Boston Jr. Rangers 2, Northern Cyclones 1 (SO)
Jake Russell (’04/Arlington, Mass.) scored the only shootout goal, fitting in several dekes before scoring the deciding marker in a 2-1 win. Colin Kwak (’04/Alpharetta, Ga.) opened the scoring for the Rangers, and Michael Markowski (’04/Spring Lake, N.J.) scored the only goal for the Cyclones. Both goalies were outstanding in net, as Paul Dalessio (’05/Burlington, Mass.) stopped 36 of 37 shots in 65 minutes for the Cyclones in addition to two in the shootout, and Mason Jones (’05/Auburn, N.Y.) made 33 saves on 34 shots, plus three in the shootout.
P.A.L. Jr. Islanders 3, Mercer Chiefs 1
P.A.L. improved to 2-1-0-0 after defeating Mercer, with fifth-year Jr. Islander and second-year NCDC veteran Ryan Franks (’05/Roslyn, N.Y.) scoring the GWG in the second period. Arthur Mirante (’04/Garden City, N.Y.) put up two assists, and Lukas Vejmelka (’04/Trebic, Czechia) stopped 31 of 32 shots in net.
West Chester Wolves 4, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights 1
The Wolves got two goals apiece from Owen Norman (’04/Oro-Medonte, Ont.) and Seiya Ishida (’04/Tokomakai, Japan), and Norman also had an assist. Norman has climbed up from the USPHL Elite to USPHL Premier to the NCDC, a shining example of #USPHLAdvancement In Action.
Earning two assists apiece for the Wolves were Harrison Kinne (’05/Swampscott, Mass.), Emil Szepesi (’06/Timra, Sweden) and Brayden Sprickman (’05/Erie, Pa.) as the Wolves improved to No. 1 in points in the league with a record of 4-0-1-0. Griffin Davis (’05/Nashua, N.H.) stopped 38 of 39 saves to help in the winning cause.
Rockets Hockey Club 2, Connecticut Jr. Rangers 1
In their fourth one-goal game from the start of the season, the Rockets broke through for a win, thanks in large part to third-year junior veteran and second-year NCDC player Connor Lemmerbrock (’04/Springsboro, Ohio), who scored the regulation GWG with 56 seconds remaining. Xavier Delisle (’07/La Serre, Que.), a former Amos Forestiers goaltender, earned his first junior victory by making 35 saves on 36 shots. On the other end, Michael Shelley (’05/Stafford, Va.) stopped 50 of 52 shots.
Casper Warbirds 4, Pueblo Bulls 2
Owen Cross (’04/Bangor, Maine) scored two goals to help the Warbirds win their third game and remain one of four currently undefeated teams. Cross is a great example of #USPHLAdvancement In Action, having played with the USPHL Premier’s
Second-year NCDC veteran Gavin Black (’06/Anchorage, Alaska) earned two assists. Ryan Henry (’04/Wayne, N.J.) and Peter Baldwin (’04/Chicago, Ill.) split the win in net. On the Pueblo side, Gavin Barr (’05/Colorado Springs, Colo.) had two assists for Pueblo.
Idaho Falls Spud Kings 7, Rock Springs Grizzlies 1
The Spud Kings improved to 4-0, and are tied with the Jersey Hitmen for most points among undefeated teams. The Spud Kings got a four-point performance from returning Spud King Andrew Schmidt (’05/Chicago, Ill.), who put up two goals and two assists. Additionally, Easton Edwards (’05/Anchorage, Alaska) and Lucas Karlsson (’05/Koping, Sweden) each put up 1-2-3 lines. Adam Brown (’05/Lincoln, Neb.) dished out two assists, and Bookie Warshaw (’05/Gilbert, Ariz.) and Will O’Donovan (’06/Cambridge, Minn.) scored a goal and an assist apiece. Charlie Durkin (’06/Glencoe, Ill.) stopped 26 of 27 shots for the win, his third of the season, tied with four others for the league lead.
