NAHL announces Easton Divisional Stars of the Week
The North American Hockey League (NAHL) today announced the Divisional Stars of the Week presented by Easton Hockey for the week ending November 8, 2015. The Easton Hockey Divisional Stars of the Week is a weekly feature during the 2015-16 regular season that honors the top performing players in each of the four NAHL divisions. Only players that are nominated by their respective teams are considered for the Divisional Players of the Week award.
Central Division Star of the Week: Will Ulrich, goaltender, Minnesota Magicians
The Minnesota Magicians won two of three games this past weekend and in goal for both those wins was netminder Will Ulrich. The 19-year-old native of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan faced a lot of shots in home wins over Austin on Thursday and Brookings on Saturday, stopping 72 of a combined 77 shots. On Thursday, Ulrich (6’1/190) made 30 saves in a 3-2 win over the Bruins. On Saturday, he made 42 saves in a 4-3 shootout win over the Blizzard, in which he stopped all three shooters in the shootout. Heading into the weekend, Ulrich had allowed no goals in two straight relief appearances and his 92.7% save percentage currently ranks tied for 6th in the NAHL. "Will has been great for us early in the season. Last week he gave us a chance to win both nights and made saves that were the difference," said Magicians head coach Scott Meyer.
2nd Star: Jared Resseguie, F, Bismarck Bobcats
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Tyler Bossert, F, Aberdeen Wings – Jake Leitner, F, Aberdeen Wings – Austin Martinsen, F, Minot Minotauros – Jack Murphy, F, Minot Minotauros – Hunter Shepard, G, Bismarck Bobcats
East Division Star of the Week: Andrew Bellant, forward, Aston Rebels
The Aston Rebels won their 4th and 5th straight games this past weekend with victories over Johnstown on Friday and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday. 18-year-old forward Andrew Bellant came up big in the two wins as the native of Linden, Michigan recorded five points and was a +4 in the two wins. On Friday, Bellant (5’10/185) had two goals and two assists in a 6-4 win over the Tomahawks. On Saturday, he added another assist in a 4-3 shootout win. In 11 games played with the Rebels to date, Bellant has 10 points. “Andrew is ultra competitive and fits into the way we want to play very nicely. He is a great skater with lots skill and jam. For a young kid, his consistency level is well above average,” said Aston head coach Joe Coombs.
2nd Star: Tony Devito, D, New Jersey Titans
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Kristofers Bindulis, D, Aston Rebels
Midwest Division Star of the Week: Liam Stirtzinger, forward, Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Fairbanks Ice Dogs forward Liam Stirtzinger, 20, played a big role in his club’s success this past weekend as the Ice Dogs ran their winning streak to five straight games with a three-game road sweep in Kenai River. The native of Moorpark, California, had five points (3 goals, 2 assists) and was a +4 in the three wins. On Friday, Stirtzinger (6’4/215) had a goal and an assist in a 6-1 win. On Saturday, he scored again in a 3-2 win over the Brown Bears. On Sunday, he had the game-winning goal and another assist in a 5-1 win. For the season, the veteran forward has 16 points in 19 games played. “Liam was strong in all three games. He has Division I ability and was more consistent with certain areas of his game over the weekend,” said Ice Dogs head coach Trevor Stewart.
2nd Star: Trevor Stone, F, Springfield Jr. Blues
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Tyler Cline, F, Minnesota Wilderness – Jack Gessert, F, Kenai River Brown Bears – Josef Ingman, D, Fairbanks Ice Dogs – Luke Kania, G, Minnesota Wilderness – Nick Nast, G, Kenai River Brown Bears – Jeff Skinner, F, Springfield Jr. Blues
South Division Star of the Week: Cam Strong, forward, Topeka RoadRunners
Despite a split at home for the RoadRunners this past weekend, forward Cam Strong, 20, contributed in a big way to the RoadRunners production. The native of Billings, Montana, had five points (all assists) in the two games and finished with a +1 rating. On Friday, Strong (6’0/178) had two assists in a 4-1 win. On Saturday, he assist on three of Topeka’s four goals in a 6-4 loss. For the season, Strong leads the RoadRunners in scoring with 16 points in 20 games played. “Cam is the hardest worker night in night out and is exactly what we want a RoadRunner to be. He was recently voted captain of this year’s team. He refuses to be out worked, makes the players around him better and creates scoring chances through work ethic,” said Topeka head coach Scott Langer.
2nd Star: Adam Goodsir, F, Wichita Falls Wildcats
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Luka Maver, F, Topeka RoadRunners
