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 for the week ending March 16, 2014. The Divisional Stars of the Week is a weekly feature during the 2013-14 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: Jay Dickman, forward, Austin Bruins
It was a memorable week for Austin Bruins forward Jay Dickman. Earlier in the week, the 20-year-old native of Shoreview, Minnesota made his NCAA Division I commitment to Bemidji State University. That was followed up by Dickman (6’6/225) being dominant in a weekend sweep of the Minnesota Magicians in which Dickman had four goals and one assist in the two wins. On Friday, Dickman had two goals, an assist and was a +3 in a 5-3 win over the Magicians. On Saturday, Dickman scored two more goals in a 6-3 win. For the season, Dickman is 1st on the Bruins and 2nd in the NAHL in scoring with 60 points in 55 games played. “It was a big week for Jay. I know he felt great about his NCAA commitment and you could see it in his play. He made a big impact in the games. Jay is really understanding how to use his body and size to generate offense and get to the net,” said Bruins head coach Chris Tok.
Midwest Division Star of the Week: Albin Karlsson, forward, Kenai River Brown Bears
Niagara University recruit Albin Karlsson, 20, helped the Brown Bears to a weekend road split in Wichita Falls to help his club stay in the thick of the Midwest Division playoff race. The native Uppsala, Sweden had four points (1 goal, 3 assists) in the two games and was also a +2. On Friday, Karlsson (5’8/160) assisted on the lone Brown Bears goal in a 3-1 loss to the Wildcats. On Saturday, Karlsson had a goal and two assists, including an assist on the game-winning goal, as Kenai River pulled to within one point of a playoff spot with a 5-3 win. For the season, Karlsson is 2nd on the Brown Bears roster in scoring with 42 points in 54 games played.
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Alec Butcher, F, Kenai River Brown Bears – Dan Litchke, F, Minnesota Wilderness
North Division Star of the Week: Bryan Yim, forward, Port Huron Fighting Falcons
Port Huron forward Bryan Yim, 19, helped his team to three wins last week, putting the Fighting Falcons on the verge of winning the North Division regular season title. The native of Farmington, Michigan, racked up three goals and an assist in the three wins. After going scoreless in Wednesday’s 2-1 win against Michigan, Yim (5’8/172) had the game-winning goal and an assist in Saturday’s 3-2 win over the Soo Eagles. On Sunday, Yim scored two more goals in a 3-1 win, which completed a weekend sweep of the Eagles. Yim is the Fighting Falcons leading scorer this season with 46 points in 53 games played. “Bryan really led the team this weekend and I thought he was the best player on the ice. His goals were hard-working and not fancy and best of all, he created opportunities for his teammates,” said Port Huron head coach Michael Gershon.
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Vito Aluia, F, Port Huron Fighting Falcons – Kristofers Bindulis, D, Soo Eagles – Stefanos Lekkas, G, Springfield Jr. Blues – Alex Smith, D, Janesville Jets – Oliver Takacsi-Nagy, F, Springfield Jr. Blues
South Division Star of the Week: Chase Munroe, goaltender, Wichita Falls Wildcats
It was a long, busy and successful week for Wichita Falls goalie Chase Munroe. The 19-year-old from Naperville, Illinois, appeared in all four Wildcats games last week, posting three wins. On Monday, Munroe (6’3/210) made 25 saves as the Wildcats defeated Topeka on the road, 3-2. On Tuesday, Munroe was even better as he made 29 saves in a 4-1 win, which completed a road sweep of Topeka. On Friday, Munroe made 30 saves in a 3-1 home win against Kenai River. On Saturday he stopped 13 out of 16 shots in a 5-3 loss, but for the week, Munroe faced 104 shots and stopped 97 of them. For the season, Munroe has a 12-10-2 record with a 2.32. goals against average and a 91.1% save percentage.
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): None
