USPHL Elite Players Of The Week: North Region

by Joshua Boyd

October 27, 2022

Week of Oct. 19-25 North Division (Summaries by Joshua Boyd) Forward: Jared Ritter, Springfield Pics Ritter (‘06/Westfield, Mass.) was twice previously a member of the Pics’ USPHL 15U team before joining the Elite team this year. So far, in his junior debut season, he has come up with some big points in some of […]

USPHL Elite Players Of The Week: South Region

by Joshua Boyd

October 27, 2022

Southeast Division Forwards: Matteo Viglino, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes Viglino (‘04/Davos, Switzerland) had himself a weekend, posting four goals and assist for the majority of the eight points he’s scored over nine games this year with the Jr. Canes. He helped Carolina to a weekend sweep in its first two meetings with the Columbia Infantry. Viglino […]

USPHL Elite Through The Numbers: North Region

by Joshua Boyd

October 22, 2022

Week of Oct. 22, 2022 By Marlee Bulman and Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com North Division Bridgewater Bandits (2-0) The Bandits have really been enjoying the 2022-23 season. They have just come off two massive wins, perhaps no bigger than ending the Northern Cyclones’ previously undefeated streak by beating them 3-2 in overtime on Oct. […]

USPHL Elite Players Of The Week: North Region

by Joshua Boyd

October 21, 2022

Games from Oct. 12-18 North Division Forward: Timmy Luna, Bridgewater Bandits The ‘04 from Falmouth, Mass., has emerged as “Mr. Playmaker” for the Bandits, setting up five of the Bandits’ nine goals in a big 9-4 victory against Boston Junior Bruins on Oct. 15. Overall, he has eight helpers so far this year in […]

USPHL Elite Players Of The Week: South Region

by Joshua Boyd

October 20, 2022

Week of Oct. 20 Elite Southeast Forward: Jacob Gifford, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes Gifford (‘04/Cary, N.C.) is helping the Jr. Canes remain absolutely on fire, as they’ve now won eight in a row. He put up a pair of goals and three assists for five points in his team’s two wins against the Hampton Roads Whalers, […]

USPHL Elite Through The Numbers: South Region

by Joshua Boyd

October 18, 2022

Week of Oct. 18, 2022 Florida will be fully back up and operational, at least in USPHL hockey terms, this coming weekend. The four Florida teams – including the Fort Myers-based Eels and the Estero-based Blades, both located in the hardest hit area of southwest Florida – are hitting the ice against each other in […]

The Dan K Show, USPHL Present GMU Sport Power-Up Teams Of The Month; Carolina Wins USPHL Elite Award

by Joshua Boyd

October 17, 2022

The USPHL is excited to create the “GMU Sport Power-Up Team of the Month”, an award that will follow the release of the The Dan K Show’s USPHL Power Rankings every month. In its first month, this award will be given to the top ranked teams at the NCDC, Premier and Elite levels as ranked […]

Florida Eels Set To Host Florida Cup, Featured On Local News Station

by Joshua Boyd

October 17, 2022October 17, 2022

This coming weekend, the Fort Myers, Fla.-based Florida Eels will play host to all four USPHL Florida teams at the Fort Myers Skatium in both the Premier and Elite Divisions. The opponents are established by last year’s final regular season seedings. The Florida Eels Featured On NBC 2 TV Fort Myers The Florida Eels finished […]

USPHL Elite Through The Numbers: North Region

by Joshua Boyd

October 15, 2022

By Marlee Bulman and Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights (8-2-0-0) The WBS Knights have been on fire this season. They made it to the semifinals last year, losing to the Richmond Generals. On Saturday, they are facing the Rockets, against whom the Knights won six out of seven games against the Rockets. Then […]

USPHL Elite Players OF The Week: North Region

by Joshua Boyd

October 12, 2022October 12, 2022

Week of Oct. 12, 2022 North Division Forward: Quirino DoCanto, Bridgewater Jr Bandits Taking on the Rockets, Jersey Hitmen, and Richmond Generals; DoCanto (‘02/Wareham, Mass.) was a force this weekend, scoring twice against the Rockets and once against the defending National Champion Richmond Generals, bringing his point total to seven. Defense: Joshua Page, Northern […]

By USPHL Staff

The United States Premier Hockey League and the Utica Jr. Comets organization are proud to announce that the 2023 USPHL Premier and Elite National Championships will be held at the Nexus Center in Utica, N.Y. – the brand new home of the Jr. Comets’ USPHL teams – between March 23 and March 28, 2023.

