NAHL Alumni Update

January 11, 2017

Former NAHL MVP and St. Louis Bandits forward Pat Maroon (2005-07) was named the NHL’s 2nd Star of the Week. Maroon (5-1-6 in 4 GP) tied for the league lead in goals (5) during the week to power the Oilers to a 2-2-0 week. He collected one assist in a 3-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets Jan. 3 before registering his first career hat trick, including the winning goal, in a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins Jan. 5. Maroon then was held off the scoresheet in a 2-1 overtime triumph against the New Jersey Devils Jan. 7, but scored twice - his fifth career multi-goal outing - in a 5-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators Jan. 8. The 28-year-old St. Louis native paces the Oilers with 16 goals (16-7-23) in 42 contests this season, already five more than his previous career high established in 2013-14 (11 G in 62 GP w/ ANA).

 

Berrafato went 2-0-0 versus Niagara with a 1.00 goals against average, a .953 save percentage and 41 saves. He posted 18 saves as the Crusaders defeated the Purple Eagles, 3-1 on Friday, while he recorded 23 saves as Holy Cross defeated Niagara, 2-1 on Saturday. Berrafato has won his last three starts, giving up just two goals in that time.

 

Krusko earns the first award of his career from the league office after posting a hat trick in the Crimson's 5-2 victory over No. 15/15 Quinnipiac last Friday. The Alpharetta, Georgia native scored twice in 44 seconds on the power play in the second period and then tacked on an empty netter with seven seconds left in the game to complete the hat trick. The freshman has skated in all 14 games this season for the Crimson, posting five goals, two assists and a +2.

 

Madsen collects his third Goaltender of the Week award and second in a row (Nov. 22, Jan. 3, Jan. 10). The Acton, California native made 65 saves on 69 shots faced in wins over Quinnipiac and Princeton over the weekend, extending Harvard's win streak to six games. His 34 saves against Quinnipiac marked a season-high. Madsen has started every game this season for the Crimson with his .821 win percentage ranking second in the nation. His 2.14 GAA is 12th lowest, while his .922 save percentage ranks 14th nationally.

 

Matias Cleland (Longmont, Colo.) registered four points on four assists in a 7-4 victory at Brown on Sunday afternoon. Cleland now ranks second among all NCAA skaters in assists with 23 on the year.

 

Nelson made his first collegiate appearances and backstopped No. 18 Minnesota State to a WCHA road sweep at Alabama Huntsville, leading the WCHA with two wins, a .959 save percentage, a 1.00 goals-against average and one shutout. The junior from Bismark, N.D. turned in an 18-save shutout in his collegiate debut, a 3-0 Mavericks' victory in Friday's series opener. He then turned aside 29 shots Saturday, clinching Minnesota State's sweep with a 3-2 triumph. Nelson held the Chargers scoreless on eight power-play chances on the weekend, stopping all 13 shots faced in that scenario. He wrapped up his first weekend of play as one of six NCAA goaltenders to post two wins, while his 47 saves (on 49 shots) ranked third in the WCHA.

 

Bednard made his lone appearance of the weekend in Friday's series finale, playing a key role as Bowling Green rallied for a 4-2 victory over No. 17 Bemidji State on national television. After yielding two goals in the first period, the Florida Panthers draft pick turned aside 12 shots over the final two stanzas as the Falcons scored four unanswered for the win. The freshman from Macomb, Mich. was huge during the second period with 10 stops, including turning aside a breakaway opportunity, while BGSU scored twice to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead against the WCHA leaders. This is the first career WCHA weekly award for Bednard, who is now 4-1-0 in his last five starts.

 

David Warsofsky has been selected as the CCM/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 8, 2017. Warsofsky notched two goals, five assists and a plus-6 rating in four games last week, helping the league-leading Penguins to four consecutive victories. On Tuesday evening, Warsofsky tallied an assist as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton edged Hartford, 3-2. On Friday, he registered two helpers, a plus-4 and a game-high five shots on goal as the Penguins beat Hershey, 5-1, and he picked up two more assists in a 5-4 win over Binghamton on Saturday. Finally on Sunday, Warsofsky scored twice – including the overtime winner – and fired eight shots on goal, earning first-star honors in a 6-5 victory at Hershey. A sixth-year pro from Marshfield, Mass., Warsofsky has already established a career high in goals (7) and has 21 assists for 28 points in 24 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He also leads the AHL in plus/minus (+22) and will carry an eight-game scoring streak into the new week. Originally a fourth-round draft pick by St. Louis in 2008, Warsofsky has skated in 271 career AHL games with Wilkes-Barre and Providence, totaling 27 goals and 102 assists for 129 points. He has also posted two goals and three assists in 26 NHL contests with Pittsburgh and Boston, appearing in four games for the parent Penguins this season.

 

The Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) today announced Luke Sandler of the Knoxville Ice Bears is the Bauer Player of the Week for January 2-8. Sandler scored three goals, including one shorthanded, and added an assist in helping the Ice Bears to a pair of wins over Evansville this past weekend.