NA3HL Announces Bethel University Stars of the Week

The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) is pleased to announce the Divisional Stars of the Week for the week ending March 8th, sponsored by Bethel University. This weekly award recognizes the top-performing players from each of the league’s six divisions, as nominated by their head coaches, for their outstanding contributions on the ice. 

Central Division Star of the Week: Andrew Bastian, Forward, Rochester Grizzlies

Rochester closed out the regular season in style, completing a two-game sweep over St. Louis on home ice. Third-year Grizzlies forward Andrew Bastian played a key role in the pair of victories while also setting a new mark in the organization’s record books with a historic weekend.

Friday’s matchup turned into a high-scoring affair, with Rochester skating away with a 7-4 victory. While the goal horn was busy throughout the night, Bastian had a quieter outing but still found his way onto the scoresheet, recording an assist on the Grizzlies’ fourth goal of the game.

Saturday’s contest was a tighter battle, ending in a 4-2 win for Rochester. This time, the Mankato, Minnesota native had his playmaking abilities on full display, factoring into every Grizzlies goal. Bastian scored the team’s third goal on the powerplay and added assists on the other three tallies for a four-point night.

With a goal and four assists across the weekend, Bastian officially broke the Grizzlies’ single-season assist record, finishing the regular season with 38 helpers and cementing his place in Rochester’s history books.

After a record-setting weekend, Head Coach Marty Raymond spoke highly of Bastian’s leadership and work ethic: “Andrew has shown leadership with his great attitude and through his play. We are very happy to congratulate him as his effort pay dividends on the score sheet.”

2nd Star: Maksim Salienko, F, Wausau Cyclones

3rd Star: Nolan Mix, F, West Bend Power

East Division Star of the Week: Tommy Titone, Forward, New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings

The Jr. Mountain Kings wrapped up a busy week on a strong note, picking up points in all four of their games with two wins and two overtime losses.

Leading the charge offensively was second-year forward Tommy Titone, who showcased his consistency by recording points in all four contests.

In the opening game, a 5-4 overtime loss to Long Beach, Titone helped spark New Hampshire’s comeback effort, recording an assist on the team’s second goal.

The Jr. Mountain Kings responded the following night in dominant fashion, rolling to a 7-1 victory. The Salem, New Hampshire native scored the game’s second goal, added a powerplay assist on the sixth tally, and capped off the performance with his second goal of the night to seal the win.

New Hampshire’s third game of the week featured a strong special teams effort, with four of the team’s goals coming on the man advantage. Titone factored into two of them, opening the scoring and later assisting on the game-winner in the Jr. Mountain Kings’ 5-4 victory.

Despite closing out the regular season with an overtime loss, Titone once again stepped up in a big moment. Trailing late in the third period, he scored back-to-back goals to force overtime and secure another point for New Hampshire.

As New Hampshire pushed to secure playoff positioning, Head Coach Clint Cassavaugh pointed to Titone’s performance during the busy final stretch: “Since coming back to us at the end of November, Tommy has really put in the work on his game. Five games in seven days isn’t how we wanted to finish the regular season, but he stepped up in a big way when we needed him most and helped us secure the points we needed to lock in the second seed in the East.”

2nd Star: Eli McCarthy, F, Long Beach Sharks

3rd Star: Brady Davis, G, Norwich Sea Captains

Frontier Division Star of the Week: Mathieu Chernauckas, Goaltender, Butte Irish

Butte delivered a night to remember on Friday, picking up a thrilling overtime victory over Great Falls in front of their home crowd in their final home game of the regular season. The packed building had plenty to cheer about as the Irish battled through a hard-fought contest to secure the win.

The Americans certainly didn’t go down without a fight, testing ’06 netminder Mathieu Chernauckas all night long. The Dearborn, Michigan native turned in a spectacular performance between the pipes, facing an incredible workload throughout the game. He saw 21 shots in the first period, a staggering 36 in the second, 18 more in the third, and one in overtime.

Handling 76 total shots is no easy task, but Chernauckas rose to the challenge, turning aside 73 of them while allowing just three goals against the Frontier Division’s third-seeded team. He also stayed composed on the penalty kill, helping hold Great Falls to just one goal on seven power-play opportunities.

By the final buzzer, Chernauckas finished with 73 saves and a stellar .960 save percentage, backstopping Butte to a memorable overtime win in a game the home crowd won’t soon forget.

