Category: Uncategorized

January 2021 USPHL Premier Players Of The Month: South Region

 

By USPHL Staff

 

Florida Division

Forwards

Brendan Dicker, Charleston Colonials

Dicker (‘01/Clarkston, Mich.) enjoyed a strong month for the Colonials. He played 10 games and collected four goals and 14 points and played a part in a big month for the Colonials. Among the highlights was a four-assist game against Carolina on Jan. 10 and a three-point game against the Florida Eels Jan. 25. He hit a month high on the dot Jan. 29 winning 76% (13 of 17)  of his faceoffs, his second best total of the season.

 

Taurin Haddon-Harris, Florida Eels 

Haddon-Harris (‘01/Boca Raton, Fla.) collected eight goals and 15 points with the Eels in 10 January contests, highlighted by a four-goal explosion against New York Aviators on Jan. 26. He had five shots in that game, adding an assist and wrapping up a +4 effort on the ice. He also collected four assists against the Connecticut Junior Rangers on Jan. 15, beginning a five-game scoring streak that totaled 14 points.

 

Hunter Campbell, Atlanta Mad Hatters 

Campbell (‘01/Everett, Wash.) played his first game with the Mad Hatters in Mid-December and was a great addition through the opening month of 2021 with six goals and 10 points in six games played. He fired hat tricks against Tampa on Jan. 16 and against Potomac on Jan. 31, one of the three standing up as the game-winner in both contests. Against the Juniors, he finished the game at +2 and collected six hits.

 

Defensemen

Laz Kaebel, Tampa Bay Juniors 

Kaebel (‘01/Prior Lake, Minn.) had a busy month, playing 14 games, collecting three goals and eight points. Kaebel turned in an awesome defensive effort through the month with 95 takeaways, a +10 rating and playing a part in limiting opponents to under 30 shots per game average.  He also blocked 24 shots in the month, including a season high-tying five against the Connecticut Jr. Rangers on Jan. 22.

 

Matthew Shaw, Florida Jr. Blades 

Shaw (‘02/Michigan) played in 11 games for the Blades collecting five goals and 16 points. A +1 rating through the month and 76 takeaways helped Shaw get the honor and helped the Blades through a stretch of five wins in six games through the middle part of the month. He collected two goals and four points against San Diego Sabers on Jan. 27 with eight shots, two shot blocks and a +4 showing.

 

Goaltender

Blake Mons, Charleston Colonials 

Mons (‘02/Charleston, S.C.) Made four appearances in the blue paint for the Colonials, winning three and stopping all but 10 of the 167 shots he faced for a .940 Save Percentage and a 2.50 Goals Against Average. On Jan. 9 against the Carolina Junior Hurricanes, he kicked out 43 of 44 in a 3-1 win.

 

Southeast Division

Forwards

Charles Merkley, Charlotte Rush 

Merkley (‘01/Fairport, N.Y.) exploded in January for 24 goals and 34 points in a dozen January contests. Merkley put at least a point up in 10 of the 12 contests and notched three or more goals five times, including all three games of a Jan. 1-3 homestand against  the river Hampton Roads Whalers. He averaged more than five shots per game and hit double digits twice in the month and he finished an overall +19 in that stretch.

 

Matt Wood, Richmond Generals 

Wood (‘00/Garnet Valley, Pa.) picked up four goals and 12 points through 11 games in January with the Gens. In a 5-2 loss to the Potomac Patriots on Jan. 23, Wood did all he could to turn the tide, firing six shots on goal, blocking a pair and playing 22 shifts for a total of more than 25 minutes, eight minutes above his average time on ice.

 

C.J. Zezima, Charlotte Rush 

Zezima (‘02/New Canaan, Conn.) scored eight goals and collected 18 points for the Rush in January and three of his goals were game-winners for a team that put a stranglehold on the top spot with a 13-1 record through the month. Against the Jr. Canes on Jan. 24, Zezima fired six shots, blocked three and played 21:38, his highest total of the month and nearly four minutes more than his season average.

