Week of Sept. 28, 2023
(Games of Sept. 8-24)
Great Lakes Division
Forward: Gus Immken, Nashville Spartans
Tied for the USPHL Premier’s scoring lead, Immken (‘04/St. Louis, Mo.) is also leading the league in goals with 10 so far. He’s added five assists for 15 points total, tied with Potomac’s Siamion Marshchanok. Immken played two seasons in the NA3HL before jumping to the USPHL Premier this season.
Defense: Grant Hendrickson, Toledo Cherokee
The ‘04 from Lewis Center, Ohio, started his second season in the USPHL Premier in a great way, putting up two goals and four assists for six points, including a 2-2-4 line this past weekend against the Buffalo Stampede. The Cherokee, who have been to the last three USPHL Premier Nationals, have started out on the right foot at 4-0.
Goaltender: D.J. Lyons, Nashville Spartans.
Lyons joined Potomac’s Samuel Couture as the only two goalies to go 3-0 so far this season. Lyons stopped 53 of 57 shots over the course of his three starts for the 6-0 Spartans. Lyons is now in his fifth USPHL and second Premier season.
Midwest East Division
Forward: Joshua Shafer, Battle Creek Kernels
Shafer (‘03/Muskegon, Mich.) put together a fantastic opening three games for the Kernels, scoring four goals – including at least one in each game so far, including two in a wild 6-5 overtime loss to the Motor City Gamblers on Sept. 23.
Defense: Jake Mullins, Motor City Gamblers
The third-year Premier veteran and returning Midwest East All-Star Mullins continues to click at better than a point-per-game pace for his 71-game career, posting 88 points so far. For 2023-24 contributions, it is a line of 2-3-5 in just two games. His goal against the Motor City Gamblers in a 1-2-3 performance was the goal that temporarily tied the game 4-4 after the Gamblers had initially gone down 4-1 in the first half of the game.
Goaltender: Jack Sundhall, Chicago Crush
The second-year Premier goaltender Sundhall (‘03/Goteborg, Sweden) had a fantastic start for the Crush, putting up 58 saves on 62 shots for a 2-0 record and a .930 save percentage so far. His better performance was a 30-save effort on 31 shots against the Kernels on Sept. 16.
Midwest West Division
Forward: Karl Grafelman, Minnesota Blue Ox
The returning Blue Ox forward had a great start to his second season in Coon Rapids, picking up a goal and two assists for three points in his first action of the year, helping to fuel a 6-3 season-opening victory against the Minnesota Mullets. Grafelman posted 20 points in 37 regular season games and three points in three playoff games last year.
Defense: Thomas Dalsin, Minnesota Moose
A third-year junior veteran and second-year Moose, Dalsin (‘03/Shakopee, Minn.) registered three assists in his team’s season-opening 7-1 win over the Dells Ducks and also had an assist when the Ducks earned their first-ever Premier victory against the Moose, 4-2.
Goaltender: Zachary White, Isanti Outlaws
White (‘04/Devils Lake, N.D.) enjoyed a great start to his 2023-24 campaign by stopping 101 of 107 shots over just two games, including 56 saves on 59 saves in a victory against the Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings on Sept. 22 in his junior debut. His .944 save percentage places him in the top 20 league-wide, and he is the only goaltender in that top 20 group to have seen at least 100 shots so far.