The USPHL Elite National Championship Game will be held on March 27, with the USPHL Premier National Championship game being played one day later on March 28.

The event will open with a three-day round-robin tournament for the USPHL Elite Conference between March 23-25. Over these same days, the USPHL Premier will open with a two-day seeding round (March 23-24) to determine who moves on to the single-elimination Round of 16 on March 25.

The USPHL Premier Quarterfinals (Round of 8) and USPHL Elite Semifinals will take place on March 26. The USPHL Premier semifinals will be played on March 27, the same day as the Elite National Championship Game.

The Nexus Center is a 169,440-square-foot facility conveniently located off the New York State Thruway in Utica, N.Y. Newly opened in November of 2022, the Nexus Center will feature state of the art amenities to make it a tournament destination.

The Nexus Center will feature three multi-purpose 200-foot-by-85-foot playing surfaces that can be utilized as ice sheets or turf. The Nexus Center will be connected by a walkway to the historic Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium, which brings the total up to four surfaces for sports tournaments.

“We are thrilled to be able to host the USPHL National Championships at the Nexus Center in 2023,” said Comets President Robert Esche. “The event, which will showcase the Premier and Elite levels of the league, will add yet another top tier sporting event to Oneida County.”

“The USPHL is excited to bring our USPHL Premier and Elite National Championships to the city of Utica and the new state-of-the-art Nexus Center. We have full confidence that Robert Esche and Nicole Kelly will lead their team to produce our best Nationals ever based on the solid foundation the Northern Cyclones and Hampton Roads Whalers have provided,” said USPHL Commissioner Bob Turow.

Utilizing three sheets will allow for a better travel-friendly schedule for all teams, as well as extra recovery time as the multiple surfaces will eliminate scheduled early morning and late night start times. The Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium will be available for use as needed should any schedule issues arise due to overtimes, shootouts or unforeseen circumstances such as injuries.

Along with the three ice sheets at the Nexus Center, players at the USPHL National Championships will have access to a fully functioning pro shop on site, a sport-specific gym and a warmup track that surrounds the ice arenas. There will be 14 brand new locker rooms available for teams throughout the facility, with full service amenities in each.

There is a full-service bar and restaurant on site, as well as the Utica Coffee Lounge, which offers coffee and other beverages in addition to salads and sandwiches, in addition to a traditional ice rink concession stand.

The brand new Nexus Center will feature all the most modern technology, in order to facilitate a prime viewing experience for those watching on HockeyTV, the exclusive broadcast partner of the USPHL. There will also be complimentary WiFi offered throughout the facility in order for players, families and fans to share their new memories from on site.

Utica is conveniently located off of I-90 (known in New York as the Thomas E. Dewey Thruway), 90 minutes driving time from the state capital in Albany, and 50 minutes by highway from Syracuse. Both Albany and Syracuse have full-service airports and several car rental agencies and other transportation services available to get players and their supporters to Utica. There are several brand-name hotels in Utica, many within walking distance of the Nexus Center for the convenience of the teams that reach the National Championships.

Playoffs for the USPHL Premier and USPHL Elite Conferences begin in late February and generally run until the final weekend before the beginning of the National Championships as each conference plays down to determine their representative, or representatives, for the National Championships. The full USPHL Premier and Elite Playoffs And National Championships format will be announced at a later date.

Apparel with the new 2023 USPHL National Championships at Utica logo will be available online in the weeks prior to the event, online and on site during the event, and for a short time online following the National Championships.

The basics for the 2022 USPHL Carolina Cup:

Carolina Cup Outdoor Game

• Truist Field Stadium, home of the Charlotte Knights (Triple-A Affiliate of the Chicago White Sox)

• First-ever USPHL games played in a baseball stadium!

