By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com
Many teams from the USPHL Elite will take part in some big events this weekend. Some have already kicked off their runs at the USPHL Jersey Hitmen Classic, while four of the Florida Division teams will take part in the annual Florida Cup. The Charlotte Rush remain dominant in first place, while the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights (on an eight-game winning streak) and P.A.L. Jr. Islanders (on a seven-game winning streak) are chasing them for the early pole position. The Rockets Hockey Club have been hot recently, on a 5-0-0-1 point streak, as well. In New England, the defending National Champion Northern Cyclones are undefeated out of the gate, three games in.
Let’s take a closer look below at the teams that have picked up at least a point per game played between Oct. 12-17.
Midwest Division
Metro Jets Elite Rack Up Five Points On Week
The Jets improved to a .500 record thanks to a recent 2-0-0-1 run, jumping to 3-3-0-1 on the young season. The Jets Elite swept the Cougars last weekend, 4-1 and 5-2, and then took a 2-1 shootout loss on Oct. 17 against the Motor City Gamblers.
- The Jets are being led by newcomer Cory Anderson (‘05/Hartland, Mich.), who has 5-3-8 in eight games.
- Second-year Jet Eliot Duerr (‘04/Plymouth, Mich.) has two of the Jets’ three wins on the season.
Chicago Crush, Motor City Gamblers Each Pick Up Single Wins
The Chicago Crush and Motor City Gamblers each registered a single win. The Crush’s 2-1 victory against the Decatur Blaze on Oct. 12 helped them to a .500 record of 3-3-0-0, while the Gamblers got their second victory in an Oct. 17 shootout win against the Metro Jets.
Florida Division
Atlanta MadHatters Take Two Victories In Home Stand
Due to Hurricane Milton taking out its deadly force on the state of Florida itself, many of the originally scheduled games for the Florida Division were postponed to later dates. The state will be vibrant with puck play this weekend, however as the Florida Cup will see four of the divisional teams competing for an in-season tournament championship. Ahead of that, however, the MadHatters defeated the visiting Carolina Jr. Hurricanes by scores of 4-3 in overtime on Oct. 12 and 4-2 on Oct. 13.
- The MadHatters’ Elite veteran goaltender Zen Janik (‘06/Portage, Wis.) ranks fourth in the Elite in minutes played at 365 and in saves with 184. He has two of the MadHatters’ three wins, including their Oct. 12 victory.
- Joey Bledsoe (‘07/Hickory Hills, Ill.) registered a 4-3-7 line thus far to lead the team in points.
Florida Jr. Blades, Eels Get Back To Action
The Jr. Blades registered their third win of the season by defeating the local area rival Florida Eels, 3-2, on Oct. 16. This was the Jr. Blades’ first Elite win against the Eels since Jan. 17, 2023.
The Eels came right back and put up a 3-2 victory of their own against the Palm Beach Typhoon, also their third victory of the season.
Atlantic Division
Rockets Hockey Club Take Two Victories, Remain Unbeaten In Regulation Through Six Games
The Rockets are red-hot right now, as they have not experienced a loss in up to 65 minutes of hockey in six contests dating back to Sept. 22. The team shut out the Hershey Cubs by a 5-0 score on Oct. 12, and then went up to the Ice Vault in Wayne, N.J., the next day and eked out a 3-2 win against the rival Hitmen.
- Brandon Eigner (‘08/Mendham, N.J.) registered four assists to place second in the league in that category. Eigner also leads the league in power play points with 10 and assists with nine.
- Tyler Bertelsen (‘07/Palmer, Pa.) jumped into first place in power play goals with five.
Wilkes-Barre Scranton Knights Register Back-To-Back Shutouts, Improves To 8-0
The Knights registered a 3-0 shutout victory against the Jersey Hitmen, and that was followed by a 6-0 victory against the Elmira Impact. The zeroes continue when you look at the loss column in the standings for the Knights, as they stand at 8-0-0-0 and in second place overall in the Elite.
- The Knights got back-to-back shutout wins for the first time since they won Feb. 12 and 17, 2023.
- Roberts Kravalis (‘08/Ogre, Latvia) registered both shutouts with 51 saves between the two. He entered Friday tied for the Elite lead in wins with five.
P.A.L. Jr Islanders Take Big Victory Against First-Place Rush
The Jr. Islanders and Charlotte Rush entered Thursday’s showdown at the USPHL Jersey Hitmen Classic at 1-2, but it was P.A.L. who got the clutch victory. They improved to 8-1-0-0 with an active seven-game winning streak.
Southeast Division
Charlotte Rush Win Twice, Fall Once But Remain In First Place
Coming into their Friday game at the USPHL Jersey Hitmen Classic, the Rush were coming off a 3-1 win against the Hampton Roads Whalers and a 2-1 OT victory as well against the same squad. They took their first loss in five games to the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders on Thursday to kick off the Classic.
- The Rush, at a league-leading 21 points, are one point off of where they were after 14 games last season at 10-2-1-1. They were third in an even more powerful Southeast Division a year ago.
- Cale Puzey (‘05/Calgary, Alb.) registered both wins against the Whalers to improve to five wins, tying the Knights’ Roberts Kravalis in that category.
New England Division
Cyclones, Pics, Islanders Each Pick Up Victories
The Northern Cyclones, Springfield Pics and Islanders Hockey Club were each victorious once apiece between Oct. 12 and 17.
The defending champion Cyclones won 3-1 against the Islanders on Oct. 14, their second win over the rival IHC in just three games so far on the season. The Pics defeated the Boston Jr. Bulldogs, 6-3, on OCt. 12, and then fell to the Islanders Hockey Club, 6-5, on Oct. 13.
The tangled web currently shows three teams tied for first in points, as the Cyclones, Pics and Islanders each have three victories, though the Cyclones are undefeated and the Islanders and Pics are fighting to get back above .500 in this early portion of the season.
