USPHL Elite 2023-24 Midwest Division Players Of The Month

by Joshua Boyd

January 5, 2024

Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Forward: Jaden Yuknis, Chicago Crush Yuknis (‘04/Lake Villa, Ill.) was clicking at nearly a two-point-per-game pace during December’s seven games, over which he put up six goals and added seven assists for 13 points. He scored all of these points actually in his final six games of the […]

USPHL Elite 2023-24 Southeast Division Players Of The Month: December 2023

by Joshua Boyd

January 3, 2024January 3, 2024

Selection Process: The league media office sends top candidates to divisional coaches for review and coaches either approve or challenge the nominations. Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Forward: Ilya Biesiedin, Potomac Patriots The ‘05 from Kharkov, Ukraine, continues to push the goal-scoring pace in the Elite Conference, recently putting up 15 goals […]

USPHL Elite 2023-24 Atlantic Division Players Of The Month: December 2023

by Joshua Boyd

January 2, 2024

Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Forward: John Crowdell, Rockets Hockey Club The 2003-born native of Staten Island, N.Y., just keeps dropping jaws around the Elite Conference with his offensive prowess, one that should see him take the top spot in points all time in the league in short order. After posting 10 goals […]

USPHL Elite 2023-24 Florida Division Players Of The Month: December 2023

by Joshua Boyd

January 2, 2024January 2, 2024

Selection Process: The league media office sends top candidates to divisional coaches for review and coaches either approve or challenge the nominations. Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Forward: Dylan Hineman, Tampa Bay Juniors A locally born and trained player, Hineman (‘06/Tampa, Fla.) is currently playing for both the Juniors and George Steinbrenner […]

USPHL Elite 2023-24 South Region Players Of The Week

by Joshua Boyd

December 22, 2023December 22, 2023

Week of Dec. 22, 2023 Games of Dec. 13-18, 2023 Southeast Division Forward: Ilya Biesiedin, Potomac Patriots Two hat tricks and and an additional game-winning goal made Biesiedin the biggest individual threat at the USPHL Florida College Showcase last weekend. He put up a total of seven goals and added three assists for 10 […]

USPHL Elite 2023-24 North Region Players Of The Week

by Joshua Boyd

December 22, 2023December 22, 2023

Week of Dec. 22, 2023 Games of Dec. 13-18, 2023 Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Atlantic Division Forward: Jace Lombardo, Rockets Hockey Club Lombardo (‘04/Staten Island, N.Y.) did not want to wait until after Christmas to pass the career 100-point mark. Instead, he put up a 10-pointer over two games, including seven goals […]

USPHL Elite 2023-24 Midwest Division Players Of The Week

by Joshua Boyd

December 21, 2023

Games of Dec. 13-18, 2023 Week of Dec. 21, 2023 Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Forward: Lukas Kurowski, Chicago Cougars A local product of the Northwest Chargers program, this ‘05 from Elk Grove Village, Ill., has been doing particularly well as a rookie junior player. In his most recent game, he […]

USPHL Elite 2023-24 North Region Players Of The Week

by Joshua Boyd

December 16, 2023

Week of Dec. 16, 2023 Games of Dec. 6-12, 2023 Atlantic Division Forward: Justin Morrissey, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders Morrissey (‘06/Patchogue, N.Y.) came up with four goals and added two assists for the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders in a pair of victories against Connecticut, giving him another six points. He currently stands with 53 points […]

USPHL Elite 2023-24 Midwest Division Players Of The Week

by Joshua Boyd

December 16, 2023December 16, 2023

Week of Dec. 16, 2023 Games of Dec. 6-12, 2023 Forward: Jaden Yuknis, Chicago Crush In a weekend series against the rival Chicago Cougars, Yuknis (‘04/Lake Villa, Ill.) put up three goals and one assist for four points, over which the Crush swept the Cougars. In his second year with the Crush, he […]

USPHL Elite 2023-24 South Region Players Of The Week

by Joshua Boyd

December 14, 2023December 16, 2023

Week of Dec. 14, 2023 Games of Dec. 6-12, 2023 Southeast Division Forward: Noah Ribeiro, Potomac Patriots Ribeiro (‘05/Montreal, Que.) put up a goal and six assists for seven points when the Patriots defeated the Charlotte Rush twice over the weekend. This gave him 46 points in 23 games in his first junior […]

Florida Eels (2) vs. Atlanta MadHatters (3)

All Games Played At Fort Myers Skatium, Fort Myers, FL

Saturday, March 9, 9:30 a.m. EST

Sunday, March 10, 12:30 p.m. EST

Monday, March 11, 9:30 a.m. EST

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

The Atlanta MadHatters Elite team would love to recapture what they once had and lost, and that was only due to a global pandemic. They had beaten Tampa Bay in the Florida Division playoffs to advance to the USPHL National Championship – which was canceled the same day as Major League Baseball, NASCAR, NCAA sports and the NHL also all canceled their seasons.

