#USPHLNationals Elite Team Preview: Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

by Joshua Boyd

March 14, 2023March 14, 2023

By Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com Carolina Jr. Hurricanes Southeast #1 Seed Nationals Round Robin Schedule (All games at Utica University Nexus Center, Utica N.Y.) All times EST Thursday, March 23, vs. Tampa Bay Juniors, 5 p.m. Friday, March 24, vs. Islanders Hockey Club, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 25, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights, 5 p.m. The […]

#USPHLNationals Elite Team Preview: Northern Cyclones

by Joshua Boyd

March 14, 2023March 14, 2023

By Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com Northern Cyclones North #1 Seed Nationals Round Robin Schedule (All games at Utica University Nexus Center, Utica N.Y.) All times EST Thursday, March 23 vs. Charlotte Rush, 2:30 p.m. Friday, March 24, vs. Jersey Hitmen, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 25, vs. Florida Eels, 2:30 p.m. The Cyclones experienced […]

USPHL Nationals Field Is Set For Elite Conference, Event Set For Utica March 23-27

by Joshua Boyd

March 13, 2023March 14, 2023

Please Note the Nationals Schedule For The Seeding Round Will Be Announced By The Dan K Show on the USPHL YouTube page on Wednesday, March 15, at 12 p.m. After that point, the schedule will also be aavailable at USPHLElite.com. Best of luck to all the teams and keep checking USPHLElite.com right up through March […]

#USPHLPlayoffs Series Preview: Tampa Bay Juniors vs. Palm Beach Typhoon

by Joshua Boyd

March 11, 2023

By Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com Florida Division Tampa Bay Juniors (2) vs. Palm Beach Typhoon (3) All games at Fort Myers Skatium Tampa Bay is home team for Games 1 and 3, Palm Beach is home for Game 2 Game 1: Saturday, March 11, 1 p.m. EST Game 2: Sunday, March 12, 1 p.m. EST […]

#USPHLPlayoffs Series Preview: Charlotte Rush vs. Potomac Patriots

by Joshua Boyd

March 11, 2023March 11, 2023

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Southeast Division All games to be played at Pineville Ice House Potomac Patriots (2) vs. Charlotte Rush (3) Patriots will be home team in Games 1 and 3; Rush will be home in Game 2 Game 1: Saturday, March 11, 11:30 a.m. EST Game 2: Sunday, March 12, 11:30 a.m. […]

#USPHLPlayoffs Series Preview: Florida Eels vs. Atlanta MadHatters

by Joshua Boyd

March 10, 2023March 10, 2023

#USPHLPlayoffs Series Preview: Florida Eels vs. Atlanta MadHatters By Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com Florida Division Preview Florida Eels (1) vs. Atlanta MadHatters (2) All Games at Fort Myers Skatium Eels are home team for Games 1 and 3; MadHatters are home for Game 2 Game 1: Saturday, March 11, 10 a.m. EST Game […]

#USPHLPlayoffs Series Preview: Jersey Hitmen vs. New York Aviators

by Joshua Boyd

March 10, 2023March 10, 2023

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Mid-Atlantic Division Jersey Hitmen (2) vs. New York Aviators (3) All games at Ice Vault, Wayne, N.J. Game 1: Friday, March 10, 8:45 p.m. EST Game 2: Saturday, March 11, 7:30 p.m. EST Game 3: Sunday, March 12, 5:30 p.m. EST (if necessary) It’s Northern New Jersey vs. […]

#USPHLPlayoffs Series Preview: Carolina Jr. Hurricanes vs. Richmond Generals

by Joshua Boyd

March 10, 2023March 10, 2023

By Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com Southeast Division Carolina Jr. Hurricanes (1) vs. Richmond Generals (4) All games at Pineville Ice House, Charlotte Carolina is home team for Games 1 and 3; Richmond home for Game 2 Game 1: Saturday, March 11, 8:30 a.m. EST Game 2: Sunday, March 12, 8:30 a.m. EST Game 3: […]

#USPHLPlayoffs Series Preview: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights vs. Rockets Hockey Club

by Joshua Boyd

March 10, 2023March 10, 2023

By Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com Mid-Atlantic Division Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights (1) vs. Rockets Hockey Club (4) All games played at Revolution Ice Centre Game 1: Friday, March 10, 12 p.m. EST Game 2: Saturday, March 11, 1 p.m. EST Game 3: Sunday, March 12, 4:30 p.m. EST (if necessary) The USPHL Elite’s top dog, the […]

#USPHLPlayoffs Series Preview: Islanders Hockey Club vs. Bridgewater Bandits

by Joshua Boyd

March 8, 2023March 8, 2023

By Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com USPHL Elite Conference North Division Islanders Hockey Club (2) vs. Bridgewater Bandits (3) All games at Gallant Arena Wednesday, March 8, 12 p.m. Thursday, March 9, 12 p.m. Friday, March 10, 9:30 a.m. (if necessary) Two USPHL Elite teams will enter Gallant Arena on Wednesday, but only one will […]

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.

