The North American Hockey League (NAHL) today announced the Divisional Stars of the Week, presented by Bauer Hockey, for the week ending Dec. 16, 2018.

The Divisional Stars of the Week is a weekly feature during the 2018-19 regular season that honors the top performing players in each of the four NAHL divisions.

Only players that are nominated by their respective teams are considered for the Divisional Players of the Week award.

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Central Division Star of the Week: Matt Vernon, goaltender, Aberdeen Wings

For the second consecutive week, Aberdeen goalie Matt Vernon, 20, has earned the Central Division star honors. The native of San Jose picked up two more wins as he helped the Wings extend their winning streak to seven straight games and stay in first place with a road sweep of the Minot Minotauros this past weekend.

Vernon, who leads the NAHL with 18 wins this season, stopped all 33 shots that came his way for his third shutout of the season in a 3-0 win on Thursday, and then made 28 saves in a 7-1 win on Friday. For the weekend, Vernon stopped 61 of 62 shots.

“One of the primary keys to success is consistency, and that’s why Matt has had such a strong start to his season,” Aberdeen coach Scott Langer said. “He’s consistent in his preparation and in all phases of his daily life. No question, he’s earned everything he’s achieved. Matt was the backbone behind another good weekend.”

Photo/Aberdeen Wings

(Dec. 17, 2018)