The Florida Eels have been one of the staples of the USPHL Elite National Championships, making it the last two seasons in a row after also reaching the mark in 2019. Both teams have something to prove.

“I am expecting this series with the Florida Eels to be a battle. They are a very well-coached team that has always been one of the best programs in the USPHL. Throughout the season we have played hard fought games going back and forth with the Eels. I feel this playoff series will be the same,” said Atlanta Head Coach Tyler Casillo. “If we stick to our game and stay disciplined in all three zones, I am expecting us to have a great showing. Our team is hungry to make a statement to the league that we don’t only belong here but expect to win in big series like this one. This is one of the best matchups in all of the country at the Elite level.”

“We are expecting a great matchup,” added Eels Coach Mitch Hill. “Both teams match up very well against one another and they all have been close games. They are a good team that can roll four lines so we are expecting this to be a fun competitive series this weekend.”’

The series was split at 3-3-0-0 during the regular season. In their last meeting, Atlanta came away with a 3-0 shutout – one day after an Eels 1-0 shutout win. Throw a dart and you might hit the winner and the score on any given day.

In terms of shutouts, the MadHatters got four out of veteran netminder Jackson Bernier, who finished 9-5-2-1 with a league-leading .952 save percentage. Christian Amato was also in the top 10 for save percentage with a .928 mark.

“The Florida Elite Division is one of the most competitive in the country, and this year was no different. As an organization we feel great about the growth our group has had throughout the season,” said Casillo. “The team was built from the net out with Jackson Bernier and Christian Amato both having stellar seasons. This season, we came in with the expectation to compete for a chance to go to Nationals, and we did just that.”

The MadHatters’ top four scorers were all Elite veterans, starting with Will McLaughlin and Colby Sims (39 points apiece), William Blair (35) and Gordon Shindelman (32). Hayden Spencer, with 22 points in 33 games, was a huge presence on D.

For the Eels, a trio of newcomers set the offensive tone. Fynn O’Neill was the leader in points with 51 in 43, while Zayn Haddon-Harris and Alex Cochran each scored 42. Julian Gagnon returned to the team at midseason and scored 16 points in his 14 games. Sean Burke led the defense in scoring with 23 points in 24 games, while veteran J.J. Diaz led in blocked shots with 49 and plus-minus with +39.

In net, Nate Haas (15-3-0-0) and Anthony LaCroix (10-7-1-0) were a formidable tandem throughout the year.

“We’ve been approaching the postseason with preparation in our details,” said Hill. “Being sharp structurally in our systems and making sure our habits are playoff ready to compete.”

Southeast Division

Potomac Patriots (2) vs. Charlotte Rush (3)

All Games to Be Played At Pineville Ice House, Pineville, NC

Rush Are Home Team For Game 2

Saturday, March 9, 8:30 a.m. EST

Sunday, March 10, 8:30 a.m. EST

Monday, March 11, 8:30 a.m. EST (If Necessary)

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

The Potomac Patriots experienced some hard times in the USPHL Elite, but since the start of the 2022-23 season, they have been an absolute force to be reckoned with, putting up 67 wins in the past two years. The Patriots challenged for much of the year for the league and Southeast Division title, before the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes pulled away.

The Charlotte Rush have reached the Elite National Championships four times – 2018 and 2021 through 2023, and they’re hoping to make it four in a row.

“We are excited for a rematch of last year’s series vs Charlotte at the Elite level,” said Patriots Head Coach Alex Grose. “We have spent a lot of time preparing for these games, both on and off the ice. Our guys know what’s at stake and with a chance to be the first Patriots Elite team [to reach Nationals] they are ready to take it.”

“In preparing for Potomac, we know there’s a ton of skill in their lineup,” said Rush Head Coach Trevor Kleckner. “They have a high-flying offense that can put the puck in the net at will and a lethal power play as well. We have to defend hard and make sure we play a disciplined game. If we can execute on those two things, I believe we’ll find success. Right now we’ve prepared enough and it comes down to ‘us vs. us.’ Our focus is on our game and what we need to execute on in order to win two games this weekend.”

The Patriots went 5-1-0-0 in the season series, including weekend sweeps on Dec. 9-10 and Jan. 20-21. They’ve already seen what it takes to win, even in the three one-goal games the teams played out of their six.

“Our expectations this year are to beat Charlotte,” said Grose. “We know we are the faster, stronger, and more skilled team in the series, and we are determined to go prove that this weekend.”

Patriots Noah Ribeiro (72 points in 37 games) and the Elite program’s all-time scorer Liam Hanna (64 points in 39 games) both finished in the Top 10 league-wide in scoring, while on the D end, ‘07 star-in-the-making Kirill Golubev scored a league-leading 56 points in 34 games while also playing in the NCDC Young Guns prospects game at Boston University – and scoring the first goal in that game! Forward Ilya Biesiedin (22:00) led in ice time and faceoff wins (325, 58 percent), Ribeiro led in plus-minus (+34) and defenseman Yaroslav Alifanov led in blocked shots with 40.

