Week of Sept. 28, 2023
(Games Played Sept. 8-24)
Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com
Southeast Division
Forward: Siamion Marshchanok, Potomac Patriots
Marshchanok (‘05/Minsk, Belarus) has returned to the Patriots and is possibly even more dangerous than last year. After his 21 points in 17 games last year, he’s already earned 15 points through just four contests. That gave him a 3.75 points per game average, by far the best in the Premier Division so far.
Defense: Peter Keese, Charlotte Rush
Keese (‘03/Minnetonka, Minn.) brings a sense of familiarity to the Rush as he carries now five seasons of Premier experience, but he has a new spark in the eyes of Head Coach Trevor Jewell. “It was his first weekend back in a Rush uniform and he performed exactly the way we expected. He was blocking shots and leading rushes, capitalizing on the power play and led the team to two big wins. He was a force all over the ice and has consistently been a presence on USPHL ice.” In two games, he has a goal and an assist.
Goaltending: Peter Baldwin, Charlotte Rush
Baldwin (‘04/Chicago, Ill.) had a great start to his junior career, thanks to making 30 saves on 31 shots in a big 6-1 victory against the Atlanta MadHatters on Sept. 24. The former Esmark Star is hoping to continue the long tradition of keeping Rush goaltenders among the league leaders.
Florida Division
Forward: Noah Trathen, Florida Eels
The ‘03 right out of Fort Myers, hometown also of the Eels, jumped into his third season with some fire, posting a 4-3-7 line in a three-game series against the Atlanta MadHatters. He started with a 2-1-3 line in Game 1, and added a goal and an assist in each of the next two games.
Defense: Eoin Reager, Atlanta MadHatters
The third-year USPHL veteran, Reager (‘03/Foxborough, Mass.) has tapped back into the same vein of energy and outstanding two-way play he’s exhibited since being a USPHL Elite All-Star in 2021-22. He has scored one goal and added five assists (all on the power play) for six points in five games.
Goaltender: Onni Taskila, Bold City Battalion
Taskila (‘03/Vantaa, Finland) is now a third-year USPHL Premier veteran and he showed it with his new team, the brand new Bold City Battalion of Jacksonville, Fla. He made 17 saves for a #ShutoutShoutout in the Battalion’s franchise debut on Sept. 22. Two days later, he stopped 34 of 37 in a close overtime loss to the Florida Jr. Blades, giving him 51 saves on 54 shots for a .944 save percentage.
