By Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com
The National Collegiate Development Conference congratulates its selections for the 2023 NCDC All-Star “Best of the Best” Game, set to kick off at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at Foxboro Sports Center in Foxboro, Mass. We are announcing each team this week in two sets – forwards in one set and defensemen and goaltenders in another.
Every one of these players was voted on by the NCDC’s coaches, and every player is greatly deserving of the honor to be named as an All-Star and to wear the All-Star jersey on Feb. 21.
Rosters, while being announced this week, are subject to change due to injuries or illnesses.
Team National (Red Jerseys – Away Team)
Tyler McNeil
C • Jersey Hitmen • 4/11/2002 • 5-7/159 • L • Valencia, Calif.
McNeil was a USPHL Premier All-Star with the Fresno Monsters last year, putting up 95 points in just 33 games, though he was also in the NCDC prior to that, including playing at Hub City Tampa. This year, McNeil was one of the early leaders in overall scoring, and continues to jockey for spots in the top three, putting up 44 points to stand in a tie for third right this very moment. He is also second in GWG with five to his Hitmen teammate Vincent Gould’s six.
Michael DiPietra
RW • Jersey Hitmen • 5/11/2002 • 5-6/179 • R • Aurora, Ill.
DiPietra is one of three players in the All-Star Game who lifted the Dineen Cup with the 2021-22 Jersey Hitmen (joining defenseman Sean Melso and goaltender J.J. Cataldo), and he and Melso have done it twice! DiPietra has done a lot in his four NCDC seasons, in fact, and currently stands second all-time in games played at 172. He can catch up to the current all-time leader Spencer Korona, formerly of the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders at 184. This year, DiPietra is putting up 39 points in 37 games so far, which puts him at 108 points and side by side with Melso in the all-time Top 15.
Jackson Morehouse
RW • Jersey Hitmen • 1/4/2003 • 6-0/186 • R • Pittsburgh, Pa.
COMMITTED TO DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
The future Big Green winger came on board with the Hitmen in December, and immediately began his offensive contributions with a four-game point streak of 2-3-5, and he has since gone on to put up 13 points in 16 games, along with two game-winners. Morehouse was a 2020 NCDC Entry Draft selection by the Hitmen, and their patience has paid off as he came to Wayne already with plenty of Tier I and Tier II experience.
Luca Leighton
LW • P.A.L. Jr. Islanders • 8/13/2003 • 5-7/171 • L • Glen Head, N.Y.
Leighton heads into February tied for fourth among active players in career scoring, as both he and Junior Bruins/Team American forward Easton Ryan have 90 points to their credit. Leighton is also currently the second-leading scorer in the NCDC in both points (45) – his overall points total from last season – and points per game (1.36). Leighton first joined P.A.L. as an 18U player and competed in the USPHL 18U playoffs in 2020-21.
Matus Hadusovsky
RW • P.A.L. Jr. Islanders • 4/24/2003 • 6-0/175 • R • Spisska Nova Ves, Slovakia
COMMITTED TO AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE
Hadusovsky has fared very well in past USPHL All-Star events – he was the MVP of the 2019-20 USPHL 16U All-Star game while with the Springfield Pics, who went on to win that year’s USPHL 16U American Championship. Since then, he’s been putting together big games with the Jr. Islanders and other NCDC teams en route to 26 points in 58 games. This year, he has scored a 6-12-18 line in 29 contests.
Ryder Nienhuis
RW • Mercer Chiefs • 9/10/2003 • 6-3/213 • R • Sarnia, Ont.
Looking north of the border, the Chiefs brought Nienhuis in from the GOJHL and he is now their leading scorer. In 32 games this year, he has produced 33 points off a 15-17-33 scoring line. He is also tied for the game-winning goal lead for the Chiefs with three this year.
Billy Shields
LW • Connecticut Jr. Rangers • 1/8/2003 • 5-9/142 • L • Plymouth, Mich.
The second-year Jr. Ranger returned and is Connecticut’s leading scorer this year, with 32 points in 36 games, giving him the bulk of his 42 career points in 79 games out of Chelsea Piers. He has a nearly even scoring line as well at 15-17-32.
Barron Woodring
C • Rockets Hockey Club • 7/5/2002 • 6-1/198 • R • Downers Grove, Ill.
COMMITTED TO U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY (ARMY)
Woodring is simply amazing at consistency. The league’s active leading scorer has posted 120 points in 120 games. That kind of point-per-game pace over that long of a time – going back to his first NCDC games in 2019-20 – is certainly a good reason why he’s headed for the NCAA Division I game. Woodring, the Rockets’ all-time leading NCDC scorer, is also currently tied for fifth in all-time NCDC scoring and he remains among the league leaders this year. His 39 points are ninth in the league and his 20 goals are tied for third.
Caden Cranston
C • Rockets Hockey Club • 3/23/2004 • 5-9/156 • R • Rochester, N.Y.
Another great example of #USPHLAdvancement In Action, Cranston is currently the NCDC’s leading scorer after putting together a strong season last year with the USPHL Premier’s Buffalo Stampede. He has posted a 13-33-46 line in 36 games. His 33 assists are also No. 1 in the NCDC. He was also a USPHL Premier All-Star for the Atlantic West Division last season.
Colin Anna
C • Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights • 9/8/2002 • 5-7/160 • L • Tampa Bay, Fla.
Another former USPHL Premier Atlantic West All-Star, Anna helped that first WBS team last year capture the No. 1 overall seed in the league and made an inaugural season trip to Nationals. So it’s no surprise that the WBS Knights, when putting together this year’s first-ever NCDC team, they would look to promote from within. Anna has fared very well by putting up 22 points in 38 games.
Medrick Bolduc
C • Utica Jr. Comets • 7/9/2003 • 5-9/175 • R • Val-d’Or, Que.
Bolduc is a second-year Jr. Comet who has blasted past last year’s 25 points by putting up a 10-27-37 line this season, including the third-most assists in the league. His 62 points in 79 career games with the Jr. Comets are good for fourth all-time, and the most for any player in two seasons or less.
Michael Herrera
C • Utica Jr. Comets • 6/2/2002 • 5-9/180 • L • Syracuse, N.Y.
The leading scorer for the Jr. Comets is another returning veteran for his team, having played for the Jr. Comets at both the USPHL Premier and NCDC levels in past seasons. He is also the only All-Star this year with prior NCAA experience, having formerly played for Nazareth College. He is the NCDC’s goal leader with 25, and he also ranks seventh in scoring with 40 points.