In goal, Christian Nalle went 12-2-0-0 with a .937 save percentage, both top 10 stats.

For the Rush, Nicholas Grosso and Cy McCrink were the regulars in net during the season, with Grosso leading the way at 11-3-1-1.

Up front, the Rush had outstanding seasons from veterans like Spencer Barrow (51 points), Yianni Tsatsoulis (48 points), Charles Norris (46) and Luke Vega (31 points in 24 games). Isaac McGregor was nearly a point-per-game producer this year.

“In preparing for this postseason, I think we’ve been extremely detailed in teaching our structure. In the playoffs, it’s those little details that can be the difference between moving on or going home. For our group, we know that if we execute our systems and not get so tied up with our opponents tendencies, that we’ll have a ton of success,” said Kleckner. “These guys have battled extremely hard going all season long in buying into our systems and our culture. They should have all the confidence in the world heading into this weekend.

“I think another huge part of it is how we handle adversity. Every playoff game there’s adversity to handle whether you go up a goal, down a goal, or a puck doesn’t bounce your way,” he added. “This group has done a tremendous job lately of handling adversity and staying the course. That will play dividends for us this weekend as well.”

Midwest Division

Fort Wayne Spacemen (4) at Chicago Crush (2)

All Games At Addison Ice Arena, Addison, IL

Friday, March 8, 7:10 p.m. CST

Saturday, March 9, 6:40 p.m. CST

Sunday, March 10, 7:10 p.m. CST (If Necessary)

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

Either the Chicago Crush or the Fort Wayne Spacemen will be among the first two USPHL Elite Midwest Division teams to reach the USPHL Nationals. The teams are two wins away from reaching the Utica University Nexus Center for the “big dance” between March 21-25 for the USPHL Elite National Championship tournament.

Both teams’ coaches understand just how huge this weekend’s series is in the grand scheme of their historic first season.

“This series is going to be even harder than the first. The Chicago Crush are a great team. We battled with them all year, maybe got the best of them in the season series, but that doesn’t matter anymore,” said Spacemen Head Coach Cam Wirick. “We know we will see their best hockey and we will be ready for it.”

“The series with the Spacemen this weekend will be a hard-fought battle. We have played them a number of times this season, and they have been a tough opponent,” added Crush Head Coach Phil Bushbacher. “They are well coached, have a lot of skill, a lethal power play, and compete for 60 minutes.

“We know that it is going to be a series won on the small details of the game,” Bushbacher added. “We know it is going to be a fast, physical, and emotion-filled series. They have gotten the better end of our season series, and we have something to prove on our way to Utica.”

The Spacemen finished 22-16-3-3 for 50 points, literally one point out of the third place spot. They were matched up in the first round with the No. 5 Chicago Cougars and came out of it with a 2-1 series victory. The two teams swapped one-goal wins, the Spacemen taking Game 1 4-3 before the Cougars won 3-2 in OT in Game 2 to extend their season. The Spacemen capped the series with a 5-2 victory to pave their way to Round 2.

“I am very pleased with how we performed this past weekend,” said Wirick. “We were faced with adversity all weekend long and I am very proud at how our guys handled it. We faced it head-on and prevailed. I have to give credit to the Cougars for battling hard all weekend.”

The Spacemen also faced the Chicago Crush eight times and went 6-2-0-0 against the Spacemen. The Spacemen won the closest games, a one-goal game and a two-goal game, and the Crush won 5-2 and 4-1 games in November and January.

The Crush went 27-14-0-3 to capture the second seed and the first round bye, six points behind the division champion Metro Jets and six points ahead of the third place Motor City Gamblers (who fell to the Decatur Blaze last weekend).

“We had an opening round bye, so this will be our first action of the postseason,” said Bushbacher. “We had a great regular season, grew a lot as a group, and have really found our stride in the second half. We have a deep team that plays their best hockey when we push the pace, are combative in all three zones, and remain disciplined.”

The Spacemen were led offensively by Joseph Richardson, who had 34 points in 27 games (and he also had three assists in five Spacemen Premier games). Oleksandr Zinoviev was second with 30 points and the two top scorers were among a crowd of eight players who had more than 20 points this year. This included the leading scorer among defensemen, Landyn Ringenberg, who had 27 points.

Goaltenders Justin Mackley and Brendan Kusbel both played the lion’s share of Spacemen games. Kusbel led the way with seven wins and Mackley led with a .910 save percentage. Ryan Tolbert (7-1-0-0) also had a strong season in the crease.

All five goalies who suited up for the Crush this year finished with an either winning or even record, led by Johnny Augusta (9-3-0-1, 2.27, .924). Kyle Tyszkiewicz led the team with a .937 save percentage.

