NAHL announces Bauer Hockey Divisional Stars of the Week
The North American Hockey League (NAHL) today announced the Divisional Stars of the Week presented by Bauer Hockey for the week ending March 10, 2019. The Divisional Stars of the Week is a weekly feature during the 2018-19 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.
Watch: NAHL Stars of the Week video for March 4-10
Central Division Star of the Week: Nicholas Grabko, goaltender, Minot Minotauros
It was a big week for Minot Minotauros and NAHL Top Prospects goalie Nicholas Grabko, 19, who extended his personal and the team winning streak to four straight games with a pair of wins over the Bismarck Bobcats. The 5’11/175 lbs. native of Channahon, Illinois, gave up just two goals in two wins this past week, stopping 67 of a possible 69 shots. On Wednesday, Grabko made 29 saves and stopped four of five shooters in a 2-1 shootout win over the Bobcats. On Saturday, Grabko was even better as he made 38 saves in an2-1 overtime win on the road in Bismarck. For the season, Grabko has a 18-10-0 record with a 2.57 goals against average and a .917 save percentage. “Nick was exceptional in a huge home-and-home series against a tough opponent in Bismarck. I thought he stole the game on Wednesday and backed it up with another solid effort on Saturday. You need to have strong goaltending to have success this time of year, and our guys have certainly supplied that,” said Minot head coach Marty Murray.
2nd Star: Matt Vernon, G, Aberdeen Wings
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Ben Almquist, F, Austin Bruins – Jon Bendorf, F, Aberdeen Wings – Didrik Henbrant, F, Minot Minotauros – Landon Langenbrunner, F, Minnesota Wilderness – Aaron Myers, F, Minnesota Wilderness – Tim Piechowski, F, Bismarck Bobcats – John Roberts, G, Bismarck Bobcats – Dante Sheriff, F, Austin Bruins
East Division Star of the Week: Niki Jasko, forward, Jamestown Rebels
Jamestown Rebels forward Niki Jasko, 20, helped his team pick up five of a possible six points this past week. The 5’11/195 lbs. native of Bratislava, Slovakia, recorded six goals in three games last week and was also a +6. On Wednesday, Jasko scored one of two goals in a close 3-2 overtime loss in Johnstown. On Friday, he scored two goals in a 5-1 home win over the New Jersey Titans. On Saturday, he had a hat-trick in a 6-1 win over the Titans, which completed the weekend sweep. For the season, Jasko has 17 points, including 13 goals in 28 NAHL games played so far this season. “Niki scored some really timely goals for us this past week and I feel like he is playing his best hockey of the season right now. As we get ready for the Robertson Cup Playoffs, production from guys like Niki will be important to our success in the post-season,” said Rebels head coach Joe Coombs.
2nd Star: Cam Hebert, F, Johnstown Tomahawks
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Louis Boudon, F, Northeast Generals – Carter McPhail, G, Johnstown Tomahawks – Joe Nagle, D, Northeast Generals – Noah West, G, Jamestown Rebels
Midwest Division Star of the Week: Mattias Sholl, goaltender, Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Fairbanks Ice Dogs goaltender Mattias Sholl, 18, helped his team to a weekend home sweep of the Minnesota Magicians, as the Ice Dogs moved into sole possession of 1st place in the NAHL’s Midwest Division. The 5’10/160 lbs. native of Hermosa Beach, California, allowed just a single goal on 53 combines shots in the two wins. On Friday, Sholl made 31 saves in a 2-1 win, and then on Saturday he stopped all 21 shots that came his way for his fourth shutout of the season in a 3-0 win. For the season, Sholl has an 11-1-4 record with a 1.87 goals against average, which ranks 1st in the NAHL, and a .928 save percentage. “Mattias is playing with a lot of confidence and it showed this weekend. He made some very timely saves for our team and helped us pick up two big wins,” said Fairbanks head coach Trevor Stewart.
2nd Star: Gavin Enright, G, Kenai River Brown Bears
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Cole Brady, G, Janesville Jets – Tanner Edwards, F, Fairbanks Ice Dogs – Sam Metcalf, G, Janesville Jets – Max Osborne, D, Springfield Jr. Blues – Ben Schmidling, F, Springfield Jr. Blues – Connor Szmul, F, Chippewa Steel – Andy Walker, F, Kenai River Brown Bears
South Division Star of the Week: Hugh Quinn, forward, Topeka Pilots
Topeka Pilots forward Hugh Quinn, 19, helped his team to a weekend split with the Corpus Christi IceRays in a weekend that featured plenty of offense and scoring. The 6’1/180 lbs. native of Orsa, Sweden, put up eight points (4 goals, 4 assists) in two games. On Friday night, Quinn had two goals and an assist in a 7-5 win. On Saturday, he had two more goals and three assists in an 8-7 overtime win. For the season, Quinn is tied for 4th in team scoring with 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in 49 games played. “Hugh has elevated his game recently and has been a threat every time he is on the ice. His play this weekend is a result of all the hard work he has put in thus far,” said Pilots head coach Simon Watson.
2nd Star: Blake Bennett, F, Corpus Christi IceRays
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Joey Baez, F, Lone Star Brahmas – Jack Conroy, F, Odessa Jackalopes - Brendan Datema, D, Amarillo Bulls – Michael Muschitiello, F, Topeka Pilots – Gabriel Seger, F, Amarillo Bulls – Jake Stella, F, Corpus Christi IceRays
