Great Falls Americans earn AWHL honors
By Kevin Scott
GREAT FALLS, Mont., March 10, 2014 — 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 that was recently announced by the league.
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.
2013-14 Season Stats: Aaron McInnis l Donovan Mattfeldt l Lucas Lomax l Erik Powell
2013-14 AWHL Annual Awards
AWHL All-League First Team
Goaltender:
Pierre Gustafsson – Glacier Nationals
Defense:
Donovan Mattfeldt – Great Falls Americans
Forwards:
Aaron McInnis – Great Falls Americans
Nick Okada – Helena Bighorns
Gunnar Mogck – Bozeman Ice Dogs
Dylan Webster – Helena Bighorns
AWHL All-League Second Team
Goaltender:
Sean Kelley – Gillette Wild
Erik Powell – Great Falls Americans (Tie)
Defense:
Moco Willis – Gillette Wild
Ryan Webber – Helena Bighorns & Josh Newman – Yellowstone Quake (Tie)
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 Ice Dogs
Best Goalie:
Pierre Gustafsson – Glacier Nationals
Coach of the Year (Tie):
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 – Helena Bighorns
Paul Kinder – Glacier Nationals
Edison Elder – Yellowstone Quake
Donovan Mattfeldt – Great Falls Americans
Theo Campe – Helena Bighorns
Josh Beatty – Gillette Wild
Click here to view the official AWHL 2013-14 League Awards announcement.