All games of September and October taken into statistical account
Forward: Noah Malcolm, Northern Cyclones
The second-year ‘03 out of Londonderry, N.H., is certainly building on the promise shown in his 39-point rookie year last season, as he has put together a smoking seven goals and seven assists for 14 points in just nine games, good for a 1.56 points per game average. Malcolm has enjoyed three multi-goal games this season and with his 14 points, he has brought his career points per game average to an even one (53 points in 53 games).
Forward: Cole Davis, Springfield Pics
The longtime Pic, a former USPHL 15U player even at the age of 14, has been an absolute goal-scoring machine early on for the Springfield side. He’s posted 11 goals in 11 games even, and added nine assists for 20 points and an astounding 1.82 points per game as a junior rookie. He has missed the scoresheet only once and had a 4-1-5 performance in Game 3 of his career on Sept. 30 against College Universel Gatineau. Davis also registered the winning shootout goal to give the Northern Cyclones their first loss of the season on Oct. 29.
Forward: Simon Higgins, Springfield Pics
The third-year junior veteran and second-year Pic out of Longmeadow, Mass., has been Mr. Steady for the Pics. He’s posted six goals and seven assists for 13 points (1.63 points per game) in eight games. On Oct. 8, he enjoyed a hat trick and an assist against the Boston Junior Bruins, a game in which he scored two shorthanded goals. He has registered four multi-point games this year.
Defense: Matthew Taylor, Northern Cyclones
Taylor (‘05/Wake Forest, N.C.) is in his first full season with the Cyclones and has been a fantastic addition to the Cyclones blue line corps, especially on the offensive side. He’s posted five goals and nine assists for 14 points. He’s also helped the Cyclones to the second-best defense this year (1.89), thanks to the second-lowest shots against per game (24.78).
Defense: James Delaney, Springfield Pics
Delaney (‘05/Palmer, Mass.) is a career Pic and certainly carrying a veteran’s air as he has put together a 10-point season through seven Elite games in his third year at this level. He’s also skated in his first five Premier games. He began playing in USPHL games in 2019-20 with the 15U Pics, and the next year played alongside Cole Davis for the first of many seasons together.
Goaltender: Michael Anstey, Northern Cyclones
Through 15 USPHL Elite games, no one could beat the Cyclones with Anstey in net. The ‘04 out of Londonderry, N.H., improved to 4-0 on the season and 15-0 for his two-year career. On top of that, he was averaging 1.25 goals against per game, the most being two goals in a victory against the rival Islanders Hockey Club on Oct. 12. He only allowed one goal in two other wins against IHC. He holds a .946 save percentage, helping the Cyclones to start out 8-0-0-1.
Method of selection: The USPHL Media Team shares a first set of nominees from among statistical leaders with division coaches and accepts alternate nominations from coaches, where applicable. From these, the USPHL Media Team selects the final “starting lineup.”
Top Performers Of The Week (Oct. 24-31)
Forward: Simon Higgins, Springfield Pics – Higgins scored goals to make it 3-1 and 4-3 in the eventual shootout victory over the Northern Cyclones. He also had an assist in that game and on the only goal in the 4-1 loss to Northern one day earlier.
Defense: Matthew Taylor, Northern Cyclones – Taylor had the GWG and an assist against the Islanders Hockey Club on Oct. 25 and had one more assist against the Pics on Oct. 29.
Goaltender: Nick Cowles, Northern Cyclones – In his second start of the season, Cowles (‘05) stopped 25 of 26 in the 4-1 victory against the Springfield Pics.
