Press Release
The North American Hockey League (NAHL) today announced the
Divisional Stars of the Week presented by Combat Hockey for the week
ending October 28, 2012. The Divisional Stars of the Week is a weekly
feature during the 2012-13 regular season that honors the top performing
players in each of the four NAHL divisions as nominated by their
respective teams.
Central Division Star of the Week: Aaron Nelson, goaltender, Bismarck Bobcats
The return of goaltender Aaron Nelson, 19, has put a spark in
the Bobcats and it was evident this past weekend in their road sweep in
Fresno against the Monsters. Nelson (5’9/165) got the call both nights
and delivered two wins and in the process stopped a 41 of 44 shots
(93.1% save percentage) as Bismarck got back to the .500 mark. The
Bismarck, North Dakota native made 24 saves in Friday night’s 3-1 win
over the Monsters. On Saturday, he made 17 saves in a 3-2 win to move
his record to a perfect 3-0-0 since rejoining the team. “Goaltending is
always a key position and anytime you can have a veteran like Aaron
back in the line-up, it is a huge lift,” said Bobcats head coach Layne
Sedevie. “I thought Aaron played with a lot of confidence this weekend
and we feel really good about the 1-2 goaltending tandem we have with
him and Bryan Nies.”
2nd Star: Brandon Wahlin, forward, Austin Bruins
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Adam Knochenmus, forward, Bismarck Bobcats – Jake O’Borsky, forward, Minot Minotauros – Tyler Parks, goaltender Minot Minotauros.
North Division Star of the Week: Mike Fazio, forward, Springfield Jr. Blues
Springfield forward Mike Fazio, 20, had a big weekend as the
Jr. Blues swept the Janesville Jets in Springfield to move up the North
standings and creep closer to the .500 mark. On Friday, Fazio
(5’11/203) had two assists, including one on the game-winning goal, as
the Jr. Blues beat the Jets, 5-3. On Saturday, the native of Bartlett,
Illinois, chimed in on all three of Springfield’s goals, which included
two goals (including the game-winner) and an assist in a 3-1 win. Fazio
is second on the team in points this season with 12 in 16 games
played. “Mike’s strength is being a two-way player and benefitting from
being that type of player,” said Jr. Blues head coach Tony Zasowski.
“He brings so much more to the table, so it was nice to see him produce
on offense like he did.”
2nd Star: Tyler Marble, goaltender, Soo Eagles
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Nick Horne, forward, Port Huron Fighting Falcons – James McGing, forward, Springfield Jr. Blues – Max Milosek, goaltender, Port Huron Fighting Falcons – Robbie Payne, forward, Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings – Brandon Reinholz, forward, Johnstown Tomahawks – Huba Sekesi, forward, Jamestown Ironmen – Cody Von Rueden, defenseman, Soo Eagles.
South Division Star of the Week: Paul Berrafato, goaltender, Amarillo Bulls
Amarillo goaltender Paul Berrafato, 19, is the #1-ranked
goaltender in the NAHL thanks in large part to performances like he
turned in this past weekend as the Bulls produced a home sweep of the
Texas Tornado. Berrafato (6’0/180) is tops in the NAHL with a 1.14
goals against average and is second in save percentage (94.1%). This
weekend, he helped his cause by stopping a combined 46 of 48 shots. On
Friday, he made 16 saves in a 7-2 win. On Saturday, he posted his first
NAHL shutout with a 30-save performance in a 4-0 win. The native of
Buffalo, New York has yet to lose a game in regulation this season.
“Paul had a very solid weekend. He battles hard and doesn’t give up
easy goals,” said Bulls head coach Dennis Williams. “When you have him
back there making the saves he does, the guys around him play better as a
result they can play loose and free-wheel it a little bit more.”
2nd Star: Trace Strahle, defenseman, Topeka RoadRunners
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Lawrence Cornellier, forward, Odessa Jackalopes – Sean Gaffney, forward, Topeka RoadRunners – Hampus Gustafsson, forward, Amarillo Bulls – AJ Jarosz, forward, Corpus Christi IceRays – Hayden Stewart, goaltender, Corpus Christi IceRays.
West Division Star of the Week: Lucas Kohls, forward, Kenai River Brown Bears
Forward Lucas Kohls, 19, helped the Brown Bears keep pace in
the West Division with a weekend home sweep of the Wichita Falls
Wildcats. On Friday, the native of Forest Lake, Minnesota had two
goals, including the game-winner, and an assist for a three-point night
in a 9-3 win over the Wildcats. A night later, Kohls (6’3/197) assisted
on the game-winning goal in a 5-2 win over Wichita Falls. For the
season, Kohls is second on the team with 19 points in 16 games played,
and three of his eight goals to date have been game-winning goals.
“Lucas is a very gifted player and has a lot of offensive upside. He
can score many number of ways,” said Brown Bears head coach Oliver
David. “He has been a great addition to the team. He is great in the
community and the fans really like him.”
2nd Star: Jake Davidson, defenseman, Kenai River Brown Bears
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Devin Loe, forward, Fairbanks Ice Dogs.
(Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)
KOTP Ep. 184 – The Final 15
7 hours ago
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