By ABC/FOX Montana Sports Staff
March 10, 2014
GREAT FALLS – The Great Falls Americans Junior A Hockey team had four players and a coach that have been selected by the American West Hockey League (AWHL) for league honors during the 2013-14 season.
Aaron McInnis was the recipient of the AWHL’s All-League Most Valuable Player as well as the Best Forward in the league. The Anchorage, Alaska natives along with teammate Donovan Mattfeldt were named to the AWHL First Team. The awards were voted on by the seven league coaches.
McInnis, who appeared in 38 games in his first year for the Americans, led the team in both goals (29) and assists (43) and ranked fifth in the league with 72 points. The “Best Forward” in the AWHL has help lead the third year franchise to their first playoff appearance. He also has led the team with six game- winning goals in his final year of eligibility in junior hockey.
Mattfeldt, a Glendale, Arizona native, recorded five goals and 24 assists in 42 games played along with 30 points. He earned AWHL All-League First Team honors on defense and was one of seven league players that received a Community Service Award.
Great Falls also had two players selected to the AWHL Second Team including Lucas Lomax and goaltender Erik Powell. Lomax, a forward from Phoenix, Arizona, has scored 22 goals and 29 assists during the 2013-14 season. Powell, who finished his second year in an Americans uniform as one of their goaltenders, has made 900 saves (0.932 saves percentage) in 28 games and a 19-6-3 record this season with a 2.57 GAA.
Jeff Heimel, the Americans Head Coach and General Manager, was named the 2013-14 American West Hockey League Coach of the Year. The second-year coach for the Great Falls franchise helped turn around the Americans with a second place finish and has compiled a 36-9-3 record this season after going 16-30-2 the previous season.
AWHL Honorees:
1st Team:
Goaltender – Pierre Gustafsson, Glacier Nationals
Defense – Donovan Mattfeldt , Great Falls Americans & NIck Okada, Helena Bighorns
Forwards – Aaron McInnis, Great Falls Americans, Gunnar Mogck, Bozeman Ice Dogs, Dylan Webster, Helena Bighorns
Second Team:
Goaltender – Sean Kelley, Gillette Wild & Erik Powell, Great Falls Americans
Defenseman – Moco Willis, Gillette Wild, Ryan Webber, Helena Bighorns, Josh Newman, Yellowstone Quake
Forwards – Lucas Lomax, Great Falls Americans, Sebastian Hansson, Helena Bighorns & Jimmy Tich, Yellowstone Quake
AWHL All-League MVP – Aaron McInnis, Great Falls Americans
AWHL Best Forward – Aaron McInnis, Great Falls Americans
Best Defenseman – Nick Okada, Helena Bighorns
Rookie of the Year – Gunnar Mogck, Bozeman Icedogs
Best Goalie – Pierre Gustafsson, Glacier Nationals
Coach of the Year – Jeff Heimel, Great Falls Americans & Mark Vichorek, Bozeman Ice Dogs
Scholastic Player of the Year – Robbie Lantz, Gillette Wild
Referee of the Year – Alex Aiken
AWHL Organization of the Year – Helena Bighorns
Community Service Awards – Steven Nisbet, Bozeman Icedogs, Nikolas Nasby, Billings Bulls, Paul Kinder, Glacier Nationals, Edison Elder, Yellowstone Quake, Donovan Mattfeldt, Great Falls Americans, Theo Campe, Helena Bighorns, Josh Beatty, Gillette Wild
Story Courtesy: ABC/FOX Montana (KFBB): Americans, Bighorns Well Represented on AWHL All-League Team (March 10, 2014)