Three Rivers Vengeance forward Nico Vecchio named NA3HL’s Most Valuable Player
FRISCO, TEXAS – The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) has announced its award winners for the 2012-13 season, which include: Most Valuable Player, Forward of the Year, Defenseman of the Year, Goaltender of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, General Manager of the Year and Organization of the Year, along with its All-NA3HL 1st and 2nd Teams, Community Service and Academic Award winners as voted by the league’s coaches and general managers.
Three Rivers Vengeance forward Nico Vecchio (North Huntington, PA) has been named the NA3HL Most Valuable Player, as well as, the NA3HL Forward of the Year. Vecchio, 20, had his best career season to date with 82 points (30 goals, 52 assists) in 48 games played this season. His 52 assists were tops in the NA3HL and his 82 points ranked 2nd of all NA3HL players. He was honored as the NA3HL Forward of the Month in for December this past season. In his four years with the Three Rivers/Pittsburgh organization, he totaled 229 career regular season points.
Connor Langfield (Rosemount, MN) of the North Iowa Bulls was honored as NA3HL Defenseman of the Year. Langfield, 20, played in 41 regular season games for the Bulls and had 48 points (13 goals, 35 assists). His 48 points and 35 assists were tops among NA3HL defensemen and his amazing +65 rating led the entire league.
Peoria Mustangs goaltender Michael Parda (Waukesha, WI) was honored as the NA3HL Goaltender of the Year. Parda, 20, posted a 17-8-1 record during the regular season. His save percentage of 94.4% not only led the entire NA3HL, but was also the highest mark in the league since the 2008-09 season. He was second in the league in shutouts with five and also ranked 3rd in the NA3HL in goals against average (1.78) and saves (742).
Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks forward Scott Cuthrell (Waterford, MI) was honored as the NA3HL Rookie of the Year. Cuthrell, 19, had a very impressive first season in the NA3HL, as he led the league in scoring with 88 points (47 goals, 41 assists) in 46 games played, helping Cleveland capture the East Division title. His 47 goals not only led the league, but were the most in the league since the 2009-10 season. He also had 13 power play goals, which tied for the NA3HL lead.
St. Louis head coach JP Beilsten was honored as the NA3HL Coach of the Year. Beilsten led the Jr. Blues to the best regular season record in the NA3HL and the Central Division regular season title with a 43-3-2 mark. The three losses in regulation was the fewest since the 2007-08 season. St. Louis also has four players tendered in the NAHL to date.
Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks General Manager and head coach Bob Jacobson was honored as the NA3HL General Manager of the Year. Under Jacobson, the Lumberjacks won the NA3HL’s East Division with a record of 38-10. This year also marked the second consecutive year that a Cleveland player earned Rookie of the Year honors in the NA3HL.
The St. Louis Jr. Blues were honored as the NA3HL Organization of the Year.
Toledo Cherokee forward Jordan Fogarty (Adrian, MI) was honored with the NA3HL Academic Achievement Award, while Alexandria Blizzard forward Garrett Skinner (Alexandria, MN) was honored with the NA3HL Outstanding Community Service Award.
All-NA3HL 1st Team
Forward: Nico Vecchio, Three Rivers Vengeance
Forward: Scott Cuthrell, Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks
Forward: Ian Ecklund, Alexandria Blizzard
Defense: Kyle Meeh, St. Louis Jr. Blues
Defense: Connor Langfield, North Iowa Bulls
Goaltender: Michael Parda, Peoria Mustangs
All-NA3HL 2nd Team
Forward: Matt Kroska, North Iowa Bulls
Forward: Alex Berardinelli, Three Rivers Vengeance
Forward: Drew Otto, Granite City Lumberjacks
Defense: Kyle Ware, Battle Creek Revolution
Defense: Andrew Sprouse, Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks
Goaltender: Matt Hughes, Battle Creek Revolution
About the NA3HL
Now in its third full season, the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL), one of six USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III Junior leagues, serves as one of the top training grounds in the country by providing the best coaching, exposure and developmental vehicles available for student-athletes in its classification. The primary mission of the NA3HL, which is managed organizationally by the North American Hockey League (NAHL), is to provide a structured developmental environment for student-athletes whose youth options are limited but are still reaching their potential and have aspirations of playing in the NAHL or United States Hockey League and eventually the NCAA or American College Hockey Association. For more information, visit www.na3hl.com.
