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Congrats goes out to: Eels Elite Co-Captain Landen Engels selected Player of the Week

Games of Feb. 8-14, 2023

Summaries by Joshua Boyd

Southeast Division

Forward: Jacob Gifford, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

Gifford (‘04/Cary, N.C.) has had a fantastic second Elite season with Carolina, improving his points total from nine in 2021-22 to 49 this season – so far. He posted six goals and added three assists for nine points in just two games recently against the Nashville Spartans. He posted a 4-1-5 performance, and then a 2-2-4 mark the next day. He had the GWG’s in both games.

Defense: Hudson Hinich, Hampton Roads Whalers

Hinich (‘03/Ancaster, Ont.) was a bright spot in an otherwise tough weekend for the Whalers, registering assists on two of the three Hampton Roads goals scored in their series against Potomac. His two assists ranked him among the offensive leaders among Southeast blueliners last week. Hinich also put up 19:59 per game of ice time last weekend, second on the Whalers D corps only to Jeremiah Parker. In addition to 23 Elite games, he has also played 17 Premier contests for Hampton Roads.

Goaltender: Tristan Falsetto, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

Falsetto (‘02/West Palm Beach, Fla.) posted a fine 24-save shutout to defeat the Nashville Spartans in a game that helped the Jr. Canes stand currently four points ahead of their closest competition in the Southeast Division. Falsetto, who started in the USPHL at the 16U level in 2017-18, has a 1.78 goals against average, a .935 save percentage and two shutouts for the Jr. Canes.

Florida Division

Forward: Cooper Lundberg, Atlanta MadHatters

Lundberg (‘05/Atlanta, Ga.) has proven to be a go-to person from Day 1 until nearly the end of the regular season now. The MadHatters will go into the playoffs with a top 10 scorer who has 57 points in 36 games. Most recently, he added two goals and four assists in a weekend sweep of the Columbia Infantry, putting the MadHatters on a 5-0 winning streak.

Defense: Landen Engles, Florida Eels

Engles (‘03/Sioux Falls, S.D.) is a third-year Eel who has seen significant time this season at both the Premier and Elite levels. Most recently, he scored a very important insurance goal in a 6-4 victory against the Palm Beach Typhoon. Overall, he has a 3-9-12 line on the season in 15 Elite games (and a 1-2-3 in 16 Premier games).

Goaltender: Andrew Brabender, Atlanta MadHatters

Brabender (‘03/Edmonton, Alberta) is another player who has seen time at both the Premier – with the Bellingham Blazers – and the Elite this year. With the Hatters most recently, he put up a 19-save shutout in just his fifth start with Atlanta since joining in January.

Eels Top Goal Scorer 30 for 30 for two straight years.

Talk about being a college prospects. Collin Patterson is one of the most lethal goal scores in the USPHL.

An update to yesterday’s #USPHLPlayoffs Watch List:

It’s Saturday, and we have a full slate today with four NCDC, eight USPHL Elite and 23 USPHL Premier games!

Three teams have clinched spots since Thursday: South Shore Kings, Hershey Cubs and the Dells Ducks.

Premier Conference

Florida Division 

We have a first place lock (Eels) and four teams in the middle fighting for second through fifth.

Third-place Tampa hosts the Florida Jr. Blades (fifth). Second place Atlanta hosts the Infantry.

An Atlanta win keeps them in second. A loss, coupled with a Tampa win, drops them to third. A Jr. Blades win will springboard them into fourth over the idle Palm Beach.

 

Great Lakes Division

Toledo (first) hosts Columbus (third) and the Jets (second) host Cincinnati (fourth). Toledo needs a three-point swing to lock up the first seed, which could happen today with a Cincinnati upset.

 

Mid-Atlantic Division

The top five teams can finish no worse than fifth. Hershey and Elmira battle for sixth and seventh.

Three teams are fighting for the eighth and final spot.

Four games today:

A P.A.L. (eighth place) win will eliminate the Jersey Hitmen, and leave P.A.L. to fight with Buffalo (ninth) for the last seat on the bus. Buffalo hosts sixth-place Elmira today.

Utica (No. 4) hosts Connecticut (fifth) and the WBS Knights (second) host the Rockets Hockey Club (third). A Connecticut win would put them in a tie with Utica, who will still have four games in hand.

First through third cannot change today.

 

Midwest East Division

Ft. Wayne (first) hosts MJDP (second).

The battle for Chicago sees the Cougars (fourth) host the Crush (fifth)

Decatur Blaze (seventh) hosts Battle Creek (sixth)

None of these games will change the standings.

 

Midwest West Division

Isanti Outlaws (sixth) host the Minnesota Moose (third)

Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings (fourth) host the Hudson Havoc (first).

The Minnesota Squatch (second) host the Minnesota Blue Ox (seventh).

– Hudson can clinch first with a win.
– The Squatch can clinch second with a win and a Moose loss.
– The Moose can clinch third with a win and a Wisconsin Rapids loss.
– A Wisconsin win would put them permanently ahead of Isanti or the Ox if either of them lose.