Butte Head Coach Marc Brodeur praised Chernauckas not only for his performance, but for the presence he brings to the locker room: “Mathieu is a quiet workhorse who brings a great attitude every day. He’s an incredible teammate and someone our group really values.”

2nd Star: Ty Schell, F, Helena Bighorns

3rd Star: Chase Berg, F, Helena Bighorns

South Division Star of the Week: Brayden Macko, Goaltender, El Paso Rhinos

El Paso locked in the #3 seed in the South Division thanks in large part to the standout play of second-year Rhinos netminder Brayden Macko. The Naperville, Illinois native got the start in both victories as El Paso took two out of three games against New Mexico at home.

Friday’s contest saw Macko steadily tested, facing 36 shots and keeping the Ice Wolves off the board on all four of their powerplay chances in a 4-2 win.

Saturday, Macko delivered a dominant performance, earning his third shutout of the season with 31 saves, again holding New Mexico scoreless on the man advantage in a 3-0 victory.

With 67 shots faced and 65 saves across the weekend, Macko posted an impressive .970 save percentage and now holds an 18-4-4 record on the year, anchoring the Rhinos as they head into the postseason.

Head Coach Alec Sherman highlighted Macko’s impact over the crucial weekend: “We went into a very important weekend against a tough New Mexico team with an opportunity to possibly climb up the standings in the last regular season games. We needed a big weekend from our team, especially our goaltenders. In Friday and Saturday's game Macko gave us the opportunity to win, he stood on his head making big saves to swing momentum in key moments. Macko had a huge shutout for us on Saturday night. He has been a young man to lean on and has stepped up big in big games for us this season. We are going to rely on his gamer mentality as we head into Austin this weekend for Round 1 of the Fraser Cup Playoffs.”

2nd Star: Jayani Benson, F, Texas Brahmas

3rd Star: Kenny Cadwallader, F, El Paso Rhinos

Southeast Division Star of the Week: Reece Beckwith, Forward, Carolina Rage

Carolina capped off the regular season on a high note, already locked into the postseason, with a dominant three-game road sweep over Pelham. Rookie forward Reece Beckwith made his mark in his first season of junior hockey, showcasing why he’s been a driving force for the Rage.

The South Bend, Indiana native led Carolina’s offense all weekend, tallying an incredible 10 points across the series.

Friday’s 4-0 victory set the tone, with Beckwith directly involved in all four goals, scoring the third and assisting on the other three.

Saturday was even more dominant, as the Rage blanked the Prowlers 9-0. Beckwith registered a hat trick, scoring twice in the first period, and added three assists for a six-point night.

The regular season finale was another statement win, a 7-1 victory, with Beckwith replicating his previous day’s performance: another hat trick and three assists, bringing his weekend total to 10 points and back-to-back six-point games.

Beckwith finishes the regular season as Carolina’s leading scorer with 75 points in 31 games, cementing himself as a rookie to watch heading into the postseason.

2nd Star: Loghan Weber, F, Louisiana Drillers

3rd Star: Carter Gnau, F, Louisiana Drillers

West Division Star of the Week: Caleb Waller, Forward, Alexandria Blizzard

Caleb Waller has earned Star of the Week honors for the second consecutive week, continuing to set the standard for the Alexandria Blizzard and etching his name into the program’s record books.

The Blizzard opened their final regular-season weekend with a 5-2 victory over the Wilderness on Friday. Waller contributed a goal and an assist, quietly setting the stage for what was to come.

Saturday was a night to remember for both Waller and the Blizzard, as he made history in front of the home crowd that has supported him for three seasons. In a 7-2 win, the Assistant Captain delivered his first hat trick of the season and added an assist, helping lead the team while breaking multiple program records in the process.

With four goals and one assist on the weekend, Waller finished the regular season with 86 points in 46 games, setting new Blizzard all-time records for career goals, single-season goals, and single-season points.

Head Coach Jeff Crouse shared his thoughts on Caleb’s historic weekend: “To see Caleb break multiple program records on home ice was truly something special. His impact in Alexandria goes far beyond the scoresheet—he’s a leader, a role model, and a cornerstone of this program. Any college team would be lucky to have such a talented player and great leader, and we can’t wait to see him continue to shine in the postseason.”

2nd Star: Luca Salak, F, Minnesota Moose

3rd Star: Grady Stallman, F, Alexandria Blizzard