• Will potentially be the coldest night in the recorded history of Charlotte (Forecasted low of 28 degrees Fahrenheit for Friday)

• Carolina Jr. Hurricanes at Charlotte Rush

USPHL Elite Puck Drop 4:30 p.m.

Elite Pre-Game Show starts 4:15 p.m. on HockeyTV (use the Game link)

Premier Puck Drop 7:30 p.m.

Premier Pre-Game Show starts 7:15 on HockeyTV (all within game link)

After the weekend, photos can be found on @britthartflicks and on USPHL social channels.

By USPHL Staff

The USPHL and the Islanders Hockey Club are excited to present the Islanders Hockey Club Showcase making its return to Gallant Arena at Merrimack College and Skate3 in Tyngsboro, Mass., between Nov. 15 and Nov. 20, featuring six days of USPHL hockey!

Between Nov. 15 and Nov. 17, the NCDC will be in action with all 14 teams playing three games apiece.

The Islanders’ event is the only showcase all season featuring every member of the Tier II league. The vast majority of games will take place at both Gallant Arena and Skate 3. Click the link below for the up-to-date schedule link for the NCDC portion of the Islanders Hockey Club Showcase.

Full Islanders Hockey Club Showcase NCDC Schedule

The scene shifts to the USPHL Premier and USPHL Elite teams taking the spotlight between Friday, Nov. 18, and Sunday, Nov. 20, again at Gallant Arena and Skate 3 in Tyngsboro. Seven of the nine USPHL Premier New England Division teams will be on hand, including the host Islanders Hockey Club, the Northern Cyclones, Boston Advantage, Bridgewater Bandits, South Shore Kings, Springfield Pics and Twin City Thunder.

From the Premier Mid-Atlantic Division, you will see the Buffalo Stampede, Connecticut Jr. Rangers, New York Aviators, Elmira Jr. Enforcers and Utica Jr. Comets.

Full Islanders Hockey Club Showcase Premier Schedule

On the Elite side, teams from the North Division include the host Islanders, Bridgewater Bandits, Springfield Pics and Northern Cyclones, and from the Mid-Atlantic, the teams include the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders, Elmira Jr. Enforcers and New York Aviators.

Full Islanders Hockey Club Showcase Elite Schedule

The USPHL cordially invites all college coaches to join us at the Islanders Hockey Club Showcase where coaches will get a chance to meet and talk with our amazing student athletes. If you are unable to attend, every game will be broadcast live on HockeyTV.com.

Keep an eye on all the USPHL social media accounts for highlights, photos and interviews from the event over the duration.

(Summaries by Joshua Boyd)

Florida Division

Forward: Robert Sheets, Tampa Bay Juniors

Sheets (‘05/Scottsdale, Ariz.) put up two goals and three assists for five points in a sweep of the Florida Jr. Blades. His two goals were in the first of two games, and one of the goals stood up as the GWG. Overall, he improved to 14 points through 12 games.

Defense: Elijah White, Columbia Infantry

White (‘05/Birminghan, Ala.) put up a goal and an assist in a close series against the Palm Breach Typhoon over the weekend. White, who led his team in ice time with 32:36 over the two games. After scoring three points in his first 14 games, he’s red hot now with five points in his last three contests.

Goaltender: Raphael Larose, Florida Eels

Larose (‘04/Repentigny, Que.) picked up a huge win in his first start since September, defeating the host Atlanta MadHatters by a 4-1 score, thanks in large part to stopping 32 of 33 shots faced. Larose remains undefeated at 3-0-0-0 in his young USPHL career.

Southeast Division

Forward: Tristan Seney, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

A two-goal, three-assist weekend against Nashville helped push the Jr. Cane forward over the point per game average mark for the season. He now stands with 11 goals and 18 points in 17 games this season. The ‘05 from Granby, Que., is certainly making the most of his first USPHL season.

Defense: Nathaniel Boeckle, Richmond Generals

Boeckle posted a goal and an assist in the Generals’ 5-2 win on Sunday that followed a 1-0 Charlotte Rush victory one day earlier. He also blocked three shots over the course of that weekend. An ‘05 native of Glen Allen, Va., Boeckle is a product of the prestigious Washington Little Caps AAA program.

