FRISCO, TEXAS – The North American 3 Eastern Hockey League (NA3EHL) announced the Divisional Stars of the Week presented by Easton Hockey for the week ending September 13, 2015. The divisional stars of the week is an award given each week of the regular season to the top performing players in each of the two divisions of the NA3EHL as nominated by their head coaches.
East Division Star of the Week: Chuck Costello, forward, Cape Cod Islanders
The Cape Cod Islanders jumped out to an early lead in the East Division thanks to two wins during the opening weekend of the season. Forward Chuck Costello, 18, had a big weekend as the native of Philadelphia, PA racked up five points in a two-game sweep of the Northeast Generals. On Saturday, Costello (6’1/180) had a hat-trick in an 8-2 win in a road win and on Sunday, Costello picked up two assists in a 5-2 win. He was also a +4 on the weekend. “Chuck has looked utterly dominant in the two league games we have had thus far. He scored a hat trick in his first junior game and followed that performance up with two assists the following night. His ability to drive the net and protect the puck will give defenders trouble all year,” said Islanders head coach Jay Punsky.
2nd Star: John Krapian, F, New England Stars
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Aaron Deady, F, Cape Cod Islanders – Ryan Gauvin, F, New England Stars
West Division Star of the Week: Stephen Mundinger, goalie, New York Aviators
It was an impressive debut for the New York Aviators and goalie Stephen Mundinger. The 6’7/210 lbs. goalie from Smithtown, NY, got the start in all three games this past weekend against the Syracuse Stampede and won all three games in impressive fashion. On Friday night, the 20-year-old made 31 saves in a 6-1 win. On Saturday, he made 28 saves in a 3-2 win and on Sunday, he saved his best game of the weekend for last as he stopped all 37 shots that came his way in a 3-0 shutout of Syracuse. For the weekend, Mundinger stopped 96 of 99 shots. “Stephen is showing early on why he is the best kept secret in junior hockey. As we found out playing against him last year, he is very difficult to score on. We are very happy to have him on our team,” said New York head coach Mike Stanaway.
2nd Star: Daniel Backstrom, F, New York Aviators
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Dylan Jenkins, F, Lockport Express – Ludwig Scott, F, Syracuse Stampede – Kyle VanWagner, G, Syracuse Stampede – Frank Vecchio II, F, Lockport Express
About the NA3EHL
The primary mission of the NA3EHL, which is managed organizationally by the North American Hockey League (NAHL), is to provide a structured developmental environment for student-athletes at the Tier III junior level, who have the ability and the aspirations to play at the collegiate level. The common goal is to produce athletes that are committed to excellence in academics as well as athletics. By providing a high level of competition, the players will be given the resources to contribute and succeed at the next level of hockey and education.
