NAHL Alumni Update
October 19, 2016
It was another big week for NAHL alumni in the NCAA Division I and professional ranks, which included a clean sweep of the WCHA weekly awards. Here is a look at those honored:
Atlantic Hockey Defensive Player of the Week: Alexey Solovyev, Bentley (Lone Star Brahmas)
Solovyev scored once in each game of Bentley's home and home series with Northeastern this weekend. In Friday's 1-1 tie at home, he scored a shorthanded goal at 2:54 of the 2nd period to tie the game up. He finished the night +1 as well. On Saturday at Matthews Arena, he scored for the 3rd straight game, with the goal coming on the power play in the 1st period.
Hockey East Rookie of the Week: Mitch Fossier, Maine (Janesville Jets)
Mitch Fossier (Alpharetta, Ga.) continued his role as hero for the Black Bears, tacking on two assist and netting the game-winning, overtime goal to down Quinnipiac Friday night, his third decisive goal in as many games. Saturday, he chipped in on the game-tying goal to force overtime against the Bobcats.
WCHA Offensive Player of the Week: Reid Sturos, Michigan Tech (Alexandria Blizzard)
Sturos earns recognition for a goal that, per NCAA rules does not count in the official statistics, but goes down in the history books as the first regular season, double-overtime game-winner in WCHA history. Playing in the WCHA's first-ever 3-on-3 overtime, the senior from Brighton, Mich. buried the winner against Alabama Huntsville to give Michigan Tech the extra league point after a 1-1 tie and a five-point weekend (out of six) overall. Sturos also helped the Huskies to a 7-3 win in the series opener, netting a power-play goal. This is Sturos' fourth career WCHA weekly award, but first since winning three Rookie of the Week honors as a freshman in 2013-14.
WCHA Defensive Player of the Week: Michael Bitzer, Bemidji State (Alexandria Blizzard)
Bitzer was perfect in Bemidji State's two-game series sweep at Northern Michigan, stopping all 42 shots he faced in back-to-back, 2-0 shutout victories. The NCAA's active career shutout leader, the junior from Moorehead, Minn. is now tied with Matt Climie (2004-08) for the all-time Bemidji State record with 12 career blank slates. Bitzer, the only goaltender in the country with a pair of shutouts this past weekend, turned aside 21 shots each night. He also helped the Beavers' penalty-kill unit stave off all nine NMU power-play opportunities. This is Bitzer's eighth career WCHA weekly award, including a pair of Rookie of the Week accolades.
WCHA Rookie of the Week: Parker Tuomie, Minnesota State (Wenatchee Wild)
Tuomie contributed his first two collegiate goals, an assist and totaled 10 shots on goal as No. 14 Minnesota State swept No. 7/5 St. Cloud State in Mankato. The freshman from Bremerhaven, Germany drew an assist on the game-opening goal of the Mavericks' 4-1 victory in Friday's series opener. Picking an ideal time for his first markers, Tuomie scored twice in a four-goal second period Saturday as Minnesota State rallied to win. His first goal tied the game 4-4 at the 7:43 mark, while his second tally was the final Mavericks goal in a 6-4 triumph.
ECHL Player of the Week: Kyle Bonis, Toledo Walleye (Traverse City North Stars)
Kyle Bonis of the Toledo?Walleye is the Sher-Wood Hockey ECHL Player of the Week for Oct. 14-16. Bonis scored three goals and added two assists for five points in two games at Atlanta last week. The 27-year-old picked up an assist in a 4-1 loss on?Friday before notching four points (3g-1a) and a +3 rating in a 7-4 win on Saturday. A native of Lindsay, Ontario, Bonis has tallied 134 points (78g-56a) in 164 career regular-season ECHL games with Toledo and Florida while adding 21 points (14g-7a) in 28 career games during the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Bonis has added 12 points (5g-7a) in 44 career American?Hockey League games with Norfolk, Charlotte, Grand Rapids and San Diego. Prior to turning pro, Bonis recorded 77 points (47g-30a) in 136 career games at Ferris State University.