday at the rink he makes sure this team is competing and leads by example every game. This year he is even more hungry for team success which is translating into personal success.”

2nd Star: Tobin Tuzinsky, F, Carolina Rage

3rd Star: Lucas Dyer, F, Texas RoadRunners

West Division Star of the Week: Aidan Callaghan , Forward, Willmar WarHawks

The Willmar WarHawks had a big weekend, coming away with wins over both the Mason City Toros and Minnesota Wilderness, thanks in large part to second-year standout Aidan Callaghan.

Friday’s matchup was a thriller, going back and forth before needing overtime to decide the victor. Callaghan got things started by assisting on Willmar’s first goal and later extended the lead with a tally late in the second period. With the score tied after three, he became the hero, banking home the overtime winner to secure the victory.

He carried that momentum into Saturday’s 7-5 win over Minnesota. After a tied first period, Callaghan opened the scoring in the second and continued his strong play in the third, adding another goal and an assist. By the end of the weekend, he had tallied six points and extended his point streak to six consecutive games, proving once again why he’s a key contributor for the WarHawks.

This was a statement weekend for Callaghan, and Head Coach Payton Ruter made that clear: “Aidan has all the tools and intangibles to dictate the outcome of a game. He’s big, strong, fast and has great offensive awareness. He proved this weekend that when he’s at 100%, he’s a difference maker.”

2nd Star: Luca Salak, F, Minnesota Moose

3rd Star: Mason Wanka, F, Willmar WarHawks