US MIDGET HOCKEY REPORT
Program Spotlights
U16 NorthStar Knights – 4W- 0L – 0T
The NorthStar Knights went 4-0 this weekend, earning 12 points while posting the showcase’s 3rd strongest goal differential (23GF – 5FA). They are a strong skating team that works consistently hard in all 3 zones. They play a good team-game and their entire lineup works to support the play, so they are constantly able to outnumber their opponents around the puck. Their lines work as a cohesive unit and the whole team battles hard until every whistle.
Prospects
Luke Schelter – 2004’ Forward, NorthStar Knights – 6G, 2A, 8pts. Schelter is a smooth skating center with strong offensive upside. He plays with his head up and has a quick, accurate release that trips up goalies. He keeps himself in shooting position and has a wrist shot that pops off his blade. He’s patient on zone entry, distributing at the right moments before crashing through the slot to get into shooting space. He’s not afraid to battle in front and he has a strong combination of hockey sense and strong technical skill.
Brayden Berg – 2004’ Forward, NorthStar Knights – 5G, 2A, 7Pts. Berg is a dynamic wing who plays much bigger than his stature. He has good quickness with a strong turnover and smooth mobility. He constantly keeps his feet moving through each shift and is effective at chipping pucks into open space so that he can use his speed to create chances. Despite being undersized he isn’t afraid to mix things up along the wall, and his speed allows him to get in quick as F1 and disrupt the breakout. He is dangerous off the rush because he uses his speed to push the pace of play in transition and is able to slip behind defenders. He is going to need to keep getting stronger so that he can fight through checks at the next level, but he has good upside.
CJ Kier – 2004’ Goaltender, NorthStar Knights - Because his team plays a strong game in front of him Kier wasn’t peppered with shots, but he consistently came up big when the team needed him. He has a good frame and he moves fluidly in net with minimal wasted motion. He tracks the play well and stays square to shooters. His quickness and technical positioning allow him to take away open net, and he doesn’t get rattled easily by traffic in front.
U16 Blue Ox U16 – 3W-1L(SO.)
The Blue Ox 16U team picked up 10 points this weekend, earning 3 wins (with their lone loss coming in a shootout). They posted the tournament’s 2nd strongest goal differential with an impressive 38 goals for while giving up only 6 against over 4 games. They are an opportunistic team that uses their speed to capitalize on their opponent’s mistakes. They don’t play a tight positional game but can be dangerous in transition and they have a balanced lineup that can maintain pressure and bury shots.
Prospects
Joe Schiller – 2004’ Defenseman, Blue Ox – 0G, 4A, 4pts. Schiller is a smooth skating defenseman that is a catalyst for his squad. He has a quick 1st step, good lateral mobility and he moves well across blueline. He constantly plays with his head up and is always looking to create opportunity. He can lead the line-rush, and his quick hands and feet allow him to quarterbacks play from up top on the blueline. He uses his feet well to evade the forecheck and open up passing lanes for his forwards, but he needs to learn to be ok making the simple pass if that’s all that is available
U16 Florida Alliance 5-0-0
The Florida Alliance were the team to beat this weekend in the U16 division, posting a dominating 5-0 record which included 4 shutout victories. Their potent offense tallied 44 goals while only sacrificing 2 against. They have good team speed and are dangerous attacking off the rush but can also pin teams deep with relentless cycles and puck support from all 5 players. A well-coached group, they play hard at both ends of the ice and do all of the little things to be successful.
Prospects
Jake Richard – 2004’ Forward – 14G, 8A, 22pts. – Richard led the showcase in scoring this weekend. He’s a strong center who explodes into shooting lanes and attacks the net with speed. He’s physically strong, good on draws, and wins battles along the wall. He creates havoc in the slot, has great instincts around the net and showed goal-scoring touch all weekend. His edge strength has room for improvement but he’s a powerful skater who shows good straight-line separation speed in open ice.
Danny Krolivec – 2004’ Forward – 8G, 2A, 10pts. Krolivec was part of a dominant line for the Alliance that seemed to control play every time they were on the ice. He has a strong skating base and he isn’t afraid to mix things up along the wall. He has fast hands and the ability to quickly get in and out of tight space with the puck. He shows strong hockey IQ and does a good job finding soft space around the net. More than a few times he showed great vision off the rush, and he’s a player who always seems to be around the puck.
Zach Zelmanski – 2004 ‘ Defenseman– 4G, 3A, 7pts. Zelmanski finished the weekend with the second most points among defenseman. He’s a smooth skating D with a balanced skill-set and good 4-way mobility. His quick first step allows him to jump into shooting lanes and he looks to activate when he can off the rush. His defensive decision making needs some polish, but he has an active stick around his net, and he moves the puck quickly and efficiently off the breakout.
