Valley grown: Mat-Su products skating at the junior hockey level

At least 10 former Valley players are skating in the NA3HL, and a former Colony High defenseman is leading the list.

Monaco, who last played for the Knights during the 2017-18 season, has four goals and 14 assists in 17 games this season. Monaco leads all Bozeman defensemen in scoring, and the Ice Dogs currently lead the NA3HL Frontier Division with an 18-1-0-0 record. Monaco is riding a five-game point-scoring streak.

Former Houston High standout Isaac Smoldon is also skating for Bozeman. Smoldon, a forward, has two goals and six assists in 19 games.

Another NA3HL division leader, the St. Louis Jr. Blues, also has a Valley product. Forward Lucas Gudz, a former Wasilla High player, is in his first season with the Jr. Blues, who lead the Central Division with a 14-7-0-1 record. Gudz has five goals and three assists in 17 games.

After helping Palmer High win its first state hockey title in three decades last year, forward Darian Wilson and defenseman Luke Theisen are playing for the NA3HL’s Helena Bighorns. Both have a goal and six assists in 20 games. Former Wasilla goalie Aaron Campbell is also on the roster.

Three former Houston Hawks are skating with the Breezy Point North Stars. Forward Kai Kingery has a goal and three assists in 19 games. Forward Hayden Chivers has an assist in nine games, and defenseman Tyler Chivers has a goal in nine games.

Tae Evans, a former Colony player, has a goal and three assists in 14 games for the New Ulm Steel.

The NA3HL is a Junior A Tier III league.

North American Hockey League

A former Wasilla standout helped the Kenai River Brown Bears grab the top spot in their division in the NAHL. Schachle, a UAA commit, has six goals and 11 assists in 22 games this season. Schachle is on a five-game point scoring streak, and has already exceeded his production from het 2018-19 season. Schachle finished with three goals and seven assists in 23 games of a season shortened by injury last year.

Kenai River leads the NAHL Midwest Division with a 14-5-1-2 mark through 22 games.

Kenai River has 31 points in the standings, two more than the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. Fairbanks features another former Warrior, defenseman Dylan Abbott.

Abbott, a Minnesota Mankato commit, leads Fairbanks blueliners in scoring with a goal and 11 assists.

Fairbanks has a 14-6-0-1 mark through 21 games.

Western States Hockey League

A pair of former Wasilla Warriors are skating for the Ogden Mustangs of the Western States Hockey League. Alex Engan and Hayden Maseterson are forwards for the Utah-based Junior A program. Engan has six goals and nine assists in 18 games, and Masterson has bagged four goals and 10 assists in 20 games. Ogden has the best record in the league with a 20-0-0-0 mark.

Valley Grown is a regular feature highlighting the work of Valley athletes at the next level. Contact Frontiersman managing editor Jeremiah Bartz at editor@frontiersman.com.