By Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com
The beginning of October has come and gone and we’re well into the first full month for most teams. The Charlotte Rush remain at the No. 1 spot overall, standing with 17 points already 10 games into their 2024-25 campaign. In the Atlantic Division, both the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders and Jersey Hitmen are enjoying early heights with recent three-game winning streaks, while the new West Chester Wolves are undefeated in regulation through five games.
The Tampa Bay Juniors stand five points ahead of their Florida Division-mates, while in New England, the new Boston Jr. Rangers have taken the top spot early. They’re looking over their shoulders at the red-hot Springfield Pics, undefeated through any 60-to 65-minute game so far. The Islanders Hockey Club, undefeated in regulation through five, are another early threat to the early crown. In the new Canada Division, Hawkesbury continues to hold onto first, but Somang L-L Hockey is on a four-game point streak.
Lots to unpack, and we’ll do so by breaking down the latest for the teams that picked up at least a point per game played between Oct. 4-10.
Atlantic Division
Jersey Hitmen Stay On Hot Streak With Three Straight W’s
The Hitmen have a little ground to make up on the division-leading P.A.L. Jr. Islanders, but they’re checking off the wins one after another after another lately. After starting the month’s action with a 6-2 win against the defending National Champion Connecticut Jr. Rangers (covered in this space last week), they recently defeated the Hershey Cubs by a 2-0 score on Oct. 5 in Hershey, Pa., and then were back at the Ice Vault Thursday for a 5-2 victory against the Brooklyn Aviators. Jersey has three games this weekend against the WBS Knights, Mercer Chiefs and Rockets Hockey Club between Saturday and Monday.
- The Hitmen last started out with a 4-1-0-0 record through five games when they kicked off their inaugural Premier season of 2017-18.
- Goaltender Patrick Curtatone (‘06/Somerville, Mass.) is the only goaltender in the Premier with a sub-1.00 GAA – 0.98 to be exact – among goaltenders with at least four appearances. He is eighth overall in the league, and one of only two goalies in the top 10 of GAA with more than two appearances thus far.
P.A.L. Jr. Islanders Protect Division Lead With Three-Game Winning Run
Eight games into the season already, the Jr. Islanders stand with a 6-2-0-0 record and are sitting gingerly atop the division with a two-point lead going into this weekend. After a split weekend to end September against the second place Elmira Impact, the Jr. Islanders have started October at 2-0 with wins against the Brooklyn Aviators (9-0 on Oct. 5) and against the Red Bank Generals (6-4). P.A.L. is idle until the USPHL Jersey Hitmen Classic begins on Oct. 17.
- The two goals scored by veteran Peter Labos (‘04/Plainview, N.Y.) put him into a four-way tie for the Premier goals lead with 10 so far. Labos is just nine points from the 100-point mark in his career.
- Fellow P.A.L. returner Ryunosuke Shirozu (‘06/Japan) is tied for fifth in Premier defenseman scoring with 12 points through eight games.
West Chester Wolves Win Two, Remain Undefeated In Regulation Through Five
The Wolves have had an outstanding start to the season, going 3-0-2-0 out of the gate. They defeated the Red Bank Generals on the road, 5-2, and then also got the win against Red Bank at their home PNY Sports Arena, 4-3, on Saturday. The Wolves face Hershey on Friday and then Mercer on Saturday.
- West Chester native Aidan Urie (‘04) is leading the team in scoring with a 3-3-6 line. Urie was a member of the former Richmond Generals’ 2022 USPHL Elite National Championship team, which was coached by Wolves Hockey Program Director R.C. Lyke.
- John Feeley (‘05/Tucson, Ariz.) and Elijah Wiltshire (‘05/Palm Harbor, Fla.), both rookie junior players, share 1-0-1-0 records helping the Wolves to their early success.
Elmira Impact Go 2-1-0-0 Over Week, Remain In Top 10 For Points
The Impact won two in a row following a 3-0 shutout loss to the Rockets Hockey Club on Oct. 5. The Impact came right back to defeat the Rockets, 7-3, and then on Oct. 10, they defeated the Connecticut Jr. Rangers by a 4-3 score in a shootout. The Impact face the Jr. Rangers again Friday, and then the WBS Knights on Monday.
- Entering Friday, the top four in power play points were entirely owned by Impact players. Brandon Jung (‘04/Ann Arbor, Mich.) leads the league in points at 11 and assists with nine. Eloi Robert (‘06/Granby, Que.) has eight PP points, while Michael Bottrell (‘04/Everett, Ont.) and Karson Grainey (‘05/Mount Union, Pa.) with seven apiece.
- Impact goalie Riley Gorman (‘04/Odessa, Texas) is ranked second in saves in the league with 280.
Wilkes-Barre Scranton Knights Improve To 4-3-0-0
The Knights are moving up the charts in the Atlantic Division, coming off of an Oct. 4 win against the Brooklyn Aviators by a 6-2 score. The Knights draw the Hitmen on Saturday and the Impact on Monday, both on the road.