Midwest Division

Chicago Cougars (5) at Fort Wayne Spacemen (4)

All Games at SportONE/Parkview Icehouse, Fort Wayne, IN

Friday, March 1, 8:30 p.m. EST

Saturday, March 2, 7:30 p.m. EST

Sunday, March 3, 11 a.m. EST (If Necessary)

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

When the Spacemen and Cougars take the ice on Friday night, they will be among all of the Midwest Division teams who are seeking to become the division’s first-ever pair of USPHL Nationals representatives from the new division. It’s nice to make history – but it’s more important and fun to just win a hockey game, so that’s really always the focus when the puck hits the ice on opening faceoff.

The Spacemen closed Year 1 in the Elite with a 22-16-3-3 record, while the Cougars came across at 23-18-2-1 record, exactly one point back (50-49 points). To boot, the Cougars actually won the series decisively 6-2-1-0, and Fort Wayne’s record was 3-3-1-2. Five of their match-ups were one-goal games, two were two-goal decisions and only one was decided by the high of three goals. This one will be razor-tight.

“We are focusing on the details of our game. We understand this is going to be a tightly played series and we want our game to be buttoned up heading into this weekend,” said Spacemen Head Coach Cam Wirick earlier this week. “I think both teams match up very well in this series. Four games went to overtime or a shootout between us this year. We matched up well with the Cougars this season and we are excited for the series.”

“The team is excited for the opportunity to be playing in the playoffs and looking forward to the challenges ahead,” added Cougars Head Coach David Heflin. “The Midwest has proven to be a very leveled division with highly competitive matchups, including the nine between us and Fort Wayne. The difference in previous results with them have merely been decided by a good or bad bounce because the games were so tight. And then to add that into a playoff atmosphere, it should provide for some exciting hockey games this weekend.”

The Cougars have some serious scoring depth that has helped them so far. Rocco Bifano led the way this year with 52 points in 41 games, followed by a strong group of ‘05 and ‘06 players who could be the future of the Premier Cougars: ‘05’s Lukas Kurowski (46 points in 36 games) and Joshua Roman (35 points in 34 games), and ‘06’s Andrew Engstrom (39 points) and Mark Shibalov (35 points). Jack Gardner led the D corps with 31 points in 39 games. In the crease, Jared Ablack was the leader in save percentage at .915 among a trio of goaltenders with 14 games minimum apiece with John Dillard and Filip Kaczmarczyk.

The Spacemen feature a red-hot forward in Danylo Shpak, who finished with 24 points in 27 games, including 11 in his last five. Oleksandr Zinoviev has also been a strong presence with 30 points in 41 games. Landyn Ringenberg (27 points) and Rhys Vincill (23 points) have also contributed offense from the blue line. The Spacemen have been deep in goaltending, playing all four of their goaltenders – Justin Mackley, Brendan Kusbel, Ryan Tolbert and Andrew Baumert – over the last couple weekends of their regular season. Kusbel and Tolbert tied for the team led in wins (seven apiece).

Midwest East Division

Battle Creek Kernels (6) vs. Chicago Crush (3)

All Games At Addison Ice Arena Olympic Rink

Friday, March 1, 7:30 p.m. CST

Saturday, March 2, 4:10 p.m. CST

Sunday, March 3, 8:05 p.m. CST (If Necessary)

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com

The Chicago Crush have progressed quickly in two seasons, to the point where they are already able to host a playoff series. The Crush rose up from fifth in their inaugural 2022-23 season to third here in 2023-24. The Crush went 25-15-3-1 for their first winning season as well. They will take on another team that saw its first year in 2022-23, the Battle Creek Kernels.

The Kernels saw a slight increase in points year over year, so these are two new USPHL Premier teams looking to make their mark. One or the other will come out of this weekend two wins away from a USPHL Nationals berth.

“Season records are just numbers on paper, and in playoff hockey, it’s a whole new game,” said Crush GM/Head Coach Steve Maltais, a well-known name in Chicago hockey circles – he was the 11-year Captain of the AHL Chicago Wolves. “We’ve had success against the Kernels in the regular season, but that means nothing now. In the playoffs, every team is hungry, and the Battle Creek Kernels will fight tooth and nail. We won’t rest on our laurels – it’s time for the Chicago Crush to elevate our game.”

