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 16th, 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: Quinn O’Connor, Forward, West Bend Power

Quinn O’Connor and the West Bend Power dominated on home ice, extending their win streak to 10 with a two-game sweep over the Peoria Mustangs. The second-year Power forward led the charge offensively, putting up six points on the weekend.

In game one’s 8–1 victory, O’Connor opened the scoring less than two minutes into the contest. He added his second goal in the middle frame to make it 5–0, then followed it up with a shorthanded assist on the team’s seventh goal.

Game two brought more offensive firepower from the Power, and the Denver, CO native kept things rolling with one goal and two assists. His six-point showing marks his best weekend of the season, and with 19 points (6 goals, 13 assists), he is on pace to surpass his rookie total of 29 points.

Recognizing his hard work and improvement, Power Head Coach Jason Woods shared: “Quinn has stepped up in recent weeks and raised his game to another level. The expectation of our players is to keep working to get better every day and it is exciting when you see that process take place. I’m excited for him to continue his work to the next step in this process!”

2nd Star: Jackson Hoem,  F, West Bend Power

3rd Star: Brett Ludvigsen, F, Rochester Grizzlies

East Division Star of the Week: Ivan Korshikov, Forward, New Jersey Titans

Ivan Korshikov and the New Jersey Titans turned in their best weekend of the season, earning an impressive sweep over the Buzz, who currently sit third in the division. The rookie forward was outstanding for New Jersey, playing a major role in both victories.

Friday’s matchup was an overtime thriller, ending 5–4 in electrifying fashion. After the Titans fell behind 2–0 heading into the second period, Korshikov got them on the board with their first goal of the game. Before the middle frame ended, he added a power-play assist to tie things at three going into the third. He struck again late in regulation, scoring his second of the night to force overtime with under two minutes remaining. In overtime, he completed the hat trick, his first of the season, and secured the win.

The ’08 forward carried that momentum into Saturday, when New Jersey skated away with a 5–3 victory. He added two more goals, one in the second period and another in the third. The weekend featured his first two game-winning goals of the season, and he has now recorded points in six of the eight games he has appeared in.

Titans Head Coach Ryan Swain is loving what he’s seeing from Korshikov stating: “Ivan has quickly become an important part of our team. With two game winning goals in a row, his stat line speaks for itself. Beyond that, his skill opens up space for his teammates on the ice, making them better as well. We're very excited to have him as part of the Titans organization.”

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

3rd Star: Yosef Pievsky, F, New Jersey Titans

Frontier Division Star of the Week: Ethan Miller, Forward, Great Falls Americans

Ethan Miller and the Great Falls Americans swept the weekend, earning wins over the Butte Irish and Bozeman Icedogs. Since joining the team in mid-October, Miller has been a major driving force in the Americans’ offense, and this weekend was no exception.

In Friday’s impressive 7–3 win over the Irish, Miller got things started by assisting on Great Falls’ first goal to tie the game 1–1 midway through the opening period. Before the frame ended, he added a goal of his own to give the Americans a 2–1 lead. He kept it rolling in the second, extending the lead to 4–1, and later finished off the hat trick by scoring the team’s final goal of the night.

Saturday’s game was a lower-scoring affair, but still a strong performance as the Americans secured a 4–1 win over the Icedogs. Miller played a key role on the power play, dishing out two assists on the man advantage.

With six points on the weekend, Miller has been unstoppable, recording points in eight of his nine games and averaging 2.78 points per game for a season total of 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists).

From the ice to the locker room, Americans Head Coach Greg Sears says Miller has made a difference: “Ethan has been a nice addition to our club. As a veteran player, he adds more than his skill up front. He brings a positive influence to the locker room and has made a noticeable impact there as well.”

2nd Star: Caden Feinstein, F, Helena Bighorns

3rd Star: Reid Lezubski, F, Great Falls Americans 

South Division Star of the Week: Justin Fielden, Forward, West Texas Wranglers

Justin Fielden and the West Texas Wranglers brought the heat this weekend, battling hard as they split their series with the division-leading Texas Brahmas. Friday’s game was a back-and-forth thriller, with the Wranglers striking first with two early goals, the second coming on the power play from Fielden. After the Brahmas answered with two of their own, the game headed to overtime, where Fielden delivered again, burying his second of the night to secure the win.

Despite coming up short in game two, the Wranglers kept pressing and didn’t go down quietly. The ’08 rookie still made his mark, scoring West Texas’ first goal of the night and adding an assist on the second as they ultimately fell 5–3.

Though new to the lineup, Fielden has already recorded five points in four games, showing promising signs of a bright future ahead.

Wranglers Head Coach Austin Sutter is thrilled with Justin Fielden’s contributions on and off the ice sharing: "Justin has been a tremendous addition to our group. He’s brought energy, scoring, and a willingness to get to the hard areas of the ice. His hockey IQ is exceptional. What stands out most is how quickly he’s bought into our team-first approach, and this recognition is a direct result of our entire group playing the right way. As an organization—from the NA3HL to the NAHL—we’re excited about Justin’s future in Amarillo. If he continues to put in the work and stay committed to the process, he has every opportunity to keep climbing our development ladder.”

2nd Star: Brayden Macko, G, El Paso Rhinos

3rd Star: Benjamin Humphreys, F, Texas Brahmas

Southeast Division Star of the Week: Will Heskett, Forward, Texas RoadRunners

NA3HL veteran Will Heskett and the Texas RoadRunners kept their win streak rolling, sweeping their three-game series with the Atlanta Capitals. Heskett was on fire throughout the set, recording points in all three games and finishing the weekend with nine points (5 goals, 4 assists).

Game one was his strongest performance, as he posted an outstanding five-point night in an 8–1 victory, his second five-point outing of the season. He scored twice, including a power-play goal, and added three assists, one of which also came on the man advantage.

On Saturday, he was quieter but still made the scoresheet with another goal and an assist. To close out the weekend, Heskett delivered a strong first period on Sunday, scoring back-to-back goals, his second coming on the power play and the latter standing as the eventual game-winner in an 8–2 win.

Heskett’s commitment on the ice hasn’t gone unnoticed, as Head Coach Mike Beavis stated:
“Will has been working hard all season and is getting some college interest as of late and should have a commitment soon. He wears his heart on his sleeves every night and is determined to help us get to the post season.”

2nd Star: Reese Beckwith, F, Carolina Rage

3rd Star: Emerson LaRoche, F, Louisiana Drillers

West Division Star of the Week: Sam Moen, Goaltender, Willmar WarHawks

The Willmar WarHawks are hitting their stride, winning their last three games, including a big weekend sweep over Mason City and Alexandria. Rookie goaltender Sam Moen was outstanding between the pipes, standing tall in both victories.

Throughout the weekend, the ’07 netminder faced a heavy workload, seeing 45 shots in each game from two strong West Division opponents. He remained composed under pressure, delivering identical performances with 43 saves in both contests. Facing a combined 90 shots over the two games, Moen stopped 86, posting an impressive .956 save percentage for the weekend. These wins provide a major momentum boost for both Moen and the WarHawks as the season moves forward.

WarHawks Head Coach Payton Ruter praised Sam Moen’s stellar play this weekend exclaiming: “We are extremely proud of Sam for earning West Division Star of the Week, he’s earned every bit of it. Mo comes up with big saves when it counts, and the way he battles and keeps his cool drives our team’s success.”

2nd Star: Mason Wanka , F, Willmar WarHawks

3rd Star: Nathan Mach, G, Granite City Lumberjacks