Depth is a trait that both teams had in common, as the Crush had 11 players with 20 or more points, including Jaden Yuknis (43 points in 44 games) and Joseph Coglianese (38 points in 40 games). Defenseman Tyler Rentner had 28 points in 37 games to lead the blue line crew.

“I’m very proud of how far we have come together, and I am thrilled for our guys to have the opportunity to play this weekend. Our growth on the ice and off has put us in a great position to accomplish some goals that we all knew were ambitious at the start of the year,” Bushbacher added. “We know it may require 180 minutes of effort, or more, and we are excited to have a chance to play a team like Fort Wayne.”

Atlantic Division

Jersey Hitmen (4) at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights (1)

All Games to Be Played At Revolution Ice Centre, Pittston, PA

Friday, March 8, 7:30 p.m. EST

Saturday, March 9, 3:45 p.m. EST

Sunday, March 10, 3:45 p.m. EST (If Necessary)

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

The Knights have some unfinished business, to say the least. They went all the way to the Elite National Championship Game, and nothing was decided after 60 minutes. Or 80 minutes.

The Carolina Jr. Hurricanes eventually ended the game 29 seconds into the second overtime, but the Knights had fully arrived as a league power to be reckoned with.

Joining the Knights at the 2023 Nationals were the Jersey Hitmen, who reached the semifinal where they were defeated by WBS, 3-2. But that was after the Hitmen defeated the higher-seeded Florida Eels and Charlotte Rush in the round robin portion of the Nationals. And that was also after the Hitmen survived being on the verge of elimination in the division playoffs, defeating the former New York Aviators, two games to one.

So it all comes down to this weekend, where only one of last year’s Elite Atlantic Division representatives will be moving on to Nationals.

“We are excited at the opportunity our team earned,” said Knights First-Year Head Coach Jason Zaleski. “Having home ice for playoffs is something we are proud of. We have worked all season to prepare for the playoffs!”

Veteran Hitmen Head Coach Jim Raymond talked about how his team should be in a good position to make life especially tough for the Knights, having improved over the year.

“We had a rough start. It took us some time to come together as a group. Wins were tough to come by early on, but in late December/early January we went on a 9-1-1-0 heater that helped secure a playoff position,” said Raymond. “During that time we were fortunate enough to beat all of the top teams from our division and others from the southern divisions while at the USPHL Tampa Showcase.”

One big mountain for the Hitmen to climb is seen in the Knights themselves, as WBS nearly swept the season series by finishing at 6-1-0-0. The Hitmen won their lone game in a breakout 7-4 victory on Dec. 17, part of that 9-1-1-0 run that bridged 2023 and 2024.

“WBS is a very good team, well coached and well managed. You don’t finish in first place in the division by not being ready and prepared,” Raymond said. “I anticipate the series will be hard-fought, and the Nationals berth well-earned. We’re the underdogs for sure, but if we stick to the plan and get some puck luck you never know what could happen. I wouldn’t be surprised if the series went all three games.”

Knights GM Dominick Manochio also knows that with the stakes of the series raised, his team will also have to raise its level of play to push past an always feisty Hitmen team.

“Our team has continued to grow throughout the season. Winning our third division title in three years [of existence], we feel we are hitting our stride at the right time,” said Manochio. “Every game in our division is a battle, and that was evident as playoff seeding came down to the final few games. We know the Hitmen will be prepared, but our group is determined, and regardless of who we play, the ‘Wilkes Wagon’ will be going full steam ahead.”

Offensive leaders for the Knights include one of last year’s prime movers in Jason DiMatteo. He rejoined the Knights in January and posted a 13-10-23 line in 12 games to close out the regular season. Tyler Hamlin was the wire-to-wire offensive leader this year, with 42 points in 42 games, while William Prange was always strong with 36 points in 37 games. In goal, the Knights got a great year out of Elite veteran Chase Ebeyer (10-4-0-1, .917 save percentage), while Andrew Zang has been spectacular in his nine games with a 7-1-0-0 record and a .949 save percentage.

The Hitmen are led offensively by Patrick Devaney (58 points in 42 games) and Aleksandr Gorbushin (40 points in 36 games), along with a later infusion of offense from December signee Lucas Infusino (23 points in 12 games). Christopher Kobayashi led the defense with 28 points in 40 games. In net, Jonathan Hager (11 wins) and Thomas Tedeschi (eight wins) mostly split the starts on the year.

Limited March regular season games were also taken into statistical account.

Selection Process: The league media office sends top candidates to divisional coaches for review and coaches either approve or challenge the nominations.