 

Defensemen

Jakub Viedemann, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

Viedemann (‘00/Litvinov, Czech Republic) collected five goals and 11 points in 11 games for the Canes, limiting some quality opponents to an average of 31 shots per game and grabbing 87 takeaways over the stretch. On one tough night, Jan. 9 against Charleston the defender did all he could, firing seven shots at the Colonials’ goal and crossing the 30-minute mark of ice time for the sixth time this season. He also had a hit and a couple shot blocks in a 3-1 loss.

 

Jackson Oleson, Charlotte Rush 

Oleson (‘00/Stateline, Nev.) notched three goals and 13 points in 11 games with the Rush in January. He was a +13 for the month, with 76 takeaways and played a part in limiting opponents to just over 30 shots per game. He spread his offense out well, collecting at least a point in all but two games and he made his presence felt in his own end with at least one block among the 20 total for the month.

 

Goaltender

David Battisti, Charlotte Rush

Battisti (‘01/Victor, N.Y.) was busy and consistent for the Rush through the first month of 2021. He appeared in 12 games, winning 10 allowing 20 goals on 359 shots for a Goals Against Average of 1.82 and a .944 Save Percentage. For the season Battisti has 23 wins in 29 starts for over 1600 minutes. He posted three of his season total eight shutouts this month and his season stats are a dazzling 1.70 Goals Against and a .944 Save Percentage.

The Florida Eels Elite team won 2 of their 3 games in the weekend homestand. They won their first game against  the Atlanta Madhatters on Saturday 4-1. It was a very impressive win. The boys dominated this game from the drop of the puck. In all zones you saw the Eels swam the Madhatters. Both offensively and defensively the Eels overwhelmed their opponents. On Sunday the Eels took on the Northern Cyclones for the 3rd time since the Hub City event. On the previous two games the teams split. 1-1 But on Sunday the Cyclones edged out the Eels 2-1. Although the Eels lost this was an incredible game. Solid performances right down the line. The Cyclones are one of the top teams in the North and it was an excellent game. I wish we could play them on a regular basis. These two teams bring out the best in hockey.

 

On Monday the Eels went down 3-1 going into the 2nd period. Then the Madhatters scored 2 more and many thought the Eels wheels had fallen off. Some written their obituary so to speak. But that defeatist attitude does not exist in the Eels organization. Losing is not an option echoes GM Scarpaci. Coach Sanchez regrouped his team, and they went on a complete offensive attack. Premier coach Frankie Scarpaci told his defense to slam shut the door in the D Zone.  Everything was being thrown at them. The Eels scored 2 in the remaining minutes of the 2nd period and 2 more in the 3rd to even things up. The score was 5-5. The Madhatters were stung. The Game went into OT. But the Eels momentum was too much to thaw and the Eels and the Eels  scored with just 53 seconds into OT and secured the win.

 

Wow wow wow. Outstanding finish for the game and weekend. They went 2-1 and had an outstanding game even in the lost.

USPHL Elite Players Of The Month: South Region

 

By USPHL Staff

 

Southeast Division 

Forwards

Tai York, Charlotte Rush

It was the perfect month for the Rush, going 14-0 – yes 14 wins in a 31-day month – and York (‘04/Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ont.) jumped right into the mix after signing in December. He registered points in 12 of the 14 games and totaling a 10-13-23 line. His highlight was a 2-2-4 performance against Carolina on Jan. 24.

 

Ivan Korcak, Charlotte Rush

Also a major contributor to the Rush’s absolute domination from start to finish of the first month of 2021, the second-year 2000-born Slovakian was on fire for the Rush, finding his way to the net for 17 goals in 14 games. He added seven assists for 24 points, for a division-leading 1.71 points per game average. He scored his first of two hat tricks on the season on Jan. 10 against Potomac, also adding an assist in that game. He earned his way into the all-time Top 10 for USPHL Elite scoring during January as well.

 

Ryan Kotz, Richmond Generals

Kotz (‘01/Glenwood Springs, Colo.) helped the Generals get over some early-month stumbles to finish 8-2-1 for January, including a 4-0 run at the USPHL Southeast Showcase. He had a pair of three-point games on the month as he rode a 13-point month to jump into the team lead in scoring.

