By Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com
For the Great Lakes and Midwest Divisions, all eyes this week are on Mount Clemens, Mich., site of the USPHL Detroit Showcase. There could be some serious movement in those divisions, while additional teams from the Atlantic and Canada Divisions also join the fray. Elsewhere, the Vernal Oilers continue their dominance and they are 19-0 heading into this weekend. They lead the league overall, as well. The Lake Tahoe Lakers, who were idle from game action last weekend, are just one point behind the Oilers and could retake first place with a big showing against the Henderson Force. The North Division sees a current tie for first place and a very tight pack, as expected for that always close division.
Below, we’ll focus on the teams in each division who had the best stretch of games from Nov. 15 through Nov. 20.
Northwest Division
Vernal Oilers Close To Challenging Record For Best Start
The Oilers are getting ever closer to the 20-0 run put up by the Metro Jets in the 2021-22 season, which they can match with their next victory. The Oilers stepped out of the Northwest Division for their second weekend in a row, facing the host Bakersfield Roughnecks. The Oilers defeated the Roughnecks, 5-1, 6-2 and 8-2. They face the Iron County Yeti on Nov. 23, where they’ll have the ability to match the Jets’ record – and if they get the win there, they’ll have the chance to set a new record on Dec. 6 against the Colorado Fighting Elk.
- With nine assists against the Roughnecks, Kasper Pohjala (‘05/Helsinki, Finland) bumped into the top 15 of overall scoring with 39 points, and also into second in league-wide assists with 31 total on the year. Roni Alanko (‘05/Helsinki, Finland) also earned a spot in the Top 15 with 37 points.
- Alanko also tied teammate Nick Moore (‘04/Campbellcroft, Ont.) in power play goals with eight apiece to lead the league.
Elsewhere In The Northwest Division
- The Bellingham Blazers claimed a pair of victories against the Bremerton Sockeyes last weekend, winning 11-3 and 4-1 on Nov. 15 and 16, giving the Blazers a jump above the .500 mark to 10-9-0-0 overall. The Blazers’ 20 points after 19 games is a new best for their three seasons at this almost mid-season milepost. Their previous best was nine points last season.
Great Lakes Division
Cherokee Earn Weekend Sweep To Improve To First Place In Division
The Toledo Cherokee entered last weekend in a tie with the Metro Jets and utilized a pair of wins to move into first place alone. Both the wins were shutouts, coming against the Red River Spartans (5-0) and the Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones (2-0) on Nov. 15 and 16, respectively.
- Caleb Kril (‘04/Dexter, Mich.) put up 61 saves over the course of the two games for the back-to-back shutouts. He pushed himself into the top five overall in goals against average at 1.43, good for third. Teammate Austin Nowak (‘04/Sylvania, Ohio) is fourth at 1.44. The two goaltenders also share spots in the top four in save percentage – Nowak is tied for first at .953, and Kril is fourth at .949.
- The Cherokee have been at 15-2-0-0, their current record, three times after 17 games in the last four years – with 2021-22 and 2022-23 showing the same points at the same milepost. In 2023-24, they had 28 points after 17 games.
Elsewhere In The Great Lakes Division
- The Columbus Mavericks went 2-1-0-0 over the past week, maintaining their third place spot in the Great Lakes Division. They currently stand at 12-9-0-0 overall, very near to the exact mid-point of their 44-game season. On Nov. 15, they defeated the Fresh Coast Freeze by a 10-2 score and 8-2 against the same team on Nov. 16. They fell to the Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones, 5-4, on Nov. 17.
- The Battle Creek Kernels won their only game of the past week, and they entered the USPHL Detroit Showcase on a two-game winning streak. They defeated the Metro Jets Development Program, 5-2, on Nov. 16. They remain tied with the Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones for fifth in the division.
- The Metro Jets defeated the Red River Spartans by a decisive margin, and like Toledo, they are also on a 2-0 run and they stand two points behind the Cherokee for the midseason first place race heading into the showcase.
North Division
Three-Point Weekend Gives Riverkings Share Of First Place
The Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings earned points in three games against the first place Minnesota Squatch last weekend in a true clash of North titans. Both were outstanding one-goal contests, with the Squatch winning the first, 4-3, in a shootout on Friday night and then the Riverkings coming back to win 5-4 in regulation on Saturday. The Squatch were previously sitting solo in first place in the division and now have company with the Riverkings tying for that first place spot as the midseason point nears for both squads. The Riverkings are 2-0-0-1 in their last three games.
- Emil Obstfelder (‘06/Oslo, Norway) is the Riverkings’ top scorer with 29 points in 19 games, including five points over his last three straight.
- Deaken Shaw (‘06/West Valley City, Utah) is one of only five goalies to remain completely undefeated after at least five games. He and Caleb Kril of Toledo are both 7-0-0-0. The league leader is Levente Hegedus of Vernal, at 15-0-0-0. Caleb Rose, of Springfield, is 5-0-0-0, and the Metro Jets’ Rostislav Efremov is 6-0-0-0.
Elsewhere In The North Division
- The Northwest Express went 2-1-0-0 to remain in third place with 27 points. They defeated the Steele County Blades, 8-4, on Nov. 15, before falling to the Blades, 6-4, on Nov. 17. In between, they defeated the Minnesota Blue Ox, 6-3.
- The Blades, as aforementioned, split with the Express. They also got a decisive win against the Isanti Outlaws, picking up a team-record 14 goals for a single game.
- The Minnesota Mullets played in just one game, but picked up a win there to remain in fourth place in the division. They defeated Isanti, 4-1, on Nov. 15. It was their third straight game at University of Minnesota’s Ridder Arena (and final, for this season).
Midwest Division
Chicago Crush Are Unbeaten In Regulation, Overtime Through Four Games
Entering their first game at the Detroit Showcase on Thursday, the Crush were enjoying a 3-0-0-1 run. They have been able to move up from fourth in the division last week to third, currently. The Crush faced the Dells Ducks last weekend in a Midwest vs. North crossover series. The Ducks won the Friday game 6-5 in a shootout, before the Crush came back to win 7-4 on Saturday in regulation.
- The Crush have a trio of players leading the team with 14 points, including veterans Caden Day (‘05/Batavia, Ill.), Spencer Kauke (‘05/Rockford, Ill.) and Peter White (‘04/Rockford, Ill.) with 189 combined Premier games between them.
- The “success by committee” continues in goal, as both Lukas Janicina (‘06/Bratislava, Slovakia) and Patrick Johansen (‘05/Olso, Norway) have three wins apiece for the 6-2-1-1 Crush.
Elsewhere In The Midwest Division
The Decatur Blaze earned three points in their series against the Motor City Gamblers, winning 6-2 and falling 3-2 in overtime. The Blaze more than doubled their point total going into the weekend and are now tied for fifth with the Gamblers.
Pacific Division
It was a bit of a quiet week in the Pacific Division, with only two teams earning victories and both coming in single games. The San Diego Sabers defeated the Henderson Force, 5-2, on Nov. 15. The Ontario Jr. Reign were 8-2 winners against the Ontario Jr. Reign. They both improved their points total and remain in third (San Diego) and fourth (Ontario) just as they entered last weekend.