- Peter Toth (‘05/Budapest, Hungary) scored his third game-winning goal in the space of three games against Brooklyn. He is currently tied with Montreal’s Olivier Sirois for the league lead in GWG’s.
- Goaltender Gusts Valantis (‘06/Riga, Latvia) made 23 saves for his first junior win against Brooklyn, after coming out of the prestigious Nashville Jr. Predators and Rockets Hockey Club (THF) midget programs.
Rockets Take Two Points, Connecticut Earns One
The Rockets Hockey Club split their series against Elmira, winning 3-0 and falling 7-3, enough to keep them in a tie for third in points in the 11-team Atlantic Division.
The Connecticut Jr. Rangers are three games into their title defense season, but have only been able to go 0-1-1 out of the gate, falling 4-3 in a shootout to Elmira on Oct. 10.
Canada Division
Montreal Black Vees Win Two In A Row To Bump Into Second
The Montreal Black Vees are making their big move to push into first in the Canada Division with a recent run of two wins in a row and seven points in their last five games going back into September. They defeated the division-leading Hawkesbury Knights, 4-2, on Oct. 5, and then put up an 8-2 victory against the Kingston Wranglers on Oct. 6. They face the Wranglers again on Oct. 12.
- The Black Vees’ Olivier Sirois (‘07/Montreal, Que.) picked up his third game-winning goal in the game against the Knights, which sees him tied for the league lead.
- Sirois and Charles-Emile Clermont (‘06/St-Jean-sur-Richelieu) are tied for the team lead in scoring with 10 points apiece.
Universel Collège Gatineau Unbeaten In Regulation In Three Games
Gatineau’s Universel squad has jumped up above the .500 mark overall with a recent 1-0-1-0 stand, and they’re unbeaten over their last three in regulation. Recently, they defeated their Universel brethren on the Universel Sherbrooke team, 6-4, on Saturday and then came up just short in OT against Hawkesbury, 5-4. Gatineau faces Somang Hockey on Saturday.
- Derek Petitpas (‘06/Aylmer, Que.) leads the Gatineau squad with an 8-7-15 line in 10 games, though all were scored through his first nine. Hawkesbury snapped his scoring streak, which remains tied for the second longest so far this year.
- Marcus Gomes (‘05/Beaconsfield, Que.) stands in a tie with several other players for second in goaltending wins with four.
Somang L-L Hockey
Somang has been on the move in the Canada Division, recently going 3-0-1-0 entering Friday, including their most recent victory against Kingston, as they won 6-1 on Oct. 5. As mentioned above, there’ll be a big showdown with the equally strong Gatineau squad on Saturday.
- Somang has been able to outshoot their opponents in each of their four victories this season and are undefeated when outshooting foes.
- Caleb Rashleigh (‘06/Corner Brook, N.S.) and Janis Labovskis (‘06/Riga, Latvia) are co-leading the team in scoring with 11 points.
Hawkesbury Goes 1-1 To Kick Off October
The division-leading Knights improved to 7-4-0-0, bouncing back with a 5-4 win over Gatineau in overtime, after they fell on Oct. 5 against the Black Vees (4-2).
New England Division
Springfield Pics Win Two, Stay Undefeated In Regulation Through Six Games
The Pics started their October schedule with a 4-3 win over the South Shore Kings, another team with five wins on their season. The next day, the Cyclones picked up a key 2-1 victory against the Northern Cyclones in a shootout. The Pics are in Utica on Friday and Saturday, and they face the Junior Bruins Sunday.
- The Pics matched their best start in terms of points, with their current 5-0-0-1 record, as they went 5-0-1-0 in 2020-21.
- Justin Hooper (‘05/Coconut Creek, Fla.) leads the way with a 3-9-12 line in six games. Goalies Cade Rose (‘06/Apex, N.C.) and Troy Huber (‘05/Framingham, Mass.) are both undefeated in regulation at 3-0-0-0 and 2-0-0-1, respectively.
Utica Jr Comets Take First Two Victories Of Season At Home
The Jr. Comets rebounded from pair of season-opening losses in New Hampshire by defeating the first-year Worcester Railers Junior Hockey Club in a pair of midweek games, 5-3 and 3-1. Utica hosts the Pics on Friday and Saturday.
- Early returns are good on the penalty killing front, as the Jr. Comets have given up zero power play goals on their opponents’ first 13 opportunities.
- Jack Magill (‘06/Hollywood, Md.) has started out with a 2-4-6 line to lead the Jr. Comets. Magill is a junior rookie with experience in the Atlantic Hockey Federation.
Thunder Hockey Club Earn Second Straight Shutout Win
The Thunder were on fire over their fourth and fifth games. The former was their final game at the BJB Shootout, an 8-0 win over Kingston. They followed that on Oct. 4 with a 7-0 victory. The Thunder host the Worcester Railers in their only action this weekend on Friday.