 

Defense

Kameron Williams, Richmond Generals

The goaltenders of the Generals – greatly talented as they are – are fortunate to not be too busy, as the Generals are a stingy team in terms of passes to the net. They’ve only allowed an average of 26 shots on goal per game and an average of under nine SOG per period. On the other side, Williams (‘02/Clarks Summit, Pa.) was all over the scoresheet with 7-6-13 in 10 contests.

 

Nikita Medvedev, Charlotte Rush

No teams are even close to the league-leading Generals and Rush, who are just one point apart in early February with the Generals currently holding the lead. Medvedev (‘02/Gomel, Belarus) has been doing his part for the Rush’s amazing mastery of both ends of the ice, helping their goalies face just 26.8 shots per game, while also chipping in with a goal and six assists – tied for the January lead in the division amongst defensemen.

 

Goaltender

Arley Cutler, Charlotte Rush

There was not a single loss for Cutler (‘02/Chicago, Ill.) in January, and he’s only actually had two L’s all season and none since mid-November. During the month, Cutler stopped nine of 132 shots for a .932 save percentage while going 6-0. On Jan. 24, he shut out the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes with 21 saves.

 

Florida Division

Forwards

Brody Smojice, Charleston Colonials 

Smojice (‘02/Charleston, S.C.) scored nine goals and collected 16 points in 10 games for the Colonials in January including a game winner with one of his two goals against Potomac Patriots on Jan. 31. He also fired two goals against Carolina Junior Hurricanes on Jan. 9, the middle game of a big weekend series that saw him collect four goals and seven points.

 

Sebastian Hale, Charleston Colonials 

Hale (‘03/Dallas, Texas) notched four goals and 12 points in 10 January contests with the Colonials. Two of his goals came against the Tampa Juniors on Jan. 29 and he notched a goal and three points against Carolina Junior Hurricanes on Jan. 8.

 

Matt Clift, Florida Eels 

Clift (‘03/Broomfield, Colo.) scored eight goals and collected 13 points in a busy 13-game month with the Eels. Clift came up big when his team needed him, firing four game-winning goals, two of them in Shootouts. One of the game winners came as one of three goals scored against the New York Aviators on Jan. 12 and he also collected three points against the Northern Cyclones on Jan. 9.

 

Defensemen

Nash Cobbs, Tampa Bay Juniors 

Cobbs (‘03/Dunellon, Fla.) Cobbs collected three goals and five assists for the Juniors including three goals in three games from Jan 11-16 – two of them against division rival, Atlanta Mad Hatters. Cobbs spread his scoring out well, picking up a point in eight of the 10 contests.

 

Vincent Cartier, Florida Eels  

Cartier (‘04/St-Germain-de-Graham, Que.) picked up a goal and eight assists for the Eels, in January, starting out the month with a two-assist game against Northern Cyclones on Jan. 9 and he wrapped up the month with another two-point game – a goal and assist, against the Hampton Roads Whalers on Jan. 31.

 

Goaltender

D.J. Lyons, Charleston Colonials 

Lyons (‘03/Breaux Bridge, La.) made three appearances for the Colonials in January and won them all, kicking out 90 of 94 shots and starting the month with a 31-save shutout against the Florida Eels on Jan. 25. He wrapped up the month with a .957 save percentage.

 

This weekend the Florida Eels have a 7-game home stand at the Fort Myers Skatium. The Premier team squares off 4 times while the Elite team faces off with a 3-game stance. Seven games would be a herculean task for any organization but what makes this even more  taxing is that the Eels have just came off 8 games in 10 days. It started off with the Eels trip to Charleston 2 weekends ago when then both the Eels Premier and Elite team had a play a 3-game series. Friday Saturday and Sunday. Then immediately head to the Hub City for a 4th game vs the New York Aviators and a quick rest and practice for a return trip to Charleston for 4 games for both the Premier and Elite teams at the USPHL South Showcase.

