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The addition of veteran forward Dominick Sacco has paid immediate dividends for the New York Aviators. The 20-year-old native of Brooklyn, New York, joinded the Aviators after the New Year and has totally dominant in the NA3EHL. Having played the better part of the previous four seasons in the USHL, where he appeared in 161 career games and recorded 63 career points, Sacco (5’9/160) has instantly made the Aviators contenders as evidenced by his 21 points in just six games in January. Sacco recorded multi-point games in all six outings and had 12 goals, 9 assists and a +20 rating. He was named the West Division Star of the Week on January 19
th
and two five-point games. “We are very proud of the impact that Dominick has made since he joined our team. He is not only a great player on the ice, he is an outstanding teammate. He is the type of player that puts his team ahead of his own personal success,” said Aviators head coach Mike Stanaway.
Runner-Up:
Anthony DePetres
, Roc City Royals
Honorable Mention (alphabetical):
Cory Decosta
, Skylands Kings –
Chris Gasiewicz
, Lockport Express –
Bogdan Khvatov
, Jersey Shore Wildcats –
Arya Saliany
, New England Stars –
Mason Smith
, East Coast Minutemen –
Hunter Soden
, Syracuse Stampede
Thanks to a 7-1 record in the month of January, the Cape Cod Islanders have taken control of the East Division and appear to be on their way to a regular season title. Defenseman Eriz Szeker was a big contributor as the native of Allentown, New Jersey had 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists) in the month of January. Szeker (6’1/195) also had a memorable month because of his NCAA commitment to St. Olaf College. The 20-year-old Szeker recorded a point in all eight games in January as enters February riding an 11-game point streak. He also played on the NA3EHL East Division prospects team that played at the NA3HL Showcase in December. “Eric had an excellent month of January. In addition to committing to St. Olaf College (NCAA DIII), he is currently riding an 11-game point streak. His offensive capabilities combined with his hockey IQ and strong defensive play make him a force on the ice. Eric is a natural leader who sets the tone for our entire program. In the words of Dan Hodge, Eric has set the standard that all future Islanders will be evaluated by,” said Islanders head coach Jay Punsky.
Runner-Up:
Hunter McTague
, New England Stars
Honorable Mention (alphabetical):
Jon MacDonald
, East Coast Minutemen –
Raymond Rowe
, Syracuse Stampede –
Matt Sinatra
, Skylands Kings –
Gibson Stuart
, Lockport Express –
Alex Tan
, Jersey Shore Wildcats
The addition of goalie Steven Schmitt, 19, to an already deep Cape Cod goaltending line-up is another reason the team is in 1
st
place in the East Division. The native of Providence, Rhode Island began the season playing in the NA3HL with the Wooster Oilers, but after the New Year, joined the Islanders and had a tremendous month of January. Schmitt (6’2/220) posted a perfect 3-0 record in January, facing 87 shots and allowing just four goals in the three games. That included a 24-save shutout of Northeast on January 22
nd
and 42 saves in a 5-3 win over Lockport at the NA3EHL Showcase on January 29
th
. “Steven joined the team after the Christmas break and has been a tremendous addition to our goaltending staff. In three games played he has posted 3 wins with one shutout. Steven is a big, technically sound butterfly goaltender. We are lucky to have a group of goalies who give us a chance to win on any given night,” said Islanders head coach Jay Punsky.
Runner-Up:
Scott Albertoni
, Jersey Shore Wildcats
Honorable Mention (alphabetical):
Aidan Critchlow
, East Coast Minutemen –
Brandon Daigle
, Maine Wild -
Devyn Levesque
, New England Stars –
Kyle VanWagner
, Syracuse Stampede
During Jersey Shore’s perfect month of December, forward Dylan Plsek, 19, stood out amongst all others with his performance. The native of Grand Juntion, CO, recorded 11 points (2 goals, 9 assists) in the five games and was also a +10. Plsek (6’2/185) had three multi-point games, which included one four point game in an 8-4 win against New York on December 11
th
. Also during the month, Plsek was selected to play on the NA3EHL West Division top prospects team at the NA3HL Showcase, and while the stats don’t count, Plsek had a good showing with four points in three games as the West team posted a 1-1-1 record. For the season, Plsek is 4
th
in the NA3EHL scoring with 55 points in 28 games played. “I am glad to see Dylan development is starting to pay off. Dylan's hard work and determination combined with the program and structure has helped him to start scratching the surface of his full potential,” said Wildcats head coach Eric Brule.
