NCAA honors continue for five NAHL alums
December 11, 2013
Five NAHL alumni were honored this past week in their respective NCAA Division I conferences. Here is a look at those honored:
Former NAHL and Corpus Christi IceRays defenseman Frank Misuraca was named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week. The University of Alabama in Huntsville defenseman led the visiting Chargers to their first-ever WCHA victory last Saturday at Bowling Green. A 5-11, 195-pound sophomore from Clinton Township, Mich., Misuraca was named the First Star of the Game after scoring one of the most exciting goals of the season and one the most notable in UAH hockey history last Saturday night (Dec. 7). He notched the game-winner with just :03.4 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Chargers a 4-3 road victory over the Falcons. It was both the first victory of the season for UAH as well as their initial conference win as a first-year member of the WCHA. In addition to his winning goal, Misuraca assisted on the Chargers' first goal to tie the game at 1-1 and played a solid defensive game on the blueline, helping keep BGSU scoreless the entire third period and overtime. Playing in 15 games this season, Misuraca is second on the team in points with five (1g, 4a) and fifth on the team in blocks with 20. Misuraca spent the 2011-12 season with the IceRays as team captain, playing in all 60 games that season.
After assisting on all three of Providence's third period goals on Friday night, former NAHL and current Providence College junior forward Ross Mauermann (Janesville, Wis.) has been named the Hockey East Player of the Week (Dec. 9). Facing a 3-0 deficit to start the third period, Mauermann helped the Friars post a 3-3 tie at 19th-ranked Northeastern with three assists. With the tie, the Friars earned a point in the league standings and are now tied for first in Hockey East. Mauermann, who was also selected as the Hockey East Player of the Week on Nov. 4 and Nov. 19, leads the Friars in scoring with 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points. In Hockey East play, Mauermann has seven goals and seven assists for a league-best 14 points. He has seven multi-point games this season and he has scored at least one point in 13 of Providence's 16 games. Mauermann played two seasons in the NAHL, both for the Janesville Jets in the 2009-10 and the 2010-11 seasons. He is also a veteran of three NAHL Top Prospects Tournaments. While in the NAHL, Mauermann scored 100 points in 113 career regular season games. He also had five points in eight career playoff games.
Former NAHL’er, USNTDP and currect Miami University forward Austin Czarnik was named the NCHC Offensive Player of the Week. Czarnik, who also earned the honor last week, totaled four points in a series split with Denver, scoring two goals while adding two assists. In Friday’s loss, he assisted on Miami’s only goal of the game in the third period to get the RedHawks within one. On Saturday, Miami’s captain tallied three points on two goals and an assist to lead the RedHawks to the win. He scored the first goal of the game to put Miami ahead, then assisted on the game-winner, which came on the power play in the third period, and added an empty-net goal off a faceoff to seal the win. Czarnik was also +3 in Saturday’s contest and finished the weekend with a +2 mark. He has now claimed NCHC Offensive Player of the Week three times this year. Czarnik played in the NAHL with the U.S. program during the 2008-09 season where he appeared in 42 games recording 34 points.
Former NAHL and Marquette Rangers defenseman Kevin Gravel was named the NCHC Defenseman of the Week. Gravel anchored an SCSU defense that gave up just three goals all weekend in a sweep at rival and No. 20 Minnesota Duluth. On Friday, he dished out a pair of assists with one on the Huskies first goal (power play) that tied the game and one on an empty-netter that sealed the win. The Los Angeles Kings prospect also blocked a shot Friday and had a +1 rating while helping kill five of six UMD power plays. The next night, Gravel was even better in SCSU’s 5-1 win as he handed out the primary assist on the game-winner, while posting an impressive +4 rating, blocking another shot and helping kill both Bulldog power plays. The Huskies limited UMD to just 20 shots on goal Saturday as well. For the weekend, Gravel totaled three assists, recorded a +5 rating and blocked two shots. He has now earned NCHC Defenseman of the Week twice this season. Gravel played in the NAHL during the 2008-09 season for the Marquette Rangers. During that season as a 16-year-old rookie defenseman, the native of Kingsford, Michigan, registered 14 points (3 goals, 11 assists) in 58 games played. A year later, he was drafted in the 5th round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings.
Former NAHL and Bismarck Bobcats goaltender Ryan Faragher was named the NCHC Goaltender of the Week. Faragher backstopped St. Cloud State to a sweep at No. 20 Minnesota Duluth, earning both wins in net while compiling a 1.50 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage on the weekend. He was in net all 120 minutes of the series, making 36 saves on 38 shots in a 4-2 win Friday, despite the Huskies being doubled up (38-19) on shots, while stopping 19 of 20 shots in Saturday’s 5-1 victory. Faragher totaled 55 saves on the weekend, allowing just three goals, including only two even strength, while helping kill seven of UMD’s eight power plays in the series. He was also named the game’s first star on Friday. Faragher has now won NCHC Goaltender of the Week twice this season. Faragher played two seasons in the NAHL for the Bobcats in 2009-10 and again in 2010-11. He backstopped the Bobcats to the 2010 NAHL Robertson Cup Championship. Faragher was also a veteran of two NAHL Top Prospects Tournaments. Faragher had a career record of 53-26-9 with seven career shutouts. Faragher had a career goals against average of 2.33 and a career save percentage of 91.9%.