 

Mountain Division 

Provo (fifth) is still vying for fourth place. A loss against Northern Colorado (third) would relegate them to fifth.

 

New England Division

The Northern Cyclones (first) host the fourth-place Springfield Pics in the only action. The outcome won’t change the standings

 

Northwest Division

Vernal Oilers (first) host the Rock Springs Prospectors (third)
Seattle Totems (second) host Rogue Valley Royals (fourth)

A win by Rock Springs or a loss by Rogue Valley will clinch the third seed for Rock Springs and a playoff trip to Seattle.

Rogue Valley will be left to battle Bellingham (fifth) to visit Vernal in the first round.

 

Pacific Division 

We have four teams in and three teams out.

Ontario (fourth) could leapfrog idle Las Vegas (third) with a win over Bakersfield (fifth).

The other games will not affect the standings.

 

Southeast Division

Nashville (fourth) host Carolina (fifth)

Nashville has two games remaining, both this weekend, both vs. Carolina

Nashville can’t fall out of fourth this weekend, but they will be done tomorrow and will sit and wait for Carolina to play their last five games. They have to bank four points this weekend and cheer for Richmond next weekend and Charlotte at the end.

 

Elite Conference

Florida Division 

Tampa (second) host the Blades (sixth). Tampa are chasing the idle Eels for first place. The next Eels win or Tampa loss will clinch first for the Eels.

Atlanta (fourth) are chasing idle Palm Beach (third). A win over the Infantry will put them in third by two points, but the Typhoon will have three games in hand.

 

Mid-Atlantic Division 

We have a first place lock (WBS Knights), and four teams in the middle fighting for second through fifth.

The Hitmen (second) host P.A.L. (third) and the results of this game won’t change standings, unless P.A.L. loses and the Rockets (fourth) beat WBS on the road and shift into second.

 

New England Division

Northern Cyclones (first) host Springfield (fourth).

Junior Bruins (fifth) host Islanders Hockey Club (second)

Both underdogs need a win to postpone elimination. The Cyclones could clinch the No. 1 seed and the Islanders the No. 2seed today.

 

Southeast Division 

Four teams are in, and two teams are out. Eight points separate first from fourth.

These four teams all meet at Pineville on March 10. We’re just trying to see who they each play.

A Carolina Jr. Hurricanes (first place) win over Nashville will help them retain first. It would also eliminate Richmond (fourth) from being able to clinch first.

A Potomac (third place) win over Hampton Roads Whalers won’t change their position.

The Rush (second) are idle.

Well the Premier team have locked up 1st place and the Elite team has its eye on doing the same thing. What we need is simply a win or tie Yes 1 point and 1st place belongs to the Eels. Look to the Eels to bring home the win. This ought to be a very exciting game.

Southeast Division 

Forward: Matthew Hamacher, Richmond Generals

The Premier veteran Hamacher (‘03/Corona, Calif.) put up three goals and an assist as the Gens swept the Charlotte Rush and then beat the Potomac Patriots on Tuesday. The Generals qualified for the Premier playoffs this past weekend, and they’ll bring Hamacher who now has 65 points in 93 career contests.

 

Defense: Cutter Lewis, Charlotte Rush

Lewis (‘03/Salt Lake City, Utah) posted a goal and blocked six shots during the Rush’s hard-fought series against their rivals the Rush. He has picked up seven points over 23 games this season for Charlotte, a team that is ranked second in league points.

 

Goaltender: Lenny Perno, Richmond Generals

Perno (‘02/Rochester, N.Y.) has a long history with the USPHL, going back to the 16U level in 2018-19. Now in his third Premier season and second with the Generals, Perno put up 53 saves on 54 Charlotte Rush shots and then stopped two Rush shootout attempts for the big win on Feb. 5 in a 2-1 Generals win.

 

Florida Division

Forward: Liam Hennessy, Florida Eels

Hennessy (‘02/Calgary, Alb.) had a fantastic three-game stretch since the start of February, putting up four goals and three assists. His first Premier hat trick came on Feb. 3, when he put up a 3-1-4 line in a 7-6 OT win over the Columbia Infantry. Overall, he has 45 points in 37 games.

 

Defense: Artjoms Kadnikovs, Tampa Bay Juniors

Kadnikovs (‘03/Riga, Latvia) was a +3 and he had a goal and two assists for three points, as the Juniors defeated the Palm Beach Typhoon in two games straight. He has already equaled his 2021-22 points (20) in 32 games this season.

 

Goaltender: Blake Mons, Tampa Bay Juniors

Mons (‘02/Charleston, S.C.) is currently second on the list of Premier games played by a goalie with 78 in his four-year career in Tampa, and Charleston prior to that. Recently, he showed just how much experience can provide leadership by putting up 28 saves in a shutout over the Palm Beach Typhoon. His career save percentage is a .914.