“We are playing some of our best hockey of the year right now,” said Kernels Owner/GM/Head Coach Triston Jensen. “Goaltending has been stellar, we’re finding ways to score and we’re locking down our defensive zone. All the games with the Crush have been close. I am excited to see what this series will bring.”

The Crush went 4-0 against the Kernels this year, quite a feat when you see that every game was decided by either two goals or one. Maltais knows that his team needs to be ready for a close game – and they need to give that extra mile needed in the playoffs to come out on top of such games.

“From the first shift to the last, it’s about giving 110 percent,” said Maltais. “The Kernels won’t make it easy, so every player on the bench needs to be ready to lay it all out on the ice. In the playoffs, it’s do or die, and we’re aiming to advance to the next round with everything we’ve got.”

Up front, the Crush were powered by scoring leader Caden Day, a local product of the West Dundee Leafs who put up a 26-26-52 line in playing all 44 games. Next up was second-year Crush veteran Nick Zehelein, who had 35 points in 42 games, and second-year Premier player Ryan Hammer produced 34 points in 41 games. Day was the plus-minus leader at +15 (and he also led in hits with 59), and second-year blueliner Jonathan Wood blocked 83 shots, 36 more than his closest teammate.

For Battle Creek, the second-year forwards Ryan Jaros and Connor Hasse not only went 1-2 in scoring this year, they’re also tops for the Kernels in their short franchise history. Jaros finished with 53 points in 42 games, and Hasse went point-per-game with 44 points in 44 games. They have 71 and 70 points, respectively, over two regular seasons. Second-year defenseman Caleb Dunuroglu was the plus-minus leader with a +3, though he was only able to get into 15 games this year. Hasse won an amazing 544 faceoffs this year (52 percent), and Hasse also led in blocked shots with 74.

Premier veteran Sebastien Wigfield led the way in net for Battle Creek, making 24 appearances and racking up a very impressive .927 save percentage. The most frequent crease visitor for the Crush was another Premier veteran in Jack Sundhall, who went 17-7-2-1 with a .923 save percentage.

Boston Junior Bruins (4) at Northern Cyclones (1)

All Games To Be Played At Cyclones Arena, Hudson, NH

Friday, March 1, 4 p.m.

Saturday, March 2, 4 p.m.

Sunday, March 3, 1 p.m. (If Necessary)

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

The Northern Cyclones cannot fathom a world in which they don’t make a trip to the USPHL Nationals. The Cyclones missed making the mark for the first Elite Nationals in 2018, but they’ve qualified every year since, earning five berths in a row between 2019 and 2023. They know they have to win at least two games to get there every year, so they go into the divisional playoffs focused on the now, but knowing anything less than a Nationals berth is not acceptable in Hudson, N.H.

“I think simply put we have one team standing in the way of us and the National Tournament,” said Head Coach Tim Plummer. “The guys are taking each day of practice to prepare and make sure we are ready to do whatever it takes to move on. We understand nothing comes easy this time of year, so we are ready to face whatever sort of adversity is thrown our way to complete the task and move on to the National Tournament.”

The Boston Junior Bruins would obviously love to pull off a huge upset. The Cyclones have won the division twice in a row, and that’s coming off a trip to the 2022 national final, where they fell to the former Richmond Generals. In their season series, the Cyclones went 7-0-1-0. The sole blip was a 2-1 OT win for the Junior Bruins on Nov. 12. Their other games were all decided by four goals or more, so Junior Bruins head coach Dan Pelletier knows they will have their hands full.

“Obviously, our work is cut out for us. We know how good the Cyclones are. I can’t promise that we’ll beat them, but we’re going to do our best to make it interesting,” said Pelletier.

The Cyclones’ Noah Malcolm finished in the top 10 of scoring this season, with a 34-36-69 line, and Josh Bruno was right outside the Top 10 with 63 points. Third in scoring for the Cyclones was defenseman Matthew Taylor, who put up a 54-point total in 42 games, which ranked him second overall in the league. Also defensively, the Cyclones were No. 2 among full-time Elite members in goals against per game (2.07) and shots against per game (23.64). They were also offensively potent in putting up the second most shots on their opponents’ goals with 46.89, almost exactly twice the amount of shots they surrender on average. Later arrival Austin Larson (14 points) and Adam Kulick (47 points) also topped a point-per-game this year.

