NAHL names players of the week
Published on October 12, 2005 under North American Hockey League (NAHL) News Release
KRAEMER, MURPHY SHARE SHER-WOOD NAHL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
It's rare that a player in any sport at any level wins consecutive Player of the Week honors, but that is just what Kyle Kraemer of the Wichita Falls Wildcats has accomplished this week. And itâs also very exciting when a player from a new team wins that team's first Player of the Week honor, which is what Sean Murphy of the Southern Minnesota Express has accomplished this week. But it's very special when these two noteworthy events occur in the same week. And that is just what has happened.
Both Kraemer and Murphy notched six point on the week to share the Sher-wood NAHL Offensive Player of the Week award for the week ending October 9.
Kraemer scored midway through Thursday's game in Santa Fe, the eventual game winner, then added an insurance goal and an assist in the Wildcats 6-3 win over the Roadrunners. On Saturday, the St. Louis native set up linemate Dan Medenwaldt's game opening goal just 34 seconds into the second period. Then early in the third period, less than two minutes after Santa Fe had taken a 2-1 lead, Kramer tied the game with his sixth goal of the season and triggered a momentum shift that saw Wichita Falls retake the lead 3-2 just over a minute later. Then, with the Roadrunners pressing to tie the contest in the last minute with an extra man, Kraemer found the empty net for his seventh goal of the season and second two-goal, one assist game of the week.
Although the Express dropped a pair of games to the strong Fargo-Moorhead Jets, the Owatonna native helped give them a chance to win. On Friday night, with the Express trailing 2-1 midway through the game, he set up a tying goal by James Gaulrapp. Then, after the Jets took the lead 3-2, Murphy tied the game himself late in the second period. The next night, Murphy set up the first two goals of the game, although the Jets roared back to take 5-3 victory. On Sunday, the Express took on their fellow newcomers, the North Iowa Outlaws, and Murphy was at it again, setting up a goal that tied the game 2-2 in the second stanza and triggered a mid-game explosion that saw Southern Minnesota go up 4-2. On the fourth goal, Murphy also picked up an assist as the Express eventually won 5-4.
HONORABLE MENTION: Patrick Dynan, four goals on the week (North Iowa), Pat Knowlton (Texarkana), Mike Maltese (Mahoning Valley), Karl Sellan (Texas), Dan Swanson (Minnesota), Brennan Vargas (USNTDP).
MESSIER'S FOUR POINTS EARNS SHER-WOOD NAHL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
A number of defensemen had strong weeks in NAHL play. North Iowa's Matt Morin, who had not yet dressed for the team as he battled illness through the summer, made his Outlaws debut and stabilized their defense corps and penalty killing, and also scored a game-winning goal. Wichita Falls' Peter Zamkochyan scored his first two NAHL goals in one game, while blocking shots and being a physical force in all three road games against Santa Fe. Peter Kavaya was a solid performer in all three games this week for Southern Minnesota in his NAHL debut.
And then there was Texas rookie defenseman Lyon Messier, who -- with his father, future Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Messier watching from the stands -- echoed his father's flair for the dramatic. The younger Messier notched a goal, his first in the NAHL, and adding three assists, including setting up a game-winner, in the Tornado's sweep of rival Texarkana, to capture the Sher-wood NAHL Defensive Player of the Week award for the week ending October 9.
On Friday night, the Troy, Michigan native assisted on Karl Sellan's power play goal, the eventual game winner midway through the game, a 3-2 victory for Texas. The next night, he scored his first goal late in the first period, to give Texas a 2-0 lead. Then early in the second, less than two minutes after the Bandits had scored to make the game 2-1, Messier set up Ryan Fuller's goal to make it a 3-1 game. Texarkana roared back to tie the score, but midway in the third, Messier passed to Derek Danowski, whose goal made the game 4-3, after which the Bandits could not catch up, as Texas won the game 6-5.
Messier is tied for third in NAHL scoring among defensemen with six points in seven games.
HONORABLE MENTION: Joe Calvi (Minnesota), Peter Kavaya (Southern Minnesota), Matt Morin (North Iowa), Brad Phillips (USNTDP), Peter Zamkochyan (Wichita Falls), Ryan Zapolski (Mahoning Valley).
PREVIOUS WINNERS
September 18
Offensive: Karl Sellan (Texas), Chris Connelly (Fargo-Moorhead)
Defensive: B.J. O'Brien (Fargo-Moorhead)
September 25
Offensive: Sean McWhorter (Bismarck)
Defensive: Kenny Reiter (Cleveland), Brett Blatchford (Texas)
October 5
Offensive: Kyle Kraemer (Wichita Falls)
Defensive: Riley Gill (Texarkana)
North American Hockey League Stories from October 12, 2005
- IceDiggers make goaltending moves - Alpena IceDiggers
- NAHL names players of the week - NAHL
- U.S. National Under-17 Team Looks To Continue Winning Ways - U.S. National Team
- WATZ signs on as IceDigger broadcast partner - Alpena IceDiggers
- Dog Pound Weekly - Bozeman Icedogs
- U.S. National Team named Ryan Rezmierski director of player personnel - U.S. National Team
- U.S. National under-18 team to host two division one opponents this weekend - U.S. National Team
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