Goaltender: Eddie Kaiven, Potomac Patriots

Kaiven (‘03/Washington, N.J.) stopped 31 of the 32 shots that he faced when the Patriots started a weekend sweep of the Hampton Roads Whalers on Saturday. Kaiven is on a five-game winning streak going back to September. He’s only lost his season-opener, and he hasn’t given up more than two goals in any game since Sept. 10. He has a 5-1-0-0 record, along with a .944 save percentage (third in the Elite Conference) and 1.68 goals against average (fourth in the Elite).

Week of Nov. 1-7, 2022

Mid-Atlantic Division

(Summaries By Marlee Bulman)

Forward: John Crowdell, Rockets Hockey Club

Crowdell (’03/Staten Island) has put up some impressive numbers this season so far. His points per game average currently sits at 2.29. This past week, the Rockets faced the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders, getting both wins. Crowdell had three goals, one assist, getting him four points in two games.

Defense: Michael Wilson, Jersey Hitmen

Wilson (‘05/Westfield) had four assists against the New York Aviators in a 9-8 win. He also assisted in getting the Hitmen the sweep for the weekend against the Aviators.

Goaltender: Michael Grima, Rockets Hockey Club

There is no doubt that the Rocket’s goaltender Grima (‘03/Staten Island, N.Y.) is a force on the ice. In two games he made 65 saves on 67 shots, 2-0 vs. P.A.L. This also included his first shutout of the season.

North Division

(Summaries By Joshua Boyd)

Forward: Quirino DoCanto, Bridgewater Bandits

DoCanto (‘02/Wareham, Mass.) put up a four-goal performance on Nov. 2 against the Boston Junior Bruins to set a career high. Overall, he has improved to 13 goals and 20 points in 18 games. He jumped right up to fourth in goals in the USPHL Elite.

Defense: Philip Tikhonov, Springfield Pics

A lifelong Pic, the ‘05 from Wales, Mass., was a key player for the Pics as they went up against one of the top teams in the league in the Islanders Hockey Club and came out with a point from a 4-3 shootout loss. Tikhonov played shutdown defense throughout the back-and-forth game.

Goaltender: Chase Ebeyer, Springfield Pics

Ebeyer (‘04/Scottsdale, Ariz.) remains a top 20 goaltender in save percentage with an impressive .928 mark. This comes from performances like what he put up on Nov. 6 against the Islanders. He stopped 46 out of the Islanders’ 49 shots in a game where the Islanders outshot the Pics 50-30. Ebeyer is unbeaten in regulation over his last two games.

The USPHL, in a partnership with The Dan K Show’s Premier and Elite #PowerRankings, would like to congratulate the USPHL Elite’s Potomac Patriots on being selected for the GMU Sport Power-Up Team of the Month!

Joining the USPHL in recognizing these efforts is GMU Sport, the 2022 USPHL National Tournament Sponsor and official partner of the USPHL. GMU Sport will send each month’s winner a prize package filled with protein powder, pre-workout, and EAA recovery drinks to help continue to fuel these team’s winning ways. GMU Sport is committed to offering clean, NCAA certified products to USPHL teams, players, and families, all at affordable prices.

Use code USPHL22 at checkout for 22% off your order!

Congratulations to our winners of the GMU Sport Power-Up Team of the Month!

(Summaries by Joshua Boyd)

Forwards

Jayden Price, Atlanta MadHatters

A local ‘04 product from Woodstock, Ga., Price has more than picked up where he left off with a 39-point All-Star season in 2021-22. Early on, Price put up four goals and 11 assists for 15 points, an average of 1.67, which puts him in the top 10 for points per game average in the USPHL Elite.

A member of the MadHatters for the bulk of his career, going back to youth, he missed three Elite games for a very good reason – he was called up to the Premier, where he registered an assist in three games at Palm Beach.

Cooper Lundberg, Atlanta MadHatters

Price’s regular linemate, Lundberg (‘05) came to the MadHatters from the Nashville Jr. Predators Midget organization and the two have clicked in extremely productive ways for the 5-4-2-1 MadHatters.

Lundberg has posted 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points in 12 games, ranking 10th in the league in points per game average at 1.58. That was also good for the second best production rate in the Florida Division behind only the veteran Price.