Runner-Up:
Cory Decosta
, Skylands Kings
Honorable Mention (alphabetical):
Brendan Corey
, Roc City Royals –
Ryan Flanagan
, Wilkes-Barre Miners –
Ryan Logar
, Lockport Express –
Kyle Weiss
, New England Stars
The New England Stars posted a perfect month of December with a 4-0 record as they continued their climb up the East Division standings. Defenseman Tim Paige, 19, played great from the blueline as the native of Nashua, NH, recorded six points during the four wins in the month. Paige (5’10/175) had three goals and three assists and was also a +6 in December. His best outing was a three point game during a 7-4 win against the Northeast Generals on December 5
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. For the season, Paige leads all Stars blueliners in points with 21 points in 24 games played. “Tim is a dependable two-way defenceman that plays in all situations. He has a high hockey IQ and comes to the rink ready to get better each day,” said New England head coach Darryl Green.
Runner-Up:
Alex Linquito
, Skylands Kings
Honorable Mention (alphabetical):
Aidan Conolly
, Roc City Royals –
Marcus McCall
, Jersey Shore Wildcats –
Gibson Stuart
, Lockport Express
Getting credit for all five of his team’s wins during the month of December was Wildcats goalie Scott Albertoni. The 19-year-old native of Denver, CO, played 260 of a possible 300 team minutes in December and posted a perfect 5-0 record. During the month, Albertoni (6’3/190) posted back-to-back shutouts with a sweep of Syracuse on December 5-6. Albertoni has a perfect 15-0 record this season and leads the NA3EHL in wins (15), shutouts (5) and is 3
rd
in goals against average (2.05). “Scott is a natural leader and brings a grade A compete level on a consistent basis. With help of our goalie instruction, he is also developing nicely and has turned into an impact player on our team. Both he and Dylan are 100% committed to the game and are not afraid to go the extra mile, including when times are tough. With the support of their teammates, we are glad to see they are getting noticed,” said Wildcats head coach Eric Brule.
Runner-Up:
Ian Stahl
, Roc City Royals
Honorable Mention (alphabetical):
Ryan Bartholomew
, Skylands Kings
A big part of Cape Cod’s perfect 7-0 record and run to the top spot in the East Division during the month of November was the play of forward Mike Jessman. The 20-year-old native of Falmouth, MA, had a remarkable and productive month of November as he accumulated 23 points in the seven games, which included 10 goals, 13 assists and a +15 rating. It vaulted Jessman (5’7/185) into 7
th
in the NA3EHL scoring race. Jessman recorded at least a point in all seven games he played during the month and five of the seven games were multi-point outings. He was named the East Division Star of the Week on November 24
th
for his seven points during the week. “Mike is a dynamic offensive player who has a great set of hands. He has raised his compete level and in seven games this month he amassed 23 points, which was remarkable. Mike is someone we are going to rely on down the stretch,” said Cape Cod head coach Jay Punsky.
Runner-Up:
Cory Decosta
, Skylands Kings
Honorable Mention (alphabetical):
Christian Cooley
, Jersey Shore Wildcats –
Brandon Corey
, Roc City Royals –
Justin Durkee
, Lockport Express -
Ryan Gauvin
, New England Stars –
Alex O’Dowd
, Northeast Generals –
Nate Walker
, Syracuse Stampede
In a month where the Skylands Kings posted a winning record of 4-3, it was defenseman Cole Skelly, 19, who was one of the standouts. The native of Landing, NJ, recored 10 points (6 goals, 4 assists) during the month and was also a +3. Skelly (6’2/190) recorded at least a point in six of the seven games played during November three of those games were multi-point efforts. His best game of the month came in a 10-7 loss against Cape Cod on November 22
nd
where he recorded a hat-trick. In 16 games played this season, Skelly has 20 points, which ranks tied for 4
th
among NA3EHL defensemen. “Cole's numbers speak volumes over the course of the last month. He has been able to contribute offensively because he is starting to make smarter plays with and without the puck. He is a guy that we rely on heavily to play big minutes each night and he has responded quite well. He is starting to come into his own in this league and we will need him in a big way if we want to make a push in the second half,” said Kings Director of Hockey, Patrick Choules.
