NAHL announces monthly awards for January
The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced its monthly player awards for the month of January. The Easton Hockey NAHL Forward of the Month is Mike Davis from the Amarillo Bulls. The Easton Hockey NAHL Defenseman of the Month is Brendan Vetter from the Amarillo Bulls. The Brian’s Custom Sports NAHL Goaltender of the Month is PJ Bridges from the Topeka RoadRunners. Only players who are nominated by their respective teams are considered for the NAHL monthly awards.
Easton Hockey NAHL Forward of the Month: Mike Davis, Amarillo Bulls
After going through their longest losing streak in organizational history in December, the Amarillo Bulls got back on track in January posting a 10-1 record and vaulting themselves back atop of the South Division. 20-year-old veteran forward and captain Mike Davis had 14 points in those 11 games in January, which included seven goals, seven assists and a remarkable +15 rating during the month. The native of Newark, Delaware also had three game-winning goals during the month, which came in three consecutive weekends. Davis (5’9/185) had four multi-point games during the month, which included a four-point game in a 4-2 win over Rio Grande Valley back on January 10th. For the season, Davis not only leads the Bulls in scoring with 49 points in 46 games played, but he is also tied for the NAHL lead in scoring. His 30 assists also rank 2nd in the league. “We went through a slump in December and following that Mike stepped it up as captain and took it upon himself to make the team better on the ice and in the lockerroom,” said Bulls head coach Dennis Williams. “Mike is the ultimate competitor and warrior. He does the little things to make him and his team successful and it will make him a great NCAA Division I hockey player someday.”
Easton Hockey NAHL Defenseman of the Month: Brendan Vetter, Amarillo Bulls
20-year-old defenseman Brendan Vetter was also a big part of the Bulls getting back on track in January. The native of North Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, was effective at both ends of the ice as he not only racked up 11 points in the 11 games during the month, but he was also a +11. Vetter (6’1/190) was named the South Division Star of the Week last week for his five-point week in games against Odessa. Vetter also shined at the beginning of the month in a sweep of Corpus Christi. During the 11 games in January, Vetter was minus in just one of the games. Vetter has 25 points to date, which ranks 2nd on the Bulls roster for all defensemen and ranks 8th overall in the NAHL. Vetter is a veteran of 138 career NAHL regular season games having spent time with Wenatchee in 2011-12 and Kalamazoo last season. “Brendan has improved every day since he arrived in Amarillo and he is now an elite defenseman. I think once he got through the first 25-30 games, he really started to understand what he needed to do to make he and his team successful,” said Bulls head coach Dennis Williams. “Brendan does a great job at getting pucks to the net and he is responsible at both ends of the ice. It is something that is going to make him a great NCAA Division I hockey player someday.”
Brian’s Custom Sports NAHL Goaltender of the Month: PJ Bridges, Topeka RoadRunners
It was a successful, yet emotional month for Topeka goaltender PJ Bridges. The 20-year-old native of Waterford, Michigan, began the month with a pair of wins over Wichita Falls, but following that came the tragic death of teammate and roommate Peter Halash. Following the tragedy, Bridges (6’0/185) won South Star of the Week honors thanks to two more wins in a weekend sweep in Springfield, which was followed by two more wins at the end of the month. During January, Bridges finished with a 6-0-1 record with a 1.27 goals against average and a 94.8% save percentage. He faced 172 shots during the month and stopped 163 of them. Bridges posted two shutouts in January, a 29-save performance in a 2-0 win over Wichita Falls on January 3rd and a 24-save performance in a 3-0 win over Springfield on January 17th. Bridges currently leads in the NAHL with a 1.34 goals against average and ranks 2nd in save percentage (94.7%) and shutouts (6). “PJ is such a strong leader and really has been the backbone of the team since his arrival,” said Topeka head coach Scott Langer. “He is so strong mentally, which makes him such an effective goaltender. We want to be in a situation at the end of the season where he is playing his best so we can be successful.”
About Easton
Easton Hockey continues to rank atop the industry in sticks and gloves and is growing faster in skates than any other company. It also offers a comprehensive collection of protective gear including helmets and pants. To learn more, go to www.easton.com
About Brian's Custom Sports
The Official Goaltending Equipment Supplier of the NAHL, Brian's has been a leading Canadian supplier of custom-built goal equipment since 1984. As one of the original and remaining custom goal equipment manufacturers Brian's remains committed to continuing to lead the industry with exceptional design and quality. Visit Brian’s online at www.goaliesonly.com