Jacob Godbout, Florida Eels

Talk about climate change – not many folks for the Eels have changed the climate in which they play moreso than Godbout, who comes from Amos, Que., located in way northwestern Quebec and closer to the subarctic James Bay than to metropolitan Montreal. So, yeah, Fort Myers, Florida is a big change, but one thing that hasn’t changed is Godbout’s penchant for production – he posted eight goals and eight assists for 16 points in just 11 games (1.45 points per game).

This is right in line with – and even better than – his production for the Amos Forestiers AAA program, from which the Eels signed Godbout. He wasted no time in jumping right into becoming an Elite leader, putting up a 7-6-13 scoring streak in his first seven junior games.

Defensemen

Carter Trussler, Tampa Bay Juniors

The Juniors exited October just one point out of first place in the Florida Division (and they won their first November game to pull into first). So much of their success has to do with a strong defense and so much of that has to do with their go-to guy Trussler (‘06/Land O’ Lakes, Fla.), who is the current ice time leader for the Juniors, averaging 20:28 – a full 1:30 more than his closest teammate. He is also the leader in takeaways with 55 and has posted a +7 in addition to his seven points in 14 games. And he’s still found time to also play for his hometown Mitchell High School.

Jachym Cermak, Florida Eels

A truly versatile player, Cermak has played some forward shifts but mostly defense for the Eels this season. He leads the team in ice time (20:28 per game) and has formed a fantastic top D pairing partnership with Maxim Schanck, while continuing to provide great offense. He has five goals and three assists for eight points in 11 games. He exited October on a still-active streak of four goals and one assist in his last four games.

Additionally, Cermak leads the Eels in plus-minus at +13 and is also the team leader in shorthanded time on ice.

Goaltender

Daniel Van Brunt, Columbia Infantry

Coming out of the prestigious Long Island Gulls organization, the ‘05 out of Smithtown, N.Y., has done fantastic with the start of his junior career. Out of the Infantry’s four wins this year, Van Brunt has been in net for three of them and has posted a 3-1-1-0 record in six appearances, along with a .924 save percentage.

His best performance actually set the league high of 67 saves when he stopped 67 of 69 in a win against the Tampa Bay Juniors.

Note: October Players Of The Month Includes Statistics From September.

(Summaries by Marlee Bulman)

Forwards

John Crowdell, Rockets Hockey Club

Forward John Crowdell (‘03/Staten Island, NY) is in his fourth year with the Rockets (USPHL 16U and USPHL 18U), this being his first year with the elite team. This season he has grown to be an extremely valuable player for the Rockets. In 12 games, he has posted 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points, with a 2.33 points per game, which ranks second in the league only to Potomac’s Zarand Varga.

He has scored a point in all but one game and has eight multi-point games – including four goals and one assist in the season opener – under his belt. Overall, he stands third in points in Elite, tied for third in goals, and second in assists.

Jason DiMatteo, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

Forward DiMatteo (’04/Florida) of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights has had an amazing rookie season so far. Posting 18 goals and seven assists for 25 points in 14 games, he has a 1.79 points per game average. DiMatteo has gotten points in 12-of-14 games.

Of all 14, nine were multi-point games, five multi-goal games, and he also has one hat trick. As of now, he stands fourth in points, and leads the league in goals.

Brody Bess, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

Another amazing Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights rookie Brody Bess (‘05/Hummelstown, Pa.) also had a great start to the season, posting 12 goals and eight assists for 20 points in 12 games. He scored points in 8-of-12 games leaving him with a 1.67 points per game average. The Hummelstown, Pa., local had seven multi-point games. In the last five games he has gotten 12 points, and eight in his last three. He now sits eighth in points, and tied for third in goals.

Defensemen

Matthew DiCarlo, Jersey Hitmen

The second year in the USPHL for Matthew DiCarlo (‘04/Saddle Brook, N.J.) is gearing up for a great season for the defenseman. Currently he has posted a 3g-9a-12p in 14 games, with a 0.87 points per game average. He has two three-point games this season, and now sits at eighth in points among defensemen, tied for seventh in assists among defensemen, and is in second in points on the team.