Runner-Up:
Eric Szeker
, Cape Cod Islanders
Honorable Mention (alphabetical):
Tucker Bartenslager
, Syracuse Stampede –
Aidan Conolly
, Roc City Royals –
Scott Hansen
, Jersey Shore Wildcats –
Hunter McTague
, New England Stars –
Zach Smith
, Northeast Generals –
Gibson Stuart
, Lockport Express
A big part of the current eight-game winning streak of the New England Stars has been the team defense, which includes the goaltending. One of the goaltenders, Devyn Levesque, 20, was great during his appearances in the month of November. Although it only included two games, the native of Hudson, MA, made them count. Levesque (5’9/190) won both of his starts, which came in wins over the L/A Fighting Spirit and Northeast Generals. On November 14
th
, he made 25 saves in a 2-1 overtime win in Lewiston and then on November 21
st
, he made 14 saves in a 9-1 home win over the Northeast Generals. In six games played with the Stars this season, the veteran goalie has a 4-2 record with a 2.51 goals against average and a 91.1% save percentage. “Devyn had two great starts in the month of November. He has that "team first" mentality that coaches and teammates love and it's great to see him rewarded,” said New England head coach Darryl Green.
Runner-Up:
Scott Albertoni
, Jersey Shore Wildcats
Honorable Mention (alphabetical):
Kyle VanWagner
, Syracuse Stampede –
Mathias Yttereng
, Skylands Kings
Rarely in the monthly awards do we see a performance like the one that Jersey Shore Wildcats forward Jared Karas had in October. The 19-year-old native of Port Matilda, PA, totalled 30 points in just 12 games as the Widcats keps their perfect season going with a 12-0-0 record. Karas (6’0/180) totalled eight goals, 22 assists and was a +23 during the month. Not only did Karas register at least a point in all 12 games, he had 10 multi-point games. He has recorded at least a point in all 16 of his games played so far this season. Karas began the month with a stretch of seven games where he recorded 20 of his points. He is currently 2
nd
in NA3EHL scoring with 39 points and his +31 rating leads the league.
Runner-Up:
Kevin Perry
, Northeast Generals
Honorable Mention (alphabetical):
Rocco DeRollo
, Syracuse Stampede –
Chris Gasiewicz
, Lockport Express –
Mike Jessman
, Cape Cod Islanders –
Hunter Ledwith
, Skylands Kings
Like his teammate Jared Karas, Jersey Shore defenseman Scott Hansen, 19, had a October to remember, helping his team to a perfect 12-0-0 record from the blueline. The native of Bellingham, WA, had 16 points (6 goals, 10 assists) during the month of October, but more impressively, was a +27. He registered a point in all but two games during the month and had four multi-point games. Only once did Hansen not finish with a plus rating in a game. Hansen currently leads all NA3EHL defensemen in scoring with 20 points in 15 games played. His +29 rating is also tied for the lead among all NA3EHL defensemen. “We are proud of Jared and Scott so far on their development. The mission is clear, it is to make them ready for College Hockey next year. I am glad to see in combination with their full commitment and the direction provided with full support and help of their teammates, it`s starting to pay off for them and as well as others. They are heading out in the right direction, and I am confident if they keep their focus and commitment to the structure, they will achieve their goal and that is the same for the rest of the team in their own way,” said Wildcats head coach Eric Brule.
