Week of Sept. 29, 2023
Games of Sept. 17-24
Forward: John Crowdell, Rockets Hockey Club
Your 2023-24 USPHL Elite leading scorer is the same guy that ended the 2022-23 season as the leading scorer. Crowdell (‘03/Staten Island, N.Y.) has racked up five goals and seven assists for 12 points to lead both in the points race and rank No. 1 in points per game, at 4.00, after two weekends.
Defense: Anthony De Simone, Rockets Hockey Club
De Simone (‘04/Staten Island, N.Y.) is a second-year Elite Rocket, but he’s been in the organization since 2020-21, starting out as a Midget. He has been a teammate of Crowdell and five other Rockets for between three and six years. De Simone posted two goals in the season opener, and helped the team also earn another victory against the WBS Knights.
Goaltender: Andrew Zang, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights
Zang (‘04/Carrollton, Texas) certainly had a great start to his second Elite season and first with the Knights. In two games, he has just a 0.50 goals against average, thanks to stopping 33 saves in a shutout against Elmira and on Sept. 25, he posted 43 saves on 44 shots. One-fifth, or two, of his 10 Elite games played so far have resulted in shootout wins.
New England Division
Forward: Luca Tartaglia, Islanders Hockey Club
We’re just one game into the new season, and already Tartaglia is ranked among the league’s assist leaders with three helpers in his junior debut. The ‘05 with a bright future joins the Islanders out of San Mateo, Calif.
Defense: Brett Eggleston, Springfield Pics
Eggleston, a second-year Pic, rang up two assists in the Pics’ season-opnning game, and helped goaltender Shane McKonen register his first goaltending shutout. An ‘06 out of Agawam, Mass., is already a veteran, having played 17 Pics games last year.
Goaltending: Shane McKone, Springfield Pics
On Sept. 23, the ‘05 McKone earned his first junior career win and shutout when he stopped all 29 shots to defeat the Boston Junior Bruins on their home ice.