Summaries By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

Forward: Vincent Faggioli-Delong, Florida Jr. Blades

A homegrown player out of the Jr. Blades youth program, Faggioli-Delong (‘06/Fort Myers, Fla.) was absolutely on fire towards the end of the season. He scored nine goals and five assists for 14 points in seven games, averaging 2.0 points per game. That was nearly half of his season output, as he came across the regular season finish line with 32 points in 39 Elite games. He also saw two Premier games during the month of February, so it would appear he’s definitely in the Premier Jr. Blades plans for the future. He co-led the Jr. Blades in plus-minus in February with a +9, and he outright led the Jr. Blades last month with 74 wins in the faceoff circle, which gave him a 69 percent success rate.

Forward: Mookie Killen, Tampa Bay Juniors

Continuing the local theme, the ‘06 from Tampa and Steinbrenner High Killen was absolutely killing it offensively during the month, posting six goals and seven assists for 13 points in just six games. He helped the Juniors close out the season as the Florida Division champions and the top seed in the division heading into this weekend’s playoffs in Fort Myers. They’ll be facing Faggioli-Delong’s Jr. Blades. Killen, a former Tampa Crunch 16U player, closed the regular season with 40 points in 37 games to rank him fourth in team scoring.

Forward: Dylan Hineman, Tampa Bay Juniors

And then we have Killen’s Steinbrenner High and former Tampa Crunch teammate Hineman, another ‘06 from Tampa, who led the Juniors in scoring for 2023-24 with 54 points in 41 games. His February output was five goals and nine assists for 14 points in seven games. Also during February, he finished as the co-leader in plus-minus (+13) and hits (eight). He was also aces in the faceoff circle, claiming 74 victories for a 61 percent success rate on the month.

Defense: Jacob Munkwitz, Tampa Bay Juniors

Munkwitz (‘04/Smithtown, N.Y.) finished fourth in defenseman scoring in the USPHL Elite this year, coming across the regular season finish line with 41 points in 40 games, and was a huge find for the Juniors after several Midget and two USPHL Premier seasons with the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders prior to this year. During February, Munkwitz put up a 3-8-11 line in eight games. He was the TBJ leader in blocked shots last month with nine, he was a co-leader in hits (eight) – tied with Hineman, and he led the Juniors in average ice time in February with 21:22 per game.

Defense: Reid Wilson, Florida Eels

In his second Elite season, Wilson (‘04/Lacombe, Alb.) put up 17 points in 41 games after registering eight points as a rookie in 2022-23. He hopes to be able to return to the USPHL Nationals, after playing there last year. The Eels are moving on to play the Atlanta MadHatters this weekend. Wilson put up six assists in seven games, and was second on the Eels in hits in February with six.

Goaltender: Ethan Carlone, Tampa Bay Juniors

Carlone (‘04/Tecumseh, Ont.) finished his second USPHL Elite season with a record of 11-3-0-1, with a 2.30 goals against average and a .924 save percentage. He stopped 144 of 152 shots in February, playing 302 minutes and going 3-2-0-0 during the month with a .929 save percentage. Carlone was a Southeast Division Elite All-Star last year and is hoping to make his Nationals debut if he can help the Juniors past the Jr. Blades this coming weekend.

Summaries By Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com

Selection Process: The league media office sends top candidates to divisional coaches for review and coaches either approve or challenge the nominations.

Forward: Rocco Bifano, Chicago Cougars

Bifano (‘03/Chicago, Ill.) came in as a second-year junior player and had a fantastic output in terms of registering 52 points in 41 games, an immense improvement on his nine points from his previous junior season. During February, Bifano scored nine goals and added 14 assists for 23 points in 13 games, registering points in all but one game last month. He finished the regular season on a nine-game point streak.

Forward: Lukas Kurowski, Chicago Cougars

Kurowski (‘05/Elk Grove Village, Ill.) finished on an eight-game scoring streak of his own as part of a 17-point month of February. He scored nine goals and added eight assists in 10 games, helping him to a total of 46 points in 36 games in his first junior season. Additionally, he was called up for four games with the Premier Cougars between Jan. 31 – when he scored his first Premier goal – and Feb. 9. Kurowski is a local product of the Northwest Chargers that plays out of Mount Prospect, Ill.

Forward: Peter Spiridonakos, Metro Jets

Spiridonakos (‘05/Laval, Que.) finished third in USPHL Elite scoring with 83 points in 38 Elite games this year, which included a run of 5-11-16 in his nine games of February. The Spiridonakos twins – Peter and John, who scored 64 points to also place in the Elite Top 10 – were huge pickups for the Jets in 2024-25 and they’re expected to be a key part of their push to earn their first-ever Elite Nationals berth. Peter got call-ups to play in 10 Premier games this year, nine with the MJDP – in which he scored five points – and one with the Metro Jets in January.

Defense: Jack Gardner, Chicago Cougars

Gardner put up a fantastic first junior season as an ‘06 blueliner, as he registered 31 points in 38 games during this season. He finished with a 3-9-12 line in February’s 13 games. Gardner also ended up being one of the leaders in the postseason by scoring four points in the three-game series against the ultimately victorious Fort Wayne Spacemen, including the OT game-winner in Game 2 of the series. Gardner is poised for a very bright junior future.

