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NAHL Players of the Week

Published on October 20, 2005 under North American Hockey League (NAHL) News Release


CIRAULO, SWENSON SHARE SHER-WOOD NAHL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS

Mahoning Valley/Youngstown forward Anthony Ciraulo and Minnesota Blizzard forward Dan Swenson are perfect examplesof what makes junior hockey exciting for those who follow it. Last season, Ciraulo managed six goals and 20 assists in 53 games. Swenson fared somewhat better, notching 21 goals and 11 assists in 53 games. But this season, both appear to be blossoming into impact players, as both put up eight points for the week ending October 16 to share the Sher-wood NAHL Offensive Player of the Week award.

Ciraulo scored three goals and added five assists and was a plus-10 in three games against the USNTDP Under-17 squad and the Cleveland Barons. Among his scoring highlights, the Clinton Township, Michigan, native set up a game winning goal on Friday, he set up a goal and scored two of his own to keep the Phantoms in striking distance of Cleveland in a game the Phantoms lost on Saturday, and he set up an empty net goal that prevented the Barons from sweeping their two games against the Phantoms on Sunday. He was also plus-10 for the Phantoms on the week.

In Alexandria, Minnesota, it was a week for the home opener and Swenson celebrated with four goals and four assists of his own in three wins against Helena and North Iowa. The Menomonie, Wisconsin native scored the first goal of the game in the Friday night opener and then put the Blizzard in the lead, 3-2, a lead they would never surrender. The next night, he scored an early second period goal to give the Blizzard a 3-1 lead, then set up the third period game winner. On Sunday, he set up two more and scored the eventual game winner.

Honorable mention: Ryan Divito (Texarkana), Justin Hernandez (Springfield), Chris McKelvie (Bozeman), Steve McKeod, (North Iowa), Mike Montgomery (Southern Minnesota), Corey Stark (Santa Fe).

DALTON, MORROW SHARE SHER-WOOD NAHL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS

Some weeks, it's pretty easy to select Players of the Week. One player has an outstanding week in a field of excellent performances. And then there's weeks like this one, when any one of a number of defensive players could win the award.

You can start with Texarkana goalie Riley Gill, who has already won the award and in another week, might have won again for his pair of wins against Texas in which he stopped 67 of 70 shots.

Then there's Santa Fe's goalie Chris Carlson, who recorded two wins this weekend for as they swept the Wasilla Spirit on the road. Chris shut out the Spirit in on Saturday and stopped 52 of 55 shots in the two games.

How about Jr. Blues goalie Adam Roy? All he did was lead his team to a sweep of a strong Wichita Falls team, stopping 64 of 69 shots over two games.

All these players -- and a few others -- were excellent, even outstanding. But two others were just an ice shaving above them and they share the Sher-wood NAHL Defensive Player of the Week Award.

First is Bozeman goalie Matt Dalton, who won three games in three starts on the Icedogs' Alaska trip, stopping 71 shots in shutting out Wasilla on Thursday, getting a 4-3 shootout win the following night against Fairbanks, in which he stopped seven of nine in the showdown, and then surrendering a lone goal back on Sunday against Wasilla.

And then, there is the story of Alpena goaltender Johnny Morrow. Morrow joined the Icediggers on Wednesday from Fargo-Moorhead, where he had been unable to crack the lineup this season. He practiced with the Icediggers only twice, then was thrown into the net for Alpena's first-ever home game against their new arch-rivals, the Traverse City North Stars in front of 1,400 screaming fans. All he did was stop 45 of 46 shots, including a pair in overtime, as the Icediggers won for the first time in their new digs 3-2.

The next night, before another packed house, Morrow blocked 26 shots in regulation, many of them rather amazing, then followed with four in overtime and when the North Stars and Icediggers couldn't settle matters after 65 minutes, they went to a shootout, where he stopped four of five to lead Alpena to a sweep of their cross state enemy. Morrow was named first star of the game and his emotional impact on Alpena propelled them to victory.

Honorable Mention: Joe Calvi (Minnesota), Chris Carlson (Santa Fe), Riley Gill (Texarkana), Matt Morin (North Iowa), Brian Schack (Southern Minnesota), Ryan Zapolski (Mahoning Valley)

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North American Hockey League Stories from October 20, 2005


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