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 December 23, 2018. 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 Highlight Video
Central Division Star of the Week: No Games
East Division Star of the Week: Jim Glynn, forward, Jamestown Rebels
The Jamestown Rebels kept their hot play going this past weekend as they picked up a two-game home sweep of the Maryland Black Bears, extending their winning streak to four games. Forward Jim Glynn, 18, continued his hot stretch of games with another good showing this past weekend. The 5’11/172 lbs. native of Lemont, Illinois, recorded a point in both wins, which set a new franchise record for points in consecutive games with 12. On Friday, Glynn posted a power play goal in a 5-3 win and then on Saturday, he picked up an assist in a 4-0 win. He was also a +2 in the weekend wins. For the 2018-19 season, Glynn has 18 points in 31 games played, with 15 of those points coming during his current 12-game point streak. “Jim has been remarkably consistent over the course of the past two months and we hope to see that continue the second half of the season,” said Rebels head coach Joe Coombs.
2nd Star: Ryan Rowland, D, Northeast Generals
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): David Fessenden, G, Northeast Generals – Noah West, G, Jamestown Rebels
Midwest Division Star of the Week: John Keranen, forward, Minnesota Magicians
Army commit and Magicians forward John Keranen, 20, helped his team get back on track this past weekend with a home-and-home sweep of the Chippewa Steel, which pushed the Magicians back to a seven-point lead atop the Midwest Division. The 6’2/190 lbs. native of Delano, Minnesota, recorded four points (2 goals, 2 assists) and was a +5 in the two wins. On Saturday, Keranen had two goals, including the game-winner, and an assist in a 6-3 road win. On Saturday, he picked up an assist in a 2-1 home win. For the season, Keranen is 2nd in team scoring with 24 points in 29 games played. “John continues to have a strong influence in the outcome of each game this year. His consistent production has helped our team’s success for through the first half of the season,” said Magicians head coach A.J. Bucchino.
2nd Star: Jack Robbel, G, Minnesota Magicians
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Jacob Dirks, F, Chippewa Steel
South Division Star of the Week: Sam Best, goaltender, Corpus Christi IceRays
The Corpus Christi IceRays are currently one of the hottest teams in the NAHL. They picked up a weekend road sweep in Lone Star against the Brahmas this past weekend, extending their winning streak to a franchise-best eight straight games. Backstopping the team in both wins was 20-year-old goaltender Sam Best. The 5’10/160 lbs. native of Boston, Massachusetts, stopped 51 of 54 shots in the two wins. On Friday, Best made 24 saves in a 2-1 win, and then on Saturday he made 27 saves through regulation and overtime and then stopped two of three shooters in a 3-2 shootout win. For the season, Best has an 11-6-0 record with a 2.65 goals against average and a .914 save percentage. “Sam put together another excellent weekend. He made some incredible saves that led to our wins. Sam has been the backbone to our eight-game winning streak and move into second place. It’s is great to see the increased NCAA Division I attention he is receiving from his play this year,” said IceRays head coach Ryan Cruthers.
2nd Star: Maiszon Balboa, G, Shreveport Mudbugs
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Santeri Hartikainen, F, Corpus Christi IceRays – CJ McGee, D, Shreveport Mudbugs
