Oystrick named NA3HL Coach of the Year
(Wausau, WI) – The NA3HL announced the 2023-24 season awards this afternoon and highlighting the awards for the Cyclones was Head Coach/GM of Hockey Operations Nathan Oystrick being named NA3HL Coach of the Year. Oystrick led Wausau to unprecedented success this past season, which included a 25-win improvement from the previous season. The team set a franchise record for wins (38), won their 1st regular season division title in team history and also won their first playoff series in team history. Player development success included four players finishing in the Top 40 in the NA3HL in scoring (Dvorak-6, Nelson-10, Kriz-28, Brien-36). Isaac Baker finished 3rd among defensemen in scoring (44 points). Forward Gabe Randel and Isaac Baker also reached advancement to the NAHL under Oystrick.
Several Clones were recognized to the All-NA3HL teams. Defenseman Isaac Baker and goalie Collin Lemanski were named to the All-NA3HL 2nd team. Receiving All-NA3HL 3rd team honors was forward Connor Dvorak. Four Cyclones were also named to the All-Central Division team. Those players included Connor Dvorak, Ricky Nelson, Isaac Baker and Collin Lemanski.
“I am extremely honored and humbled to be named the NA3HL Coach of The Year. For me this is an organizational award and I want to thank ownership for the opportunity they have provided me with, our entire coaching staff, all of the volunteers behind the scenes and our business operations staff for the hard work they do throughout the year. Most importantly I want to thank all of our players for their hard work, dedication, and commitment. Without our players this honor wouldn’t be possible, as they are the ones who put in all of the work on the ice. They are the ones who make our organization great and who deserve all of the recognition for the success we had as a team this season. I also want to congratulate Collin Lemanski, Isaac Baker, Connor Dvorak, and Ricky Nelson for their well-deserved All-NA3HL honors. All four players had tremendous individual seasons and were outstanding leaders who contributed to our team’s success,” stated Head Coach/GM of Hockey Operations Nathan Oystrick.
Stay connected during the off-season by following the Cyclones @wausaucyclones on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and online at wausaucyclones.com. Subscribe to the Cyclones podcast “Inside Cyclones Hockey”, available on your favorite podcast network.
The Cyclones are members of the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL), one of three USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III Junior leagues, serves as one of the top training grounds in the country by providing the best coaching, exposure and developmental vehicles available for student-athletes in its classification. The primary mission of the NA3HL is to provide a structured developmental environment for student-athletes who have aspirations of playing in the NAHL or United States Hockey League and eventually the NCAA or American College Hockey Association. For more information, visit wausaucyclones.com
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