Angelo Coschignano, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders

This is Coshignano’s third year in USPHL. He spent his first two with P.A.L.’s USPHL 16U team, before moving to the Elite. There, he is now currently on a six-game point streak, posting four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 15 games (0.73 points per game).

Out of the 15 games, Coschignano (‘05/Muttowntown, N.Y.) has scored points in 10 of those. He now sits tied second on the team in points, and is tied for ninth in defenseman points, league wide.

Goaltender

Dylan Boughen, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

Boughen (‘04/Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada) has been a force with the Knights. This is his second year in the USPHL, and with the Knights. He has posted so far a record of 4-0-1-0 to stay undefeated in regulation, and two of his wins have been shutouts.

He’s started off strong with a 2.34 goals against average, and a .933 save percentage, at which he ranks fifth in the Elite. He has made 152 saves in five contests.

Forwards

Austin Larson, Northern Cyclones

Larson’s division-leading 1.67 points per game through the end of October led the division, just as the Cyclones led the entire Elite Conference with a .955 winning percentage off a 10-0-1-0 record. Larson was there every step of the way, missing the scoresheet only once out of the nine games he played, putting up a line of seven goals and eight assists for 15 points.

An ‘03 out of Berlin, Conn., Larson is in his fifth USPHL season and fourth in the Cyclones organization, with whom he’s played in the USPHL 16U and USPHL 18U divisions the last three years, getting a call-up to his first two Elite games last year. He also got into a 2022 playoff game as the Cyclones made their push all the way to the Elite National Championship game.

Dylan Reynolds, Islanders Hockey Club

Though the Islanders have played just nine games so far this season, Reynolds has already found a way to score in droves, posting a goal per game average early on with nine tallies in nine contests through the end of October.

A first-year USPHL rookie out of Connecticut’s Xavier High School, the ‘04 forward put up a 2-2-4 line in his junior debut on Sept. 22 against a strong Bridgewater squad. He posted a hat trick in Game 3 against the current No. 3 team in the league, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights, at the BJB Shootout. He closed October with a 2-1-3 performance against old friends the Bandits. He has also posted four assists for 13 points in nine games, good for a 1.44 points per game average.

Liam Norton, Bridgewater Bandits

Norton (‘04) has been a big cog in the machine behind the Bandits’ impressive start, signified by an 11-5-1-0 record and a division-leading 23 points. Individually, Norton ran out to a 9-13-22 scoring line in his first 16 games. This included a red-hot eight-game point streak of five goals and 10 assists for 15 points between Oct. 3-22.

Norton has already proven he can handle himself at the next level, as well. He got a Premier call-up on Sept. 24 and scored a goal in his debut there, just as he did in his Sept. 22 Elite debut.

Defensemen

Connor Horn, Islanders Hockey Club

A product of Danvers High School in his Massachusetts hometown, this ‘04 blueliner has helped the Islanders remain a powerhouse in the Elite, looking to build on consecutive trips to the past two Nationals. With a 2-6-8 line in nine games, he scored his first two junior goals in the same game against the Hampton Roads Whalers from the always-strong Southeast Division at the Rockets Hockey Club Showcase.

Defensively, he’s helped the Islanders rank second in the Elite with just 27 shots against per game and eighth with a 2.89 team goals against average.

Brady Bomal, Northern Cyclones

Right back we go to the only Elite team still undefeated in regulation, and we take a look at their veteran ‘03 defenseman from Westford, Mass. Bomal was a full-time member of the Cyclones Elite team that went to the National final last year. He put up seven points in five playoff games, after an eight point season in 40 regular season contests.

Bomal has put up three goals and five assists for eight points through his first 11 points this season, all the while leading an ironclad defense. They lead the way in team goals against average (with a miniscule 1.45) and they are fourth in shots against per game (27.64, just two thirds of a shot behind their division rivals, the second-place Islanders).

Goaltender

Maximilian Pierce, Northern Cyclones

No surprise here, as Pierce is the Elite leader in basically every goaltending category. Pierce (‘04/Harrison Township, Mich.) stands at 6-0, never having given up more than two goals in his Sept. 29 junior debut against the Islanders Hockey Club. Since then, it’s been two shutouts and three games of only one goal allowed.

