The North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) has announced that Dustin Geregach, a defenseman with the Esmark Stars U18 team, was selected as the Apex Learning Virtual School Peak Performer U18 Number One Star - Defense for the month of January.

The award was based upon player performance at the fifth NAPHL event of the 2018-2019 season which took place in Troy, MI, Jan. 18-21.

Geregach (6’0"/180 lbs.), a junior at Montour High School,  capped off a very good NAPHL regular season performance, six points (1 goal, 5 assists) during the final regular season event in Detroit.

For the season, Geregach, a McKees Rocks, PA, resident, led all NAPHL 18U defenseman in scoring recording 16 points (3 goals, 13 assists) in 16 league games. Overall, to date, he has recorded 41 points (12 goals, 29 assists), including 5 power play goals in 49 games for the Stars U18 team.

"Dustin has established himself quickly as an elite level defenseman," said Esmark 18U head coach Dave Kosick. "His showing in Troy topped off an outstanding NAPHL season and supported the level of interest in him."

After each NAPHL league event, the league's central scouting staff selects top performers (three stars), for each division (15U, 16U and 18U) for events in which they participate, for offense, defense and goaltending.

The NAPHL's 18U AAA High Performance Division, in which Esmark participates, is comprised of four regular-season events leading up to its Championship Tournament, the Dixon Cup Playoffs.

The next 16U NAPHL event of the 2018-19 season, and the final event of the season, the Dixon Cup Playoffs, will take place from Feb. 15-17, 2019, in Troy, MI.

Now in its tenth season, the NAPHL is composed of Midget Major (18U) and Midget Minor (16U & 15U) teams from across North America that compete at the Tier I level.

Not only have players in the NAPHL gone on to play in the National Hockey League (NHL), they received recognition from NHL Central Scouting each year, dozens receive scholarships to NCAA Division I schools and hundreds more have been drafted and tendered by North American Hockey League (NAHL) and United States Hockey League (USHL) teams.

The NAPHL, which is sanctioned by USA Hockey, is designed to maximize the exposure of all the participants through the NAHL's high-profile recruiting events that attract hundreds of college, junior and professional scouts.

For more information on the NAPHL, visit www.naphl.com.