Defense: Isaac Bunk, Motor City Gamblers

Another exciting ‘06 prospect for future junior seasons, Bunk (Leonard, Mich.) was a great contributor all year for the first-year Gamblers Elite squad, putting up 24 points 38 games. He also got seven games up with the Premier Gamblers, and registered seven assists in games as recent as late January, so this may very well be his only Elite year. Like his Cougars counterpart Gardner, Bunk was also among the leading scorers in his team’s postseason series, scoring three points in two games against the Decatur Blaze, who won the series.

Goaltender: Johnny Augusta, Chicago Crush

Augusta (‘04/Medinah, Ill.) stood tall during his 200 minutes of action in February, winning all three starts by making 87 saves on 91 shots. This included 25 saves in his first junior shutout on Feb. 17 against Decatur. His February save percentage of .956 and goals against average of 1.20 GAA, both contributed to season-long numbers of 2.27 and .924 that put him into the top 15 of all Elite goalies. The Crush will face the Fort Wayne Spacemen this weekend for one of the two USPHL Elite National Championships berths from the Midwest Division.

Summaries By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

Selection Process: The league media office sends top candidates to divisional coaches for review and coaches either approve or challenge the nominations.

Forward: Spencer Barrow, Charlotte Rush

Barrow (‘04/Massapequa, N.Y.) appears to fully be in the plans for the Rush’s Premier team going forward, having played in 13 games at that level and put up four points. After all, there’s little more he needs to prove in the Elite after posting 51 points in just 28 games this season. During the month of February, he scored five goals and added six assists for 11 points, adding to an Elite career total of 99 points in 67 games. He is now ready to take his talents to the playoff stage in hopes of returning to the USPHL Nationals with the Rush.

Forward: Noah Ribeiro, Potomac Patriots

Ribeiro (‘05/Montreal, Que.) completed a fantastic first junior season coming out of the Washington Little Capitals AAA program. This year, he registered 72 points in 37 games, good for the best single season points output in Patriots Elite history. His February contribution to that total was 11 points off of a 3-8-11 line in six games. This was part of a nine-game streak of 18 points, over which he had multiple points in eight of those nine going back to Jan. 14. He led the Patriots in ice time in February at 23:55, and also led in hits (six, tied) and was first among Patriots forwards in blocked shots (five).

Forward: Luke Moses, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

Moses (‘03/Fort Bragg, N.C.) is getting ready for the 2024 playoffs with the goal and intention of repeating as 2024 National Champions, of which he was a key part to close the 2022-23 season. Moses led the Jr. Canes this year in scoring with 51 points in 33 games. He put up a 5-5-10 line in six games during February to contribute to that accomplishment. His 107 points in 104 games is the second highest total in Jr. Canes Elite history, and he’s also gotten a chance to play four Premier games during his career. He led all Jr. Canes forwards in February ice time time with 20:20 and he was also the plus-minus leader for the team at +7 last month.

Defense: Isaac McGregor, Charlotte Rush

McGregor (‘04/Toronto, Ont.) first joined the Rush in 2021-22 and now ranks in the top 10 all-time for games played with 96, over which he’s posted 39 points from the blue line. He closed the month of February with a total of three goals and seven assists for 10 points in eight games, towards a season-ending total of 24 points in 25 games, which is more than his first two seasons’ points output of 15 points combined. McGregor skated for a team-high 24:51 per game on average in February, and he also led in plus-minus at +8.

Defense: Kirill Golubev, Potomac Patriots

Golubev (‘07/Kostroma, Russia) completed what can only be described as a majestic first North American season. He posted 56 points in 34 games, a points total that is tied for second all-time highest in the USPHL Elite. On top of that, he was also named to the NCDC Young Guns Game, a showcase for prospects for that Tier II Conference, and he scored the first goal of the game on Boston University’s NCAA home ice. He ended his season with a 4-3-7 line in his final five games of the regular season, as the Patriots hope to make their Nationals debut with a playoff win. Potomac will face perennial Nationals qualifiers the Charlotte Rush this weekend.

Goaltender: Jean Berthaudin, Hampton Roads Whalers

Berthaudin (‘03/St-Rose-Du-Lac, Man.) made his own bit of history by setting both the single season and career record for Elite shutouts in 2023-24. He registered eight, with his eighth coming on Feb. 24, when he stopped all 30 shots he faced from the Columbia Infantry. He had actually set the record the first time with his seventh shutout on Jan. 14. For February, Berthaudin went 2-1-1-1 with 225 saves on 238 shots for a .945 save percentage. For the season, the numbers were 14-7-1-1, also with a .948 save percentage.

Summaries By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

Selection Process: The league media office sends statistical leaders to divisional coaches for review and coaches either approve or challenge the nominations.

