Wednesday, December 19, 2012

NA3HL announces Combat Hockey 3 Stars of the Week

Press Release

The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) today announced the Three Stars of the Week presented by Combat Hockey for the week ending December 16, 2012.  The three stars of the week is an award given each week of the regular season to the top performing players in the NA3HL as nominated by their head coaches.

1st Star: Tim Santopoalo, forward, North Iowa Bulls
With two more wins over the weekend, the North Iowa Bulls moved into 1st place in the West Division.  Leading the attack was forward Tim Santopoalo.  The 19-year-old native of Roscoe, Illinois, recorded six points (4 goals, 2 assists) in the two wins over the weekend.  On Friday, Santopoalo (5’6/160) had the game-winning goal with just :15 seconds remaining in the game and also added an assist in a 6-4 win in Alexandria against the Blizzard.  On Saturday, Santopoalo recorded a hat-trick and added an assist in an 8-4 home win over the Minnesota Flying Aces.  Santopoalo is tied for the Bulls scoring lead with 34 points this season and ranks in the Top 10 in the NA3HL in both goals and points.  “Tim has been so consistent all season long.  He leads a balanced attack.  He is part of our depth.  Tim brings great offensive energy and plays with edge.

2nd Star: Kyle Ware, defenseman, Battle Creek Revolution
It was a weekend to remember for the Battle Creek Revolution and defenseman Kyle Ware.  The Revolution are no longer winless as they won their first NA3HL game last weekend in a road split against the Queen City Steam.  Ware, 19, had four points (2 goals, 2 assists) over the weekend.  The native of Three Rivers, Michigan, was a force from the blueline all weekend.  On Saturday, he recorded two goals and added an assist in a close 5-3 loss.  On Sunday, Ware posted an assist on Battle Creek’s first goal and then scored the shootout-clinching goal to give Battle Creek their first ever win in a 4-3 victory over the Steam.  Ware (6’3/215) has been great in his eight games with the Revolution this season, recording nine points (6 goals, 3 assists).  “Kyle has tremendous hands for a defenseman and has a great shot.  He has the ability to score from anywhere on the ice.  It was one of the reasons we put him out there in a shootout-clinching situation,” said Revolution head coach Rod Davidson.  “In his short time here, Kyle has become a great leader and a positive person in the lockerroom for us.  No doubt the win on Sunday was special for all of us.  It was long overdue because the guys had been playing well.  It was our best weekend series for sure.  Guys really kept their composure when the game was still in question and showed great character.  The team has improved drastically since start of the season and that’s all we can ask for.”

3rd Star: Jordan Prewitt, forward, Toledo Cherokee
Toledo forward Jordan Prewitt, 18, as his Cherokee posted a big weekend home sweep of the Flint Jr. Generals.  The native of Monroe, Michigan, was instrumental in the sweep as he picked up four goals (two each night) in the two-game sweep.  On Friday, Prewitt (6’1/180) scored the first and last goals in regulation as Toledo eventually ended up with a 4-3 shootout win over Flint.  Then on Sunday, Prewitt had two more goals in a 5-2 win over the Jr. Generals.  For the season, Prewitt is 3rd on the team in scoring with 21 points in 23 games played.  “Jordan was our best offensive forward this weekend and a big reason we were able to those much needed four points," said Toledo head coach Kenny Miller.

Honorable Mention (alphabetical order): Matt Eckhardt, forward, Queen City Steam – Mike Gambino, forward, Metro Jets – Nate Gay, goaltender, Toledo Cherokee – David Heflin, goaltender, Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks – Jason Hoehn, forward, Quad City Jr. Flames – Jonah Hoover, forward, Three Rivers Vengeance – Trey Hughes, forward, Twin City Steel – Dominic Juncaj, goaltender, Michigan Mountain Cats – Connor Langfield, defenseman, North Iowa Bulls – Thomas Leistner, defenseman, Three Rivers Vengeance – Joey Lioy, forward, Battle Creek Revolution – Ben Mack, defenseman, Michigan Mountain Cats – Harley Manus, forward, Quad City Jr. Flames – Eric Miller, forward, Granite City Lumberjacks – Andrew Mitch, forward, Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks – Andrew Palushaj, forward, Metro Jets – Mattheu Raiola, defenseman, Granite City Lumberjacks.


 (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)

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