All games of September and October taken into statistical account
Forward: Jay Ellingson, Minnesota Squatch
Ellingson (‘05/Maple Grove, Minn.) got an eight-game look last year with the Squatch, and now he’s jumped into his first season and up the scoring charts to second in the league at 39 points through 12 games by the end of October. He was averaging a goal per game with 12 and added a league-best 27 assists. He’s never missed the scoresheet and has hit the five-point mark three times. He also finished October with 14 points in four games at the USPHL Midwest Showcase!
Forward: Cannon Bonifay, Minnesota Squatch
Bonifay (‘04/Fort Worth, Texas) has more than lived up to his given name, firing home 17 goals in just 11 games early on this year. He’s also added 12 assists for a total of 29 points, good for 2.64 points per game. Twenty of his points came from five separate four-point performances, including four goals against Casper on Oct. 25 at the USPHL Midwest Showcase.
Forward: Easton Parnell, Isanti Outlaws
Parnell (‘03/Cambridge, Minn.) is one of the most electrifying talents of this decade for the USPHL Premier – the point where he is the leading active point-scorer in the league with 54 goals and 152 points in 124 games. He is two assists away from 100 in that category. This year, he had eight goals and 17 assists for 25 points in 15 games at the end of October.
Defense: Jacob Rude, Minnesota Squatch
Rude (‘03/Anoka, Minn.) joined the Squatch after playing 21 games in the NCDC last season and also in the Alberta Junior League, so he has plenty of Tier II experience. That has shown clearly, as he picked up five goals and 15 assists for 20 points through just 11 games for the Squatch.
Defense: Patrick Dixon, Minnesota Squatch
Dixon (‘04/Chicago, Ill.) has been helping keep the goals against the Squatch down while also doing his part for the league’s second-highest scoring offense. He posted five goals and 10 assists for 15 points and leads the Squatch in defenseman plus-minus at +20. He is also top two in defenseman shorthanded time (24:33 total).
Goaltender: Bora Yildirim, Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings
Yildirim (‘03/Praha, Czechia) put up a 4-1-0-0 record over the course of the early portion of the season, as well as a 1.18 GAA. The latter number was No. 2 in the Premier among goalies with at least 180 minutes played through the end of October. His .968 save percentage was third in that category, as well. Yildirim started the season with a 28-save shutout against Isanti and also shut out the Rockets Hockey Club with 33 saves on Oct. 8 in their first trip to New Jersey for the Hitmen Classic.
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: Jay Ellingson, Minnesota Squatch – Ellingson menaced the competition at the USPHL Midwest Showcase, posting 14 points off a 3-11-14 line.
Defense: Jacob Rude, Minnesota Squatch – Rude helped the Squatch go 3-1 at the USPHL Midwest Showcase with a line of 1-6-7 in his four games in Blaine.
Goaltender: Anthony Falzone, Dells Ducks – He put together a 42-save shutout against the Steele County Blades and then in the next day, got another win with 24 saves on 25 shots against the Decatur Blaze and stopped 25 of 27 against the Chicago Cougars, all at the USPHL Midwest Showcase.