Forward: Jace Lombardo, Rockets Hockey Club

One of two Rockets players to put their stamp on the USPHL Elite for future seasons, Lombardo (‘04/Staten Island, N.Y.) rode a nine-goal, 23-assist, 32-point February and early March into the Top 5 all-time in the USPHL Elite. The two-year Rockets forward put up 59 goals and 88 assists for 147 points in 72 games, good for a 2.04 career point per game average. This season, Lombardo was the only player in the Elite to register two scoring streaks of at least 14 games and he finished with 113 points on the season.

Forward: John Crowdell, Rockets Hockey Club

Speaking of history, this ‘03 from Staten Island broke the all-time career scoring record for the USPHL Elite on Feb. 9 at the Northern Cyclones Showcase against the Springfield Pics. He put an exclamation point on that by scoring a hat trick and adding an assist in that game. By the time the season ended in early March, Crowdell put up a run of 24 points (12-12-24) in his final 10 games en route to his current record of 191 points in 87 games. This season alone, he finished with 108 points, second only to Lombardo’s record single season mark.

Forward: Tyler Hamlin, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

Hamlin (‘05/Binghamton, N.Y.) was a huge difference-maker for the Knights, who finished first in the Elite Atlantic Division for the third straight season, i.e. their entire existence in the Elite Conference. A rookie junior player, Hamlin shot right to the top of the Knights scoring leaderboard with a point-per-game performance for the season with 42 points in 42 games. He finished February with nine goals and seven assists for 16 points, which was part of a season-ending 12-game streak of 17 goals and eight assists for 25 points.

Defense: Peter Allen, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders

With last year’s Atlantic Division representatives at Nationals playing each other, the Jr. Islanders have a chance to qualify for their first “big dance” this weekend against an obviously potent Rockets Hockey Club. In order to make it, their leaders will have to be just that on the ice, as Allen has been all season. The ‘06 from Oceanside, N.Y., is a career Jr. Islander who more than doubled his 2022-23 points output in the Elite this season by putting up 37 points in 41 games. That put him into the top 10 of Elite defenseman scoring for an individual and team first. In February, he closed with a goal and five assists for six points.

Defense: Page Jones, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

Jones (‘04/Los Angeles, Calif.) played 22 games with the Elite Knights this year, while also getting eight games up with the Premier Knights, with six of those coming in January and February. During the month of February, Jones put up a 2-3-5 line in six games for the Knights, which helped them ride a 10-game winning streak to the end of the season and seal up that No. 1 seed in the division. In his 22 games, Jones put up 11 points and he added a 1-1-2 line in his eight Premier outings.

Goaltender: Andrew Zang, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

Zang (‘04/Carrollton, Texas) was a big driving force for that 10-game Knights winning streak, by earning four victories of his own in a 4-0 run, including an amazing shutout of 45 saves against the Jersey Hitmen – the same team they’re facing in the USPHL Elite Atlantic Division playoffs this weekend. He also stopped 54 of 55 in his second game of sweeping the Northern Cyclones, one of two Elite teams already booked for the USPHL Nationals. For the month, he stopped 163 of 173 shots for a .942 save percentage. His season record was 7-1-0-0 with a .949 save percentage.

Summaries By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

Selection Process: The league media office sends statistical leaders to divisional coaches for review and coaches either approve or challenge the nominations.

Forward: Josh Bruno, Northern Cyclones

Bruno (‘04/Glendora, Calif.) was on a goal-per-game tear to end the regular season for the USPHL Nationals-bound Northern Cyclones. He put up nine goals in nine games and added 12 assists for 21 points, good for a 2.33 points per game average. After putting up 68 points in 42 games last year, he came back with 63 points in just 33 games this year, and he also skated up in five Premier games early in the season. Bruno finished the regular season with a 13-game point streak of 15-15-30.

Forward: Noah Malcolm, Northern Cyclones

Malcolm (‘03/Londonderry, N.H.) has been right there alongside Bruno as leading the Cyclones all year, and leading them right back to Utica, N.Y., to try to win a National Championship. He put up 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in nine games for a 2.22 points per game average. He finished the regular season with 17 goals and 36 points in a 17-game point streak.

He totaled 69 points in 42 games this year, finishing seventh in league scoring and 1-2 in Cyclones scoring with Bruno. Malcolm also cleared the 100-point career mark during February, finishing his Elite regular season career with 108 points.

Forward: Bogdan Guntypov, Islanders Hockey Club

Guntypov (‘06/Astana, Kazakhstan) was a breakout star for the Islanders this year, showing great promise to move up in the ranks in future seasons. He scored 26 goals and 60 points in 41 games this season, and that is inclusive of scoring seven goals and eight assists for 15 points in eight games of February. Guntypov saw two Premier games over the year, one in January and the more recent on Feb. 25. He helped the Islanders to a return USPHL Nationals trip.