- Matt Barnard (‘05/Valley Cottage, N.Y.) won both shutouts, stopping 22 and then 38 saves in the Oct. 4 victory. He is tied with the Cyclones’ Cameron Prodin for the league shutout lead.
Three Teams Win One, Lose One
The Boston Jr. Rangers won and lost over the week, but remain in first place overall at 7-2-0-0 in New England as a brand new team to the league. They fell in the aforementioned 7-0 shutout by the Thunder Hockey Club, but came back to defeat the Junior Bruins on Oct. 8 by a 3-2 score.
Ahead of the Junior Bruins’ loss to the Jr. Rangers, they had defeated the Worcester Jr. Railers by the same score on Oct. 6 for their second win on the year.
The South Shore Kings went 1-1 against the Springfield Pics (4-3 loss) and Islanders Hockey Club (4-3 OT win).
Additionally, the Northern Cyclones (2-1 shootout loss to the Pics on Oct. 5) and Islanders Hockey Club (4-3 OT loss to the Kings) took a point away from their only games between Oct. 4-10.
Florida Division
Tampa Bay Juniors Take Five-Point Lead In Florida Division After Two Wins
The Juniors swept the Florida Jr. Blades over the Oct. 4-5 in a home-and-home series to improve to 7-1-0-0 on the season. Their 14 points are giving them a healthy lead over the second-place Bold City Battalion, who are at nine points. They won 5-1 on Friday and 5-3 on Saturday. The Juniors are off until Oct. 19.
- The Juniors have only put up 14 points in eight games once before, back in 2020-21 when they also went 7-1-0-0.
- Eemil Ketola (‘05/Rauma, Finland) put up five assists over the past week, giving him eight total for the year, which places him fifth in the USPHL Premier in helpers.
Bold City Battalion Earn Single Victory To Stand At 3-1-2-1
The Battalion played just one game so far in October – winning 7-4 at Palm Beach on Saturday. The two points earned were enough to keep them in second place entering this weekend, when they are idle from game action. The Battalion, along with four other Florida teams, are off from game action this weekend.
- The Battalion came back from being down 2-1 after the first period against Palm Beach, and they are now 1-0-1-0 when trailing after two periods.
- Veteran Kelton Bradshaw (‘04/Fort Collins, Colo.) leads the team with eight points in seven games, and Raymond Thompson (‘06/Orange Park, Fla.) has gone 1-0-1-1 with a 1.58 GAA and a .955 save percentage in goal.
Southeast Division
Charlotte Rush Remain In Top Spot Of League Entering Friday
The Rush did enough in their recent series against the Potomac Patriots to remain first by a point at 17 points heading into Friday. They were 7-0-2-1, after falling in OT on Oct. 5 against Potomac by a 4-3 score, and then coming back the next day to win 6-5, also in OT. Charlotte makes the trip to Hampton Roads this weekend.
- No other team has come within five points of the Rush’s 11 points earned beyond regulation already this season. They’ve gone to OT five times (3-2 record there) and they are 1-1 in shootouts, counting for seven of their 10 games going into bonus hockey.
- Levente Pakozdi (‘04/Hungary) put up 17 points in his first 10 games and completed a hat trick with the OT game-winner on Sunday. He was in on all six points in that game.
Carolina Jr Hurricanes Take Win, Shootout Loss
The Jr. Canes earned three points to inch up a little bit, although with a lot of ground still to cover in the Southeast Division. They enjoyed their biggest win of the year so far with a 6-1 defeat of the Hampton Roads Whalers on Oct. 5, and then fell 3-2 in a shootout to the Whalers. The Jr. Canes make a trip to Atlanta to face the Florida Division’s MadHatters.
- The Jr. Canes were tied 2-2 – and scored the fourth goal of the game – after the second period on Sunday before falling in the shootout. They have earned three of their seven points this year when tied after two periods.
- Former USPHL Elite All-Star goalie Ryan Kalina (‘05/Raleigh, N.C.) has both wins for the Jr. Hurricanes – USPHL Advancement in action.
Potomac Patriots Earn Three Points Against Charlotte
The Patriots improved to 6-3-1-0 for 13 points, four behind the division-and league-leading Rush. As seen above, the Patriots defeated the Rush, 4-3, in OT and then fell the next day in OT, 6-5. The Patriots are off until they enter the USPHL Jersey Hitmen Classic on Oct. 19.
- The series with the Rush is neck-and-neck pretty much already, after the Patriots went 3-2-1-0 against Charlotte last year.
- Yovanni Flores (‘04/Los Angeles, Calif.) put up a hat trick – all on the power play – in the 4-3 overtime win against Charlotte. That moved him into a five-way tie for the league lead with four PP goals so far.
Hampton Roads Closes First October Weekend At .500
They went 1-1 for the weekend, and the Whalers are also .500 overall at 4-4-1-1 in their first 10 games. They fell 6-1 in their first game against Carolina and then came back to defeat the Whalers 3-2 in their second shootout of the season.