In the Oct. 8 rematch of the 2022 Elite National Championship Game, Pierce faced down 39 Richmond Generals shots, giving up just one in regulation – and then he stopped all three as the Cyclones exorcized their playoff demons by defeating the division champion 2-1 in a shootout. He remains the undisputed No. 1 in the league with a 0.81 goals against average and a .974 save percentage.

Note: October Players Of The Month Also Includes Stats From September 2022.

(Summaries by Joshua Boyd)

Forwards

Zarand Varga, Potomac Patriots

The ‘04 out of Hungary has taken the USPHL Elite by storm, leading the division through October for a Patriots team that stands second in the Elite points race with a 13-4-0-0 record. Varga has helped the Patriots to some big statement wins en route to posting a league-best 35 points through 14 games. He scored in all but one game, finishing October with his best performance of three goals and two assists for five points on Oct. 30.

He has hit the four-point mark four times in addition to that five-point game. He had a point in each game when the Patriots split against Charlotte and then defeated the defending National Champion Richmond Generals in late October as well. Varga has posted 5-6-11 in his last five games coming into November, and he’s also made his USPHL Premier debut (on Oct. 29).

Brayden Taylor, Hampton Roads Whalers

The Whalers stand at fifth place with a points total that would have them tied for first in a different division, and tied for second in another. Such is life for the Whalers in the knock-down dragout battle that is the Southeast Division. With such tight games throughout the division, it helps to have a veteran like Brayden Taylor around.

A 2003-born native of nearby Virginia Beach, Taylor has been a Whaler since his youth hockey days and has recently passed his 100th USPHL junior game in the Green, Blue and White. His experience helped him to post six goals and 10 assists for 16 points in his first 16 Elite games. He hasn’t suited up for the Elite squad since Oct. 16, after which he was called up for his first four Premier games, in which he has already posted one assist.

Trae Schanberger, Richmond Generals

Back from the Generals team that won the 2022 USPHL Elite National Championship, Schanberger (‘03/Dallastown, Pa.) has been clicking at a goal-per-game pace, putting up 11 tallies through 11 games. This is in addition to six assists for a total of 17 points to tie for the team lead in scoring and post a 1.55 points per game average so far.

Schanberger ran through a string of three games between Sept. 23-24, all at the USPHL Southeast Showcase, where he scored two goals in each.

Defense

Colby Markham, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

The lifelong Jr. Cane and local product born in 2005 leads all Southeast defensemen with 18 points off a 4-14-18 line through 14 games. Markham is the No. 1 man on the ice for the Jr. Canes in all situations, leading the team by 40 minutes over any of his teammates in total ice time (of which he has 352:23).

In addition to his offense, Markham is also second in plus-minus on the team (+17) and in blocked shots (21), helping to lift the Jr. Hurricanes to a league-leading 13-1-1-0 record.

Ben Pearson, Charlotte Rush

Pearson (‘03/Rochester, N.Y.) is another of those players whose days in the Elite Division may be numbered – for the very positive reason he has recently skated four games for the Premier Rush.

Through 12 games this year so far, the second-year Elite blueliner has put up a 5-8-13 line, keeping his career points per game average above 1.00, as he halso posted 38 points in 35 games to stand with a 1.09 average over two seasons.

Goaltender

Evan Crawford, Charlotte Rush

Crawford leads the whole South (Southeast and Florida Divisions) with some pretty outstanding numbers early on in the season. The ‘04 out of Greenwich, Conn., stands at 5-1-0-1, with a 1.27 goals against average and a .948 save percentage. All of these numbers are second, only to the 6-0 Max Pierce of the Northern Cyclones. Both goalies, however, are even in shutouts, both sporting two.

It is Crawford’s perhaps unlucky fortune to have his best performance of the year result in his only regulation loss. On Oct. 22, he stopped 42 of 43 shots against the fast-rising Potomac Patriots. He “bounced back” the next week to stop 34 of 35 shots against the rival Hampton Roads Whalers in a sweep, including an 18-save shutout on Oct. 29. He earlier also had a 21-save shutout against the Nashville Spartans on Oct. 1.

Note: October Players Of The Month includes stats from games of September 2022 as well.