Games of Feb. 15-21, 2023
Summaries by Joshua Boyd
Florida Division
Forward: Sean Boltin, Palm Beach Typhoon
Boltin (‘05/Chicago, Ill.) registered the first double hat trick, i.e. six-goal game, since Jan. 12, 2021, when the New York Aviators’ Anthony Zebley registered one. Boltin’s came on Feb. 20 against the Florida Jr. Blades – and he added an assist for good measure. Boltin also had a 1-4-5 game against the Florida Eels getting in on every goal in a 5-2 win over the division champion Florida Eels. Boltin has 72 points to rank third in the USPHL Elite scoring race.
Defense: J.J. Diaz, Florida Eels
Diaz (‘03/San Diego, Fla.) put up a goal and an assist over a two-game stretch, and he was also a +3 for the two games. Diaz is in his second season with the Eels, and has 12 points this season, more than doubling the five he posted last season. Overall, he has played in 47 Elite games in his career.
Goaltender: Olivier Dulac, Palm Beach Typhoon
On Feb. 19, Dulac stopped 37 of 39 shots faced from the Eels for the victory, in the same game where teammate Sean Boltin scored the first six-goal game in more than two years. Dulac has nine wins on the year and a .905 save percentage.
Southeast Division
Forward: Brayden Strong, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes
Strong (‘04/Wake Forest, N.C.) is a career Jr. Cane who had a fantastic couple games, with a 4-2-6 line in Carolina’s sweep of the Richmond Generals. He had a four-goal game on Feb. 18 and then added two more assists on the back end of the two-game series. Strong has a line of 18-44-62 in just 37 games this year.
Defense: Daniel Garcia Ortiz, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes
Garcia Ortiz (‘03/Raleigh, N.C.) is another career Jr. Cane going back into the youth ranks, and he is now in his third Premier season. He put up a goal and an assist and was a +2 with four blocks and four hits on the weekend. Garcia Ortiz, standing with career numbers of 4-24-28 in 77 Elite games (in addition to two points in 12 Premier games) has represented Spain in international hockey tournaments on two World Junior Championships.
Goaltender: Tristan Falsetto, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes
A second straight Goaltender of the Week honor comes to the man who stopped 35 of 36 shots against the defending National Champion Richmond Generals. He gave up just one goal and registered a .972 save percentage on the weekend. He is on a two-game winning streak in February that has seen him stop 59 of his last 60 shots faced. Overall, he has a 9-2-0-0 record with a 1.71 GAA, a .939 save percentage and two shutouts this year.