Runner-Up:
Dan Moore
, Cape Cod Islanders
Honorable Mention (alphabetical):
Paul MacDonald
, Northeast Generals –
Alec Sanchez
, Skylands Kings –
Gibson Stuart
, Lockport Express –
Raymond Rowe
, Syracuse Stampede
Syracuse goalie Kyle VanWagner, 19, was one of the primary reasons behind the Stampede’s successful month of October as the team posted a 7-3-1 record. VanWagner (5’11/185) played in eight of the 11 games, posting a 6-2 record with a 2.36 goals against average and a 93.9% save percentage. The native of Red Hook, NY, faced a total of 311 shots during the month and made 292 saves. He faced an average of 38.9 shots against per game. He capped off the month with a 30-save shutout of New York in a 1-0 win on October 31
st
. His 93.6% save percentage currently ranks 4
th
in the NA3EHL. "Kyle is a great kid that has learned that practice has a direct impact on his game play. He has turned into a hard working goalie and much of that is because of Coach Jason Lefevre working with Kyle as well as our other goaltenders, it's a big advantage for Kyle to get much needed direction from someone like Jason,” said Syracuse head coach Mike Beavis.
Runner-Up:
Stephen Mundinger
, New York Aviators
Honorable Mention (alphabetical):
Scott Albertoni
, Jersey Shore Wildcats –
Tim Schiess
, Lockport Express
In the month of September, few players were better than Jimmy Warrick. The 19-year-old forward from Chicago, IL, tied for the NA3EHL scoring lead with 18 points in seven games played as the Aviators jumped out to a 6-1 start. Warrick (5’7/180) recorded at least a point in all seven games and he had mutli-point games in six of them. His totals included six goals, 12 assists and a +15 rating. His best outing came on September 26
th
when he had five points in a 7-2 win at Roc City. He also scored the game-winning goal in the club’s season debut in a win over Syracuse. “I am very happy that Jimmy has been able to receive this honor from the league. He is certainly worthy of any recognition. Not only has he shown to be a tremendous hockey player but his academic success and dedication to community and to children is something that really sets him apart from others. He is the type of player every team and league would love to have,” said New York head coach Mike Stanaway.
Runner-Up:
Dylan Jenkins
, Lockport Express
Honorable Mention (alphabetical):
Aaron Deady
, Cape Cod Islanders –
Alex Sanchez
, Skylands Kings –
Mason Smith
, East Coast Minutemen
Skylands Kings defenseman Cole Skelly, 18, made his mark in the team’s first three games as the expansion Kings got off to a great start in the month of September with a 2-1 record. The native of Landing, NJ, recorded at least a point in all three games and was a +5 during the month. Skelly (6’2/190) totalled six points in the three games. In the team’s season debut, Skelly had a two assists in a close 5-4 loss against New York. The next weekend, he put up four points, including two goals in a weekend home sweep of the Wilkes-Barre Miners. "Cole has so far been everything we expected. We named Skelly our captain earlier this month and he has lived up to the expectations. He has had some success offensively but it is what he has done defensively that is most impressive. He is a guy that we rely on heavily to guide our young defensive corps,” said Patrick Choules, Director of Hockey Programming for the Kings.
Runner-Up:
Eric Szeker
, Cape Cod Islanders
Honorable Mention (alphabetical):
Jon MacDonald
, East Coast Minutemen –
Gibson Stuart
, Lockport Express
Although he played in just two games during the month, Cape Cod goalie Anton Zemba, 18, made the most of it as the native of Warick, RI, posted two wins and some great numbers to help the Islanders to a 4-1 record. Zemba (5’11/165) won both his starts, which both came on the road against the New England Stars and Northeast Generals. In the win over Northeast, Zemba made 32 saves and allowed just two goals and in the win against New England, he posted a 37-save shutout. He led the league in goals against average and save percenatge during the month. “Anton is a technically sound goaltender with great positioning and rebound control. He displays a quiet confidence in net that gets our bench fired up. Our boys know we have a chance to win every night with the goalies we have,” said Cape Cod head coach Jay Punsky.
Runner-Up:
Aiden Critchlow
, East Coast Minutemen
Honorable Mention (alphabetical):
Sal Stalteri
, Lockport Express –
Mathias Yettering
, Skylands Kings
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