 

This has been a NHL type schedule. But our players are grueling it out and fine tuning their skills while homing in with what it takes for a major play off run. Indeed, this weekend won’t be any easier as the Eels Premier takes on the Atlanta Madhatters Friday evening at 9:15 pm and a Saturday matinee at 3:20 pm. Then the Premier team shifts for a game vs the Northern Cyclones Sunday at 1:00 pm and complete the weekend home stand vs the Atlanta Madhatters Monday at 11:30 am .

 

The Elite team has a 3-game home stand beginning Saturday evening 9:00 pm and a game vs the Northern Cyclones Sunday at 10:15 am and conclude with a game vs the Madhatters Monday morning 9:00 am.

 

These games are all consequential. So much is still riding in the standings. For both Eels teams they sit in 2ndplace in their respective Florida Divisions. However, both teams have a better than average chance to move up in the standings and dethrone the Tampa Juniors from their first-place seating. The Tampa Juniors  Premier has 52 points to the Eels 46. The Eels have played 2 less games. The Eels and Tampa have 2 games between them this season. So, each game is critical for each team. Moreover, the Madhatters Premier team sits in 5th place with 23 points compared to the Florida Jr Blades with 25 points.  Interesting the Blades have played 4 more games than the Madhatters. What makes this even more dicey is that the Madhatters and Jr Blades have a 3-game series back in Atlanta next weekend. So, Atlanta will be coming out putting it all on the line  this weekend leaving everything on the ice. If they end the regular season in 5th place they are eliminated from the playoffs. The Madhatters who are playing solid hockey of late will also have a 3-game series vs Tampa and a similar 3 game series vs the Colonials. Six of these games will be back home in Atlanta. Ah so many moving parts.

 

On the Elite side of the ledger, Tampa sits in first place with 49 points compared to the Eels who are in 2ndplace with 41 points. Both teams played an even 36 games. The Madhatters sit comfortably in 4th place with 28 points compared to the Blades with only 16 points. However, the Colonials are in 3rd place with 31 points. No doubt 3rd place in up for grabs and when you look at the number of games the Madhatters has against the Colonials – 3 and 3 vs the Blades and 3 vs Tampa, you can see it is all up for grabs. The Eels are making a huge push back against Tampa so one thing for sure the Final standings won’t be set here until perhaps the final game of the season.

 

So lets buckle up your seats for one heck of a weekend of incredible games at the Fort Myers Skatium.  This might be the most exciting weekend of hockey in Southwest Florida all season. How fitting during Superbowl weekend. Please join us live but if you cannot make it join us on HockeyTV.

USPHL Elite Players Of The Week: South Region

By USPHL Staff, 01/29/21, 4:45PM EST

Florida Division

Congrats to Florida Eels Forward: Matthew Clift, Florida Eels

 

In four games, second-year Eel Clift (‘01/Broomfield, Colo.) scored a pair of goals and three assists, as well as a shootout goal giving him two game-winners on the weekend against Charleston. In 29 games this year, Clift has 31 points, matching his output through 44 games last year. Clift played in the USPHL Hub City Elite All-Star Game on Jan. 17.

The Florida Eels Elite team came out on fire in game one of the USPHL South Showcase and lit the lamp 3 times to none over the Jr Cains. The Eels unleashed shot after shot and smothered their goalie to gam not only a win but simply shut the door as they shutout Carolina 3-0.

The Eels look forward to the remaining 3 games this upcoming weekend. They have 2 games on Sunday and one on Monday

The Eels Premier team avenge earlier two losses by the Colonials with a high octane performance over Charleston. The Eels had a huge 3rd period surge to bring down the Colonials. The Eels  put up 5 goals in the 3rd to take home the win.

The Eels fell victim to the Colonials in game 1 and 2 so this was a welcome win.

Eels Elite Stun Colonials for 2nd straight OT win 

 

 

The Eels Elite team win 2nd straight here in Charleston. Both games the Eels best the Colonials in OT Game one they defeated the Colonials 3 on 3 with 7 seconds remaining and today it came down to a shootout to seal the win.
Great performance guys