On the Junior Bruins side, forward Hunter Couture and defenseman Andrew Chandler lead the team with 13 points apiece. In goal, Jason Conlan set the USPHL Elite single season record for saves with 1,229, an average of 37.2 per game over his 33 games this year.

The Cyclones utilized a three-goalie approach that worked wonders. Nick Cowles, Vincent Arata and Michael Anstey each played a minimum of 12 games this year. Cowles and Arata each made the top five league-wide in goals against average, with Cowles leading at 1.48 and Arata at 1.73. Cowles finished seventh in save percentage at .931.

Decatur Blaze (6) at Motor City Gamblers (3)

All Games At Big Boy Arena

Friday, March 1, 2:30 p.m. EST

Saturday, March 2, 7:30 p.m. EST

Sunday, March 3, 12 p.m. EST (If Necessary)

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

Welcome to the first-ever USPHL Elite Midwest Division playoffs, and the Motor City Gamblers and Decatur Blaze will be the first two Midwest Elite teams to hit the ice to eventually decide which two out of six division teams will qualify for the 2024 USPHL Nationals in Utica, N.Y.

The two teams set to hit the ice at 2:30 p.m. had very different seasons. The Gamblers finished only six points short of second place, which earned the No. 2 team the Chicago Crush a first round bye. The Blaze struggled in Year 1 of their Elite program, winning a single game. However, they also pushed the No. 1 team in the division, the Metro Jets, to an overtime as recently as Feb. 3, falling 3-2. Blaze Head Coach Justin Cohn is excited to start essentially from a blank slate for the playoffs.

“I expect a great, hard and physical series. It’s going to come down to who wants to work harder. Motor City is a great program and has gotten the better of us all year long,” said Cohn. “They are a team that will compete and outwork their opponent. We are coming in with the mindset that’s it a fresh start and we are 0-0. We have a great chance if we compete and win the effort battle.”

The Gamblers won all seven of their games against the Blaze this year, the closest being by a margin of six goals. Nevertheless, he knows that the Blaze will come out with that “new season” mentality and do everything they can to make life tough for the Gamblers.

“We are excited to have our Elite team participate in the division’s first playoffs,” said Gamblers Head Coach Logan Wilt. “We have had two successful series against Decatur this season so far and are looking to have a third. They have made some big roster moves since we have seen them last, so we must be prepared to face those changes.”

Some of the Gamblers players have been among the Elite Division’s top performers. Trevor Touchton’s 59 points in 41 games ranked him in the top 15 of all Elite players this year. Among Elite blueliners, ‘06 standout Jack Squire was third in scoring with 45 points in 40 games, and Carter Schluckbier’s 35 points in 44 games ranked ninth. Mark Bonnay (45 points) and Nick Allen (41 points) were also among a crowd of seven racking up over a point per game.

Gavin Meisner’s 14 points led the way for the Decatur Blaze, who faced struggles generating offense during the season. Morgan Heck was most frequently in net for Decatur this year, and had a personal highlight in stopping 59 of 62 shots in their 3-2 OT loss to Metro on Feb. 3.

Braedyn Sullivan and Trevor Houle had nearly identical time in net during this season, with the ‘07 Sullivan putting up an 8-3-0-0 record with a .921 save percentage to lead the team, statistically.

By USPHL Staff

In The Playoff Push, we will take a look at the busiest game days’ most integral games in regards to teams clinching playoffs or clinching specific playoff berths, as we head down the stretch toward the end of the regular season in March.

USPHL Premier

1 game today, 5 remaining in total

Midwest West Division: The Mullets looked just about to jump up to clinch seventh but fell by one goal in the end to the Minnesota Squatch. The Mullets (No. 8) will thus visit the top-seeded Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings, and the Squatch (No. 2) will host Isanti (No. 7). Additionally, Hudson (No. 3) will host Steele County (No. 6) and the Minnesota Blue Ox (No. 4) will host the Minnesota Moose (No. 5).

Florida is now set as well. Bold City (No. 1) will be the home team against Atlanta (No. 4) and the Florida Eels (No. 2) will host Tampa (No. 3). All these games will be played at the Fort Myers Skatium beginning March 9.

Atlantic Division: Hershey defeated the Hitmen in a come-from-behind effort to finish third. The Cubs will host the Rockets in the playoffs.

P.A.L. (No. 4) and Elmira (No. 5) both finish with 53 points. P.A.L. holds the head-to-head in points, 6-3, so the Impact is off to Long Island.

