Games of Sept. 17-23
Southeast Division
Forward: Beau Depencier, Charlotte Rush
Fourth-year Premier veteran Depencier (‘04/Dresden, Ont.) picked up two goals and two assists for four points against the Atlanta MadHatters in a road sweep. Depencier entered this season with 100 career points and has improved to 105 in 112 games.
Defense: Logan Walz, Charlotte Rush
Walz (‘05/Phoenix, Ariz.) scored a goal and an assist – including the Sunday game-winner, his first – to help the Rush to the sweep of Atlanta.
Goaltender: Evan Crawford, Charlotte Rush
Crawford (‘04/Greenwich, Conn.) is a former Rush USPHL Elite player who has come back to Charlotte and has reigned supreme in net early on. Most recently, he stopped 59 of 60 shots playing back-to-back against Atlanta for a .983 save percentage, second in the league among goalies with multiple appearances.
Florida Division
Forward: Austin Osborn, Tampa Bay Juniors
Osborn (‘04/Haywards Heath, U.K.) registered three goals and one assist for four points in his debut weekend with the Juniors. Osborn and his twin brother and teammate Dawson are third-year Premier veterans with Nationals experience already under their belt.
Defense: Eemil Ketola, Tampa Bay Juniors
Ketola (‘05/Rauma, Finland) enjoyed a fantastic North American debut, scoring his first goal in his first game with the Juniors, and adding two more assists en route to a Juniors sweep of Palm Beach.
Goaltender: Gage Cercone, Florida Jr. Blades
Second-year Juniors veteran Cercone (‘04/Frankfort, Ill.) made 73 saves on 77 shots over two games to help the Jr. Blades to a sweep against the visiting Bold City Battalion. That gives him a .948 save percentage, putting him in the top five among goalies with multiple appearances thus far.
Summaries by Joshua Boyd