Arizona, California, Colorado products chosen for monthly USPHL honors

The USPHL has announced its monthly player awards for the combined months of September and October, and several Arizona, California and Colorado players were recognized.

Ogden Mustangs forward Dimitri Voyatzis is the NCDC Mountain Division Forward of the Month for September-October, Bold City Battalion forward Kelton Bradshaw is the Florida Premier Division Forward of the Month, while the Tampa Bay Juniors’ Lucas Gonzalez is the Florida Elite Division Defenseman of the Month, and the Las Vegas Thunderbirds’ Nick Bonaldi is the Pacific Premier Division Defenseman of the Month, while Bakersfield Roughnecks netminder Connor Dumesnil is the Pacific Goaltender of the Month.

Voyatzis, a 2003-born Fountain Valley native, became one of the first two players in the new NCDC Mountain Division and NCDC overall this year to have played in the USPHL Premier last year and become an NCDC Player Of The Month this year.

He has the longest current scoring streak, registering points in all but the first game of the season, giving him 11 straight games in which he’s posted a 4-12-16 line, good for a 1.33 points per game average.

Voyatzis joined the NCDC Mustangs after finishing their Premier existence as the team’s third-leading scorer all-time with 125 points scored between 2021 and 2023.

During his youth hockey career, Voyatzis skated for the Anaheim Jr. Ducks.

Bradshaw, an ‘05 out of Fort Collins, started on fire out of the gate with a five-game scoring streak and also enters November on a four-game run of points.

He has been a big contributor to the expansion Battalion standing at second in the division off the bat. He has posted six goals and 11 assists for 17 points in 12 games.

Bradshaw is just one point from equaling his 30-game output from last year with the former Northern Colorado Eagles.

Back home, Bradshaw played for the Colorado Thunderbirds and Rocky Mountain RoughRiders.

A second-year USPHL veteran, Gonzalez, a 2004-born Superior native, has certainly found the perfect home in Wesley Chapel, Fla.

He is the ice time leader for Tampa Bay, averaging 22:48 per game, and he is second in plus-minus at plus-15.

Gonzalez has helped himself out in that respect by posting four goals and seven assists for 11 points in his 13 games so far.

During his youth hockey days, Gonzalez played for the Hyland Hills Jaguars.

A returning All-Star blueliner, Bonaldi, an ‘03 out of Las Vegas, is doing his thing again and it’s working yet again.

Over 111 games, he has posted 109 points from the blue line. Bonaldi has posted two goals and added 11 assists for 13 points in nine games this year, an average of 1.44 points per game.

He is also leading the T-Birds in ice time with 24:50 per contest.

During his youth hockey days, Bonaldi played for the Arizona Bobcats and Las Vegas Storm.

Dumesnil, a second-year Roughnecks goalie from Phoenix, has a spotless record thus far, standing at 6-0 with a goals-against average of

1.17 (second in the league) and a .967 save percentage (also second in the league).

The 2004 birth year has not given up any more than two goals in any one game, and he had a 34-save shut- out against Rogue Valley in his second game of the year on Oct. 1. In Arizona, Dumesnil played for the Bobcats, Jr. Coyotes, and for Pinnacle High School.

-- Compiled by Matt Mackinder

Mizuno

Continued from Page 5 game.

“My most memorable year was my 16U AAA year,” Mizuno said. “It was my first AAA season and it was a big jump from AA hockey, but with the support from coach Mike Janda, he helped me improve my game to a higher level. Coach Janda was my coach for two years during my 16U AAA and 18U AAA seasons and he supported his players on and off ice which really helped me grow as a player and as a person. I appreciate all the support he has given me throughout my career and I still keep in touch with him to this day.”

Looking ahead, Mizuno has aspirations to take hockey as far as he can.

Kodai Muzuno developed his game back home with the San Jose Jr. Sharks program. Photo provided by Kodai Mizuno

“My short-term goal for hockey is to win the league with this team,” said Mizuno. “I believe our team has the ability to do it, and I am really excited to showcase what we can do as a team this season. My long-term goal is to play for a NESCAC school. Since high school, I always wanted to excel in both academics and athletics. NESCAC schools provide the students with a high-quality education while allowing them to pursue their passion, and I believe that it will be a great fit for me.

“Hockey has always been a special way for me to connect with other people from all over the world. Hockey is one of my identities, and I hope to continue growing as a person through these unique experiences. Hockey is something truly special for me.”