There is nothing riding on the only Monday Premier game, as Charlotte (No. 2) will face Hampton Roads (No. 4) in a Southeast Division bragging rights match-up. Charlotte is already set to face Carolina in the playoffs, and Hampton Roads will be the away team against top-seeded Potomac. Those playoff series will all be held in Charlotte beginning March 9.

USPHL Elite

2 games today, 8 remaining in total

The Atlantic is still not settled, but the picture is clearer. Wilkes-Barre Scranton finished first overall. They will host the Hitmen.

The P.A.L. Jr. Islanders (No. 2) and the Rockets Hockey Club (No. 3) will play each other in the playoffs. The Rockets defeated P.A.L. yesterday to end PAL’s season. The Rockets hold the tiebreaker – not head-to-head, not most wins, but down to goal differential. Currently 44 to 42. The Rockets need a win on Saturday vs. the Hitmen (No. 4) and on Sunday vs. the Rangers (No. 5). Anything less and they visit P.A.L. instead of hosting the Jr. Islanders.

Those are the only meaningful games, playoff-wise, remaining from the final eight.

The Florida Division is now set: Tampa (No. 1) will host the Jr. Blades (No. 4), and the Florida Eels (No. 2) will host Atlanta (No. 3).

Week of Feb. 25, 2024

Games of Feb. 14-21, 2024

Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

Forward: John Spiridonakos, Metro Jets

Spiridonakos (‘05/Laval, Que.) posted three goals and four assists for seven points as the Jets tied up the first-ever Elite Midwest Division championship. Spiridonakos put up a 36-28-64 line this season.

Defense: Caleb Simpson, Metro Jets

The Jets’ Simpson (‘05/Davison, Mich.) was a big part in the Jets’ three-game sweep of the Chicago Cougars, during which he posted two goals and three assists for five points. He now has 26 points in 42 games.

Goaltender: Johnny Augusta, Chicago Crush

Augusta (‘04/Medinah, Ill.) put up a 25-save shutout for his first USPHL blanking when the Crush defeated the Decatur Blaze on Feb. 17. This helped him to improve to a 9-3-0-1 record with a .924 save percentage.

Week of Feb. 25, 2024

Games of Feb. 14-21, 2024

Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

New England Division

Forward: Adam Hadi, Islanders Hockey Club

Hadi (‘05/Coppell, Texas) put up three goals and four assists for seven points in wins against the Boston Junior Bruins and Springfield Pics to end the Islanders’ regular season as the No. 2 seed in the New England Division. The former Coppell High and Texas Tigers player finished on a four-game goal streak and stood with 53 points in 44 games.

Defense: Owen Kneeland, Northern Cyclones

Kneeland (‘05/Methuen, Mass.) put together a 1-3-4 run in three games against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights and the Springfield Pics. The Cyclones, who are No. 1 in the New England Division, have one final game before their playoff series with the Boston Junior Bruins. Kneeland goes in with 21 points in 38 games at the Elite level, plus one assist in nine games up with the Premier team.

Goaltender: Tagger Tamburo, Islanders Hockey Club

Tamburo (‘04/Phoenix, Ariz.) has racked up four wins in a row, including his most recent to close the regular season. He stopped 27 of 28 against the Springfield Pics on Feb. 21. That gave him a 15-6-2-0 with a 1.95 goals against average and a .928 save percentage.

Atlantic Division

Forward: John Crowdell, Rockets Hockey Club

The all-time leader in USPHL Elite scoring for a career now has also set the single season scoring record with his 106th point, passing former Northern Cyclone Danny Woods’ 105 points set in 2018-19. He did this recently by putting up five goals and four assists for nine points against Connecticut and the Jersey Hitmen. He has improved to 189 points in his 84-game Elite career. He also recently played up with the Premier team and earned his eighth and ninth points in seven games at that level.

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

Allen (‘06/Oceanside, N.Y.) has been one of the Jr. Islanders’ most steady contributors all season long and has helped them to a tie for first place in the Atlantic in the final regular season weekend. He had four assists in the Jr. Islanders’ most recent three-game stretch to improve to 37 points, more than doubling the 18 points he posted as a junior rookie with P.A.L. in 2022-23.

Goaltender: Eric Rosati, Rockets Hockey Club

Rosati (‘05/Mineola, N.Y.) stopped 44 of 46 shots in a 6-2 Rockets victory over the Connecticut Jr. Rangers on Feb. 17, his best performance of the season with his most saves as well. Splitting time between the Rockets 18U AAA program and the USPHL Elite teamt his year, he has five Elite wins.