Week of Jan. 26, 2024
Games of Jan. 18-24, 2024
Summaries By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com
Atlantic Division
Forward: Tyler Hamlin, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights
It’s not often you’ll see a player score a four-goal game in an eventual loss, but that’s what Hamlin (‘05/Binghamton, N.Y.) did when he put up four against the Atlantic Division-leading P.A.L. Jr. Islanders on Jan. 20, a 10-7 Jr. Isles win. The next day, it was a much closer game but a victory for the WBS Knights, 3-2 in overtime. Hamlin scored the OT game-winner and also had an assist, giving Hamlin a 5-1-6 line for the two-game series.
Defense: Aedan Proof, Jersey Hitmen
Proof (‘04/Riverside, Calif.) joined the Hitmen this year from the prestigious Anaheim Jr. Ducks organization and has been a great addition to the Hitmen blue line. He recently helped the team earn their fifth straight victory, including four straight against Elmira over two weekends and stretching back to the USPHL Tampa Showcase that kicked off the 2024 portion of the schedule. He registered the game-winning goal in the Hitmen’s 2-1 victory against the Impact on Jan. 20. The five wins have helped the Hitmen to pull to within four points of second place in the Atlantic Division.
Goaltender: Jonathan Hager, Jersey Hitmen
On Jan. 20, Hager stopped 33 of 34 in the aforementioned close 2-1 win for the Hitmen against the Impact. The ‘05 from Rochelle Park, N.J., is a product of nearby Paramus Catholic High School and he’s played in 20 Elite games this year for the Hitmen, and he’s improved to 9-8-0-1 after winning four out of his last five games.
New England Division
Forward: Bogdan Guntypov, Islanders Hockey Club
Guntypov (‘06/Astana, Kazakhstan) was nearly a one-man show when the Islanders defeated the New England Division-leading Northern Cyclones on Jan. 24. He scored a natural hat trick, and the third goal stood up as the overtime game-winner. He also had an assist in that game and also registered an assist on the only goal in a 4-1 defeat on Jan. 21. For the season, he has 42 points in 32 games.
Defense: James Delaney, Springfield Pics
Delaney (‘05/Palmer, Mass.) is a five-year Pics and USPHL veteran who put up a 1-2-3 line recently in a split weekend featuring a loss to the Northern Cyclones and a win against the Boston Junior Bruins. His third goal of the season, against the Junior Bruins, was the game-winning goal and helped him set a new career high for single season points with 17 this year in 16 Elite games. He’s also played in five Premier games this year.
Goaltender: Mateo Lachance, Springfield Pics
Lachance (‘06/Haddam Neck, Conn.) earned his second victory of the season with flying colors, stopping 37 of 39 Junior Bruins shots. He stands with a .917 save percentage for the season thus far. Lachance had played the prior two seasons with the Pics’ 15U and 16U teams.
