NAHL announces Bauer Hockey 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 October 9, 2022. The Divisional Stars of the Week is a weekly feature during the 2022-23 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: Byron Hartley, Forward, North Iowa Bulls
The North Iowa Bulls are off and running to an early lead in the Central Division, which was widened this weekend thanks to a road sweep of the Aberdeen Wings. Bulls forward Byron Hartley, 20, had a huge weekend, recording six points (4 goals, 2 assists) in the two wins. On Friday, the 6’1/185 lbs. native of Philadelphia, PA, had a hat-trick and assist in a 6-2 win. On Saturday, the NAPHL alum had a goal, an assist, and a goal in the shootout in a 4-3 shootout win over the Wings. For the season, currently leads the Bulls in scoring with 14 points in 10 games played. “Byron had a great weekend for us propelling us to two wins on the road. He's a player that can make and finish plays and brings energy to the team. We will not be surprised if he earns an NCAA Division I commitment soon,” said Bulls head coach Todd Sanden.
2nd Star: Justin Mexico, F, North Iowa Bulls
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Hunter Longhi, F, Minot Minotauros – Landon Parker, F, Aberdeen Wings – Kade Peterson, F, St. Cloud Norsemen – Adam Pietila, F, Bismarck Bobcats – Luke Roelofs, D, Bismarck Bobcats – Nikolai Tishkevich, F, Aberdeen Wings – Lawton Zacher, G, Minot Minotauros
East Division Star of the Week: Cullen DeYoung, Goaltender, Northeast Generals
Northeast Generals goalie Cullen DeYoung picked up two wins this past week as the Generals extended their current winning streak to seven straight games. The 6’0/170 lbs. native of Canton, MI, stopped 42 of 44 shots in the two wins. That included 23 saves in a 5-2 home win over Danbury on Tuesday and a 19-save shutout in a 2-0 win in Philadelphia against the Rebels on Saturday. DeYoung has on his last five starts and currently has a 5-3 record with a 3.14 goals against average and .900 save percentage. “Cullen had a huge week for us. He has been great for us since Matt Dibble traded for him early last year. He is a technically sound goalie that is also a freak athlete that is never out of a play. He had a real solid game on Tuesday and kept us in the game early, which allowed us to comeback for the win. On Saturday, he was superb in his shutout. You could tell early on he had it and it was going to be a tough day to score on him. He is a NCAA Division I-caliber goalie that has been getting a lot of interest. We can’t wait for his continued dominant play and hopefully a commitment soon,” said Generals head coach Bryan Erikson.
2nd Star: Christian Catalano, F, Maryland Black Bears
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): David Andreychuk, F, Northeast Generals – Nicholas Bernardo, D, Maine Nordiques – Patrik Berzins, G, Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks – Levente Keresztes, F, New Jersey Titans – Kellen Murphy, F, Maine Nordiques - Jack Wieneke, G, Maryland Black Bears – Ben Yurchuk, F, New Jersey Titans
Midwest Division Star of the Week: Nils Wallstrom, Goaltender, Kenai River Brown Bears
It was another big week for the Kenai River Brown Bears who extended their winning streak to six straight games thanks to a three-game weekend road sweep of the Springfield Jr. Blues. For the second straight week, Brown Bears goalie Nils Wallstrom, 19, captured the Star of the Week award. Wallstrom extended his personal winning streak to six straight games by backstopping Kenai River to wins in two of the three games. The 6’3/185 lbs. native of Skelleftea, Sweden, stopped 79 of 82 shots in the two wins, which included 37 saves in Friday’s 3-2 win and 42 saves in Sunday’s 3-1 win. For the season, Wallstrom has a 7-2-0 record with a 2.55 goals against average and .927 save percentage. “Nils was tremendous this past weekend to help us close out our road trip. Nils continues to prove his ability week in and week out with consistent play. His leadership qualities and demeanor provide the team with confidence every time he is in the net,” said Brown Bears head coach Taylor Shaw.
2nd Star: Sam Rice, F, Chippewa Steel
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Matt Brille, F, Chippewa Steel – Noah Holt, F, Kenai River Brown Bears – Adam Johnson, F, Minnesota Wilderness – Cole Mickel, D, Wisconsin Windigo – Cameron Morris, F, Anchorage Wolverines – Eddie Shepler, F, Minnesota Wilderness – Aiden Westin, F, Anchorage Wolverines
South Division Star of the Week: Johan Rosenquist, Forward, Lone Star Brahmas
Thanks to a weekend road sweep of the Corpus Christi IceRays, the Lone Star Brahmas ran their winning streak to six straight games and widened their lead atop the South Division. Forward Johan Rosenquist, 19, had his best weekend of the season thus far as he posted four points in the two wins. On Friday, the 6’2/195 lbs. native of Naples, FL, had two goals and an assist in a 4-2 win. On Saturday, he added an assist in a 2-1 win. For the season, Rosenquist has six points in nine games played thus far. “Johan plays very fast. He is playing with confidence right now and he is doing things the right way. He is a NCAA Division I-caliber player, and we are excited to continue to see his growth for the remainder of the season,” said Brahmas head coach Dan Wildfong.
2nd Star: Gergely Orosz, G, Odessa Jackalopes
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Simon Bucheler, G, Shreveport Mudbugs – Jesse Kirby, F, Lone Star Brahmas
