The North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) has announced its Apex Learning Virtual School Peak Performers for the month of October.  The players were selected based upon their performance at the NAPHL's second event of the season, which took place at Canlan Ice Sports in Romeoville, IL, Oct. 17 - 20, 2014.

For the Romeoville event, the league selected Esmark Stars defenseman Carter Ekberg, 17, as the Defensive Peak Performer In the 18U division.

This is the league's second consecutive honoring of Ekberg, as he was also named as the Defensive Peak Performer In the 18U division at the NAPHL's opening event in Blaine, MN.

"This award clearly helps establish Ekberg as among the top of the class for defenseman in the NAPHL 18U Division," offered Stars head coach Dave Kosick.

The Peters Township senior lead all NAPHL 18U defensemen in scoring in Romeoville, recording seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in five games as the Stars put together a 3-1-1 record to remain one of the top teams in the 18U division.

Ekberg began the event with the lone goal (and the lone shootout goal) for Esmark in a 2-1 shootout loss against San Jose.   He followed that with the game-winning goal and two assists in a 7-0 win over Arizona.  In game three, Ekberg scored his second consecutive game-winning goal and added an assist in a 4-1 win over Pikes Peak.  In the Stars fourth game, he picked up an assist in a 4-1 win over the Pursuit of Excellence. 

“Carter and our entire defensive corp stepped up at Romeoville," Kosick said.  "We were working on a short bench defensively and those guys met all challenges. On an individual level, each week Carter continues to demonstrate a skill set and an overall level of consistency that will help him succeed at the next level."