Rocky Mountain
U18
Colorado Rampage 7W-1L-0T- The Rampage have been on an absolute tear of late as they have gone 6 and 0 after they were defeated by the in-state rival Rocky Mountain Roughriders back in early September. The group took a trip to Tennessee this past weekend and were able to secure wins over the Dallas Stars Elite, Nashville Jr Predators and the JR Flyers.
Rocky Mountain Roughriders- 6W-5L-0T- Coach Smail’s group has been up and down in the month of September as the team is still trying to find their consistency. As in years past, this team will get better with time, but for right now they need to bounce back from losing two straight to Carshield.
U16
Colorado Thunderbirds- 9W-0L-1T- This team is trying to make a case for not only being the top team in the Rocky Mountain District but in all of u16 hockey. Their average margin of victory has been four goals and their only hiccup has been to a draw against a good Carshield team. The Thunderbirds have 6 Phase 1 USHL Draft picks and will be sure to have several Phase 2 picks this year.
Photo Credit - Colorado Thunderbirds
U15
Dallas Stars Elite- 11W-3L-0T- Dallas spent most of the early part of September in the state of Texas playing their local opponents as tune ups. They struggled in their first two AAA games against the Thunderbirds and Jr. Ducks, but have responded nicely with 7 straight victories over AAA opponents. They rattled off four straight shutouts in the win streak and have a team GAA of 0.57 in the stretch.
Atlantic District
U18
Little Flyers- 6W-4L-0T- Dave Dorman’s group has taken a step up in competition this year and have responded extremely well. Although, they are still finding their consistency they have beaten teams they should be beating and battling more talented groups. This team can be sneaky good in the AYHL this year.
Jersey Hitmen- 1W-4L-1T- This USPHL power has not gotten off to a strong start as they are struggling to be on the winning side of close games. Their schedule to start the year is tougher than in years past, still look for this team to be in the thick of things in the USPHL playoff race at the end of the year.
U16
Junior Flyers- 10W-2L-0T- This year’s version of the Junior Flyers looks to be a deep team that plays a 200’ game. They recently travelled down to Tennessee and took care of business against the Colorado Rampage, Nashville Jr Predators and lost in overtime to the Dallas Stars Elite.
U15
North Jersey Avalanche- 8W-1L-2T- At the 15u level this is the deepest team in the district as they can roll four lines and out work any opponent. They are highly skilled and well structured, and recently had a tremendous performance at the Yale Jamboree going 3-0 with a combined score of 16-1.
Rockets Hockey Club- 8W-4L-3T- Not far behind the Avalanche are the Rockets Hockey Club who have taken care of business in their own right. They are not as deep but their top end skill players can carry the load. Two disappointing performances against the Jr. Flyers are concerning for this group.
Junior Flyers- 7W-3L-2T- The Junior Flyers started the season off hot but recently have cooled down after a trip to Tennessee where they went 1-3. They have the ability to show up and beat any team on any given night which they showed against the Rockets early in the month.
U14
New Jersey Titans- 2W-0L-0T- The Titans opened up their season with a convincing victory over the Connecticut Elite Hockey Academy. They are a skilled team that has the ability to grow this year into a very solid group
Valley Forge Minutemen- 1W-2L-1T- A tough opening schedule for the Minutemen but they showed very well despite the record. This team is lead by a group of forwards that can really push the pace against their opponents. As they begin to gel you will see this team rattle off more vic
Southeastern District
U18
Team Maryland-7W-3L-0T- Maryland has traveled north to play in a few showcases and has done well. Take away their two wins vs AA opponents this team has 5 victories against quality AAA programs. They will be a tough out once they getting going in the AYHL.
U16
Florida Alliance-5W-0L-0T- The Alliance travelled up to the NAPHL showcase and took care of business as they only allowed two goals in a 5-game stretch. This Alliance team has showed they can skate and produce offense at a very high rate. Their schedule begins to pick up in October so we will monitor their progression.
U15
Florida Alliance-2W-2L-0T- This team was tested in their opening weekend playing in the Minnesota Blades showcase. They were able to defeat the two Michigan teams they faced HoneyBaked and Little Caesars but dropped games vs the Blades and Team Wisconsin. The team will gather the attention of scouts across the country.
Washington Little Caps- 7W-1L-0T- A pleasant surprise early in the year so far, as they have travelled and took care of business in the middle part of the country. They notched big wins vs the Minnesota Blizzard and St. Louis Blues over the course of September.