Selection Process: The league media office sends top statistical candidates to divisional coaches for review and coaches either approve or challenge the nominations.
Summaries By Joshua Boyd / NCDCHockey.com
Forward: Ty Broad, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders
Broad put together a fantastic month with four goals and 10 assists for 14 points, giving him a 1.56 points per game average. This helped him break the 100-point mark for his time with the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders, which gives him 106 points over 104 regular season games. More than half of his P.A.L. points have come this season, as he is currently leading the NCDC in scoring with 58 points. He is leading the league by seven points over his closest competition.
He had some of his best performances towards the end of the month, registering two goals and six assists for eight points in his final three games of January. This included a sweep of the Islanders Hockey Club, one of two teams that are within 12 points of P.A.L. in the quest for the regular season champion Founders Cup.
Forward: Gregory Diamond, Mercer Chiefs
The second–year NCDC veteran jumped out from the get-go for a fantastic January, posting two straight 2-1-3 performances against the WBS Knights on Jan. 13-14, the Chiefs’ first two games of the new year. He went on to add three more points over his next four games for a line of 4-5-9 in six January games. Additionally, the big 6-5, 215-pound forward attracts the type of attention that gets opponents in trouble – he drew five opponent penalties while sitting for only two minutes himself. Over two NCDC seasons, he has 25 points in 47 games, including 23 points in 29 games this year.
Forward: Sam Blanton, Rockets Hockey Club
Blanton (‘04/Carrollton, Texas) had himself an amazing month, and not just in the regular season games that he played. He also played in the NCDC All-Star Game and his two goals scored in a 5-2 Atlantic Division win saw him named as The Dan K Show Star Of The Game. During the month’s eight regular games for the Rockets, he put up five goals and added six assists for a total of 11 points. Blanton has the league’s longest active scoring streak, as he has posted a 7-7-14 line going back to Dec. 2, with his January output representing the bulk of the ongoing scoring streak. Blanton has also been called up for four games with the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers, in which he’s posted two goals.
Defense: Coleson Hanrahan, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders
Hanrahan (‘05/Longmeadow, Mass.) started in the NCDC All-Star Game and has been one of the top blueliners since his arrival last season, in which he helped P.A.L. win their first Dineen Cup. During January, he was in classic form, posting three goals and nine assists for 12 points in nine games. He also led the team in ice time with an average of 24:54 per game, he tied for the lead in plus-minus at +9, and also led in hits (13) and blocked shots (30). With 42 points in 37 games, he’s already doubled the 21 points he put up last season. Towards the end of January, it was announced that Hanrahan was called up to the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL.
Defense: Zachary Brady, Mercer Chiefs
Brady (‘04/Middletown, N.J.) is a great example of #USPHLAdvancement In Action, as he moved up to the Chiefs after playing for the Columbia Infantry of the USPHL Premier last season. He put up seven assists in seven games this past month for the Chiefs, and was also their second most frequent defender on the ice with an average of 21:35 per game. His +4 was tied for the team lead among defensemen, and he also registered 50 takeaways. Prior to joining the Chiefs or even the Infantry, Brady was a member of the Red Bank Generals Midget teams – and earlier this month, the Generals announced they are joining the USPHL at the Premier level.
Goaltender: Jake Fillion, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders
The Jr. Islanders are just so rich in depth at every position, and that extends to the goal. They have two returning NCDC veterans in the crease, including Fillion and Nick Bevilacqua, the latter of whom is on the verge of setting the all-time record in NCDC wins. Not to be overshadowed, however, was the play of Fillion in January – he stopped 104 out of 108 shots that he faced during 180 minutes of action. He won all three of his starts and came out with a .963 save percentage for the month. In his eight games played this year, he’s only lost once and is on a four-game winning streak as part of his 7-1-0-0 record.
Top Performers Of The Week (Jan. 24-31)
Forward: Ty Broad P.A.L. Junior Islanders – 2GP – 2G – 4A – 6PTS
Defense: Jameson O’Flynn Jersey Hitmen – 3GP – 3G – 1A – 4PTS
Goaltender: Nicholas Bevilacqua P.A.L. Junior Islanders – 2-0-0-0 – 65 saves on 68 shots – .956 save percentage – 36-save shutout win – 1.50 GAA
Rookie*: Ryan Franks -F – P.A.L. Junior Islanders – 2GP – 2G – 2A – 4PTS 2 4 2 2