Defense: Matthew Taylor, Northern Cyclones

The ‘05 out of Wake Forest, N.C., continues to be really the all-around leader for the Cyclones. Offensively, he put up four goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 10 games. He helped the Cyclones keep their goals against to three goals or less down the stretch in their final four regular season games, before shutting out the Boston Junior Bruins in two playoff games. He finished the season as the second leading scorer among Elite defensemen with 54 points in 42 games. He also played in two USPHL Premier games.

Defense: Justin Pniewski, Islanders Hockey Club

Along with the Cyclones, the Islanders are also bound for the National Championships in Utica for another season, their fourth straight trip. Pniewski (‘04/North Haven, Conn.) finished his second season with a 5-6-11 line, which brought him up to 12 goals and 28 points for the season in 41 games, very close to the 30 points he put up in his first year with the Islanders last year.

Goaltender: Shane McKone, Springfield Pics

McKone (‘05/Scotia-Glenville, N.Y.) has been one of the strongest goaltenders all year, and helped the Pics to have a four-goalie average of .925 in save percentage during the regular season. During February, he stopped 186 of 200 shots in 269 minutes of action for a .930 save percentage. He started February with 30 saves against Elmira, and also had strong performances against Somang Hockey (43 saves on 44 shots) and put up 45 saves on 48 shots later in the month. Outside the scope of February Players Of The Month, he was dynamite in the postseason, especially in Game 2 when he stopped 55 of 56 Islanders shots in an eventual 1-0 Islanders Hockey Club victory to close the series. In the two games, he stopped 123 of 126 shots for a .976 save percentage.

New England Division

Springfield Pics (3) at Islanders Hockey Club (2)

Saturday, March 2, 1:40 p.m. EST, Skate 3 Rink, Tyngsboro, MA

Sunday, March 3, 4:40 p.m. EST, Skate 3 Rink, Tyngsboro, MA

Monday, March 4, 12 p.m. EST, Gallant Arena (If Necessary)

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

The Islanders Hockey Club USPHL Elite program has come a long way this decade. Flashing back to 2019-20, the IHC did not actually field an Elite team that year, but they came back with a vengeance in 2020-21, ranking third in the entire Elite and making their first Nationals trip since the inaugural Elite season of 2017-18. They’ve made it back every season since and they have no intention of breaking that streak here in 2024.

For the Springfield Pics, fate was not kind in their one opportunity to reach Nationals. They went 2-0 in the 2020 playoffs, but all around them in March 2020, the world was shutting down due to COVID-19. That wave of cancellations hit the 2020 Nationals and they would not get their chance to prove their mettle. They were close again in 2022, but fell in overtime twice to the Islanders Hockey Club, the same team they’ll open up the playoffs against today in North Andover, Mass.

“I thought our matchups with the islanders were tough and hard-fought, even though they got the best of us during the regular season with us only taking one game against the Islanders,” said Head Coach Chris Beaudoin over this past week. “We are preparing just like we would any other day – practicing hard, battling and cleaning some little details up, getting ready for a very tough playoff series against a tough opponent.”

These games – either two or three of them – will see a continuation of a series that the Pics ended the regular season with. They fell on Feb. 19 and 21 to the Islanders, 3-2 and 4-1. That gave the Islanders a 7-1-0-0 season series victory. It was Jan. 13 when the Pics defeated the IHC, 3-1. Three other games were decided by one goal in favor of the Islanders this year, including that 3-2 IHC victory on Feb. 19.

“Every game we’ve played with the Pics this year has been a battle to the end,” said Kevin Smith, Head Coach for the Islanders. “They’ve been very even games where the winning team gets a bounce here or there. I expect the playoff series to be the same. We know the Pics compete hard and we’re going to need to play extremely well in all phases of the game in order to earn the right to move on.”

Moving on from the series would mean earning a berth at the USPHL Nationals – it just takes two wins in the four-team New England Division to get there, and both teams know that full well.

The Islanders come in with some serious firepower, as Bogdan Guntypov (60 points) and Adam Hadi (53) were both top 20 scorers this year. With 47 points in 44 games, Eamon Navin was also operating at better than a point per game average. Justin Pniewski (28 points) led the defensive corps in points, and in goal, Tagger Tamburo tied for the league lead in wins with 15 with the Florida Eels’ Nate Haas. He also finished in the top 10 for both goals against average (1.95) and save percentage (.928). Jack Munini provided depth with eight wins and a save percentage of .919.

Goaltending has been strong all season for the Pics, as well. Shane McKone finished third in the league at .939. Jacob Croteau finished at .927, Mateo Lachance came in at .915 and Dylan Cash Haines finished with a .911 mark, giving the Pics an average save percentage of .925.

Offensively, the team is led by Cole Davis (47 points), Joseph Roselli (32 points) and Simon Higgins (31 points), and on the back end James Delaney (21 points) has earned league accolades multiple times this season.