NAPHL announces Apex Learning Peak Performers for September 2018
The North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) announced its Apex Learning Virtual School Peak Performers for the month of September. The players were selected based upon their performance at the first NAPHL event of the season, which took place in Blaine, Minnesota from September 20-23. Stats were based on ALL games played. Peak Performers are only to full-time NAPHL members in the High Performance and Elite Divisions.
18U Apex Peak Performer (Offense) – Jackson Tillinghast, Wenatchee Wolves
Wenatchee Wolves 18U forward Jackson Tillinghast had a very good first weekend in Blaine. The 17-year-old native of Louisville, Colorado, recorded 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists) in five games during the first event, which included recording at least a point in all five games as the Wolves finished the event with a 3-2-0 record. Tillinghast (5’11/170) had three multi-point games and had one game-wining goal. This is his third season playing in the NAPHL.
#2 Star: Tyler Stewart, Esmark Stars
#3 Star: Riley Ott, Wenatchee Wolves
18U Apex Peak Performer (Defense) – Tate Hjorth, Meijer AAA
Meijer AAA 18U defenseman Tate Hjorth, 16, helped his club to a 3-1-0 record in the first four games of the season at the opening event in Blaine. The 5’11/185 lbs. native of Walled Lake, Michigan, recorded four points (2 goals, 2 assists) from the blueline in four games at the event. That included recording at least a point in three of the four games and a two-goal game in a 4-3 overtime win over Everett on the final day of the event.
#2 Star: JP Krone, Sioux Falls Power
#3 Star: Gareth Aegard, Thunder Bay Kings
18U Apex Peak Performer (Goaltender) – Brandon Benson, Sioux Falls Power
Sioux Falls 18U goalie Brandon Benson, 16, had a perfect first event, helping the Power to a 3-1-0 record in their first four games. The 6’4/195 lbs. native of Blaine, Minnesota, posted two shutouts at the event and stopped all 54 shots that came his way in the two wins. That included a 23-save shutout in a 6-0 win over the Janesville Jets 18U team in his first game and a 31-save shutout in a 1-0 overtime win over Lake Forest Academy.
#2 Star: Ashton Billesberger, Pursuit of Excellence
#3 Star: Eric Vanska, Thunder Bay Kings
16U Apex Peak Performer (Offense) – Bret Link, Alaska Oilers
Leading the scoring for the NAPHL’s 16U Division after one event is Alaska Oilers 16U forward Bret Link. The 16-year-old native of Anchorage, Alaska, racked up 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists) in the first five games of the season as the Oilers put together a 4-1-0 record. Link (6’2/170) had four multi-point games, which included a six-point game in an 8-0 win over MDHL 16U and a four-point game in a 12-2 win over the Indy Fuel 16U team.
#2 Star: Nikita Asylaev, Alaska Oilers
#3 Star: Yusaku Ando, Pursuit of Excellence
16U Apex Peak Performer (Defense) – Blake Arneson, Sioux Falls Power
Sioux Falls Power 16U defenseman Blake Arneson, 16, is tied for the team scoring lead after one event thanks to a six-point effort in Blaine. The 5’8/150 lbs. native of Red Wing, Minnesota, totaled three goals and three assists in the first four games as the Power posted a perfect 4-0-0 record. Arneson had one game-winning goal, which came in a 1-0 win over the Alaska Oilers and also had a three-point game in a 5-3 win over the TPH Thunder 16U team.
#2 Star: Cooper Morris, Alaska Oilers
#3 Star: Clay Allen, Alaska Oilers
16U Apex Peak Performer (Goaltender) – Connor Strobel, Esmark Stars
It was a perfect first event for Esmark Stars 16U goalie Connor Strobel. The 16-year-old native of Butler, Pennsylvania, helped his team to a 3-0-1 record in the first four games of the season, posting two shutouts at the event. Strobel (6’2/170) stopped all 47 shots that came his way in the two games, which included a 27-save shutout in a 2-0 win over the Janesville Jets 16U team and a 20-save shutout in a 3-0 win over the Iowa Wild.
#2 Star: Sam Woessner, Nashville Jr. Predators
#3 Star: Luke Fundator, Arizona Bobcats
15U Apex Peak Performer (Offense) – Sutter Muzzatti, Meijer AAA
Meijer AAA 15U forward Sutter Muzzatti, 15, helped his club to 1st place in the 15U Division after one event, thanks to nine points (5 goals, 4 assists) in four games played. The 6’2/170 lbs. native of Okemos, Michigan, had three multi-point games during the event, which included a four-point game in a 5-3 win over CarShield AAA and a three-point game in a 4-1 win over the Colorado Springs Tigers.
#2 Star: Jack Lambert, Everett Silvertips Elite
#3 Star: Dylan DeAngelo, Valley Forge Minutemen
15U Apex Peak Performer (Defense) – Joel Lyrintzis, Everett Silvertips Elite
Everett Silvertips Elite 15U defenseman Joel Lyrintzis, 14, helped his club get off to a 1-1-2 record with five points (5 assists) in four games during the first event in Blaine. The 5’8/154 lbs. native of Snohomish, Washington, had five assists during the event, which included recording at least one assist in three of the four games. His best effort came in an 8-0 win over Colorado Springs where he had three assists in the win.
#2 Star: Jake Stasyk, Valley Forge Minutemen
#3 Star: Easton Zueger, Sioux Falls Power
15U Apex Peak Performer (Goaltender) – Michael Witherup, Esmark Stars
Esmark Stars 15U goalie Michael Witherup, 15, played well in the first event of the season, allowing just three goals in two games. The 6’2/175 lbs. native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, faced a total of 45 shots and saved 42 of them. That included 16 saves in a 1-0 loss aagainst the TPH Thunder 15U team and 26 saves in a 5-2 win over the Arizona Bobcats.
#2 Star: Aiden Winslow, Florida Aliiance
#3 Star: George Preielipp, Meijer AAA
The second NAPHL event of the 2018-19 season will be the 2018 NAPHL Showcase, which will take place from October 19-22, 2018 at the Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota.