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 1, 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: Kris Carlson, goaltender, Austin Bruins
Another week, another Star of the Week honor for Austin Bruins goalie Kris Carlson. Carlson, 18, led his team to a another road sweep this weekend, this time in Minot against the Minotauros. The native of Centerville, VA, allowed just one goal in the two games and stopped 49 of a possible 50 shots against him. On Friday, Carlson (6’2/180) made 23 saves in a 2-1 win. On Saturday, he stopped all 26 shots that came his way for his first career NAHL shutout in a 5-0 win over the Minotauros. Carlson has won four straight games, giving up just four goals in that time span. "Kris has done a tremendous job for us this season, especially lately and is major factor in our team success each game,” said Austin head coach Kyle Grabowski.
2nd Star: Hunter Shepard, G, Bismarck Bobcats
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Nick Alexander, F, Bismarck Bobcats – Connor Bucsis, F, Minnesota Magicians
East Division Star of the Week: Darion Hanson, goaltender, Aston Rebels
The Aston Rebels ran their winning streak to three straight games with a weekend road sweep in Kenai River against the Brown Bears. Despite a surge of offense in the two wins, goalie Darion Hanson, 18, was plenty busy and effective. The native of East Bethal, MN, faced a total of 67 shots in the two road games and stopped 62 of them. On Friday, Hanson (6’3/180) mad3 39 saves in a 5-3 win over the Brown Bears. On Saturday, he allowed just two goals and made 23 saves in a 7-2 win. Hanson has yet to lose a game this season, posting a perfect 7-0-0 record. In the month of October he went 6-0 with a 2.26 goals against average and a 92.3% save percentage. Hanson played his midget hockey for the Omaha AAA program in the NAPHL. “Darion has been really solid. His demeanor for young kid is exceptional. He has really been our best of late. We as a team have been real good and not so good, but he has been our one constants,” said Aston head coach Joe Coombs.
2nd Star: Ryan Solomon, D, Aston Rebels
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): None
Midwest Division Star of the Week: Clay Cross, forward, Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Fairbanks forward Clay Cross, 20, helped his team get back on track this weekend with a home sweep of the Johnstown Tomahawks. Cross (5’7/150) had four points and was a +4 in the two-game sweep. On Friday, the native of Glendale, AZ had a goal and two assists in a 8-3 win. On Saturday, Cross assisted on Fairbanks’ first goal, which came shorthanded, and was a +2 in a 7-5 win. For the season, Cross has 12 points in 15 games played to date with the Ice Dogs. Cross played his youth hockey with the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes. “Clay was the best player on the ice for us all weekend. He has transitioned well from defense to forward this season and has really worked hard to improve his game and be a consistent presence in the line-up, said Ice Dogs head coach Trevor Stewart.
2nd Star: Brennan Blaszczak, F, Springfield Jr. Blues
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Koby Bender, F, Minnesota Wilderness – Jackson Charlesworth, D, Coulee Region Chill – Gunnar Goodmanson, F, Kenai River Brown Bears – Jack LaFontaine, G, Janesville Jets – Reggie Lutz, F, Fairbanks Ice Dogs – Chase Munroe, G, Minnesota Wilderness – Joey Sardina, F, Kenai River Brown Bears – Hunter Schneider, F, Springfield Jr. Blues – Martin Sundberg, F, Janesville Jets
South Division Star of the Week: Julian Sime, goaltender, Wichita Falls Wildcats
The Wichita Falls Wildcats continued their hot streak in 1st place in the South Division with a weekend home sweep of the Corpus Christi IceRays. They also showed why they may have the best 1-2 goaltending tandem in the NAHL right now as 17-year-old netminder Julian Sime got both starts this weekend and gave up just a single goal in the two wins. The native of Mississauga, ON, saw 33 shots come his way in the two games and made 32 saves. On Friday, Sime (5’9/190) made 15 saves in a 3-1 win. On Saturday, he stopped all 17 shots that came his way for his first career NAHL shutout in a 3-0 win. "Julian made timely saves for us in both games this past weekend. When it was a close game, he came up big for our team when we needed him most. He is a 1998 birth year player and we are confident he'll continue to develop, so we're excited to see his progress as he continues to improve,” stated Paul Baxter, GM/President of the Wildcats.
2nd Star: Corbin Kaczperski, G, Lone Star Brahmas
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Regen Cavanagh, F, Corpus Christi IceRays – Yu Hikosaka, F, Topeka RoadRunners – Tyler Johnson, G, Topeka RoadRunners – Jonathan Lazarus, F, Wichita Falls Wildcats
