Rubber Hockey - October 2022

After more than two years... WE’RE BACK!

More than 3,100 USPHL alumni skate in college hockey during ‘21-22 season

With college hockey back in full swing in 2021-22, the re vitalized (and expanded) land scape reopened to some of the best USPHL alumni in the nearly 10-year history of the league.

The 2022-23 season will, in fact, mark the 10th anniversary of the USPHL’s inaugural season of 2013-14.

More than 3,100 USPHL alumni - from all levels of US PHL Midget and Junior Hockey - hit the ice for teams at all divi sions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), College Hockey Federation (CHF) and USports, of Canada.

Several hours of research were undertaken by USPHL Media staff that involved reviewing col

lege hockey rosters and utilizing the fantastic “Where Are They Now” tool on EliteProspects. com.

From there, USPHL staff removed du plicate play ers, those who played in more than one US PHL league, in order to count each individual college hockey player only once.

The TuitionFree Tier II NCDC featured more than 390 individuals who had played exclusively in the NCDC prior to moving on to college hockey for 2021-22.

Including players who had also played in other USPHL levels, that number climbs to 754.

Just over 1,000 individuals who had only played in the US PHL Premier skated in college hockey in 2021-22, and another 500 came out of the USPHL Elite only. Including players who had played in other USPHL levels, the combined number for Premier and Elite was closer to 2,400.

There were more than 1,360 advancements by players who have skated in any or all of the

USPHL Midget Divisions (18U, 16U and 15U - as well as the 15U predecessor, 16U Futures) to skate in college hockey in 2021-22.

Removing duplicates of play ers who moved between leagues, the number of individuals play ing college hockey who played in just the USPHL Midget Divi sions tops 1,000.

For the 2021-22 season, there were over 300 college com mitments from all levels of the USPHL, including more than 90 from the NCDC, including 32 advancing to the NCAA Divi sion I level.

To learn more about how you can become part of the USPHL, go to USPHL.com.

--USPHL Media Staff USPHL.com

Colorado native Cody Mastay skated two seasons for the Metro Jets and will start his NCAA Division III career at Ar cadia University in 2022-23.

Photo: G-Force Photography

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Words from the publisher...

It’s been a long two-plus years, but Rubber Hockey is back in a digital format!

While we are no longer print ing, since the summer of 2020, we have adjusted our strategy to continue getting the word out about all the good hockey news in Arizona/New Mexico, Califor nia/Nevada, and Colorado/Utah through those three websites and social media channels.

Needless to say, we are still here!

The pandemic forced us to step back and reassess how to keep Rubber afloat, and since June 2020, that has been via our web sites and Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

Now, it’s time to take that next step forward with the relaunch of Rubber in a digital format!

I think you’ll enjoy the redesigned look and format combining all three into one, and that the content is flowing as usual.

Throughout the pandemic, we all were forced to get out of our comfort zones and adjust to what life was throwing at us.

knew we had to stick it out and one day, we’d be where we are right now, and that’s looking forward with eternal optimism.

Yes, the world has changed, and with that, so has Rubber, but like we have done for so many years, what hasn’t changed is our commit ment to bringing you all the great stories from across the hockey world in Arizona, California and Colorado.

Yes it’s October and the kids are back in school, but do you know what else that means?

HOCKEY SEASON!

Teams have been set for a while now, schedules made, and games and tournaments are in full swing.

You love to see it!

So yes, am I excited to be back and have Rubber looking like this?

You’re darn right!

Mackinder

I am proud to say that when

Rubber, like so many other small businesses, was thrown a nasty curveball, we stepped up to the plate and found a way to keep swinging.

Giving up would have been the easy way out, but with all the his tory we have built with Rubber and everyone involved since 2006, I

With that being said, take a look at our new digital edition and let me know what you think.

We have some fantastic advertis ing and publishing partners and have plenty of room to keep grow ing.

Feel free to contact me to learn more about how your organization can get featured in the pages of Rubber Hockey.

Can we keep growing and get as many players and teams as we can into this monthly digital edition?

You bet!

Hockey has always been one big family, so let’s keep that going as well.

As always, contact me any time at (248) 890-3944 (call/text) and by email at matt@rubberhockey. com. Looking forward to hearing from you!

AHU’s Wilson looking to take program’s goaltenders to next level

BY MATT MACKINDER

Trevor Wilson was a goaltender during his playing days and hopes to pass on his knowledge of the position to the same players at the Arizona Hockey Union.

Wilson joined AHU last season as its first goalie director and is back again for 2022-23 to take the pro verbial next step.

“Following junior hockey, I re turned home to attend Arizona State University where I played for the club hockey team during the 201213 season,” said Wilson. “I was quickly approached by the team’s PA announcer who was seeking goalie assistance for his son at the Arizona Hockey Union. I happily agreed and found myself on the ice that following week working with goalies on the Pee Wee team. That same session, I was approached by the Squirt’s head coach to assist with their goalies, too.

“Before I knew it, I was working with multiple teams at the Union and continued to support through out the years until I was brought in as the first goalie director this past year.”

Wilson said his coaching back ground goes as far back as his teen age years to when he was just 15.

“I have always been passion ate about the game, and I would volunteer to demonstrate drills and assist coaches with traveling camps to help better my own skills,” Wil son said. “Ice time was valuable here in Arizona, and I wanted as much time to practice as possible. What first was about focusing on my skills soon turned into a pas sion for developing others. When I turned 17, I was recruited to play for Lake Forest Academy in Chi cago under their head coach Darrin Madeley. It was during my time at LFA where my true passion for coaching started to present itself.

Madeley, a former NHL goalie, be came the team’s head coach follow ing his playing career and I believe working under him allowed me to discover this side of the game.

At the time, he also served as the goalie coach for the local youth hockey team, the Vernon Hills Ice Dogs. I had approached him with interest in coaching and he imme diately allowed me to assist. Before

I knew it, I had taken over for him as the Ice Dogs goalie coach where I heavily focused on Mites and Squirts.

“Overall, my coaching style is very reminiscent of what I learned from Madeley and includes what I wish I would have had growing up as a young goalie in Arizona. I want to provide these kids with a more personal and skill-heavy experience that was not available to me in my youth.”

During the 2021-22 campaign, Wilson noticed a huge improve ment in the AHU netminders at all levels.

“Goalie-specific coaching had not been viewed as a necessity during my youth hockey career in Ari zona,” explained Wilson. “When I

began overseeing the program this past season, I wanted to be part of the change on that opinion and provide a better experience to these kids that was not available when I was younger. Growing up, you could choose to pay for goalie-spe cific private lessons, or you simply went without. I fell into the latter category.

“This season, I wanted to make the goalies more of a focus and make goalie coaching a priority at AHU. These efforts included bringing in goalie-specific coaches to team practices and reserving a weekly ice slot dedicated solely to goalie skills. The weekly goalieonly sessions are a pretty incredible offering from AHU. We have a ded icated staff of four goalie coaches on the ice, each running their own station targeting a different skill. This allowed each goalie in the program to gain exposure to all goalie coaches and created a sense of community amongst our goalies at all ages.”

As the older goalies improve with the Union, Wilson said that stroke of confidence trickles down to the younger divisions.

“I have also noticed this sense of community has bled over into the kids themselves with the older goal ies becoming role models for the younger goalies and a natural class room has been created on the ice,” Wilson noted. “I have noticed at times that our Mite and Squirt goal ies will intently view the 16U and 18U goalies completing their drills and will listen to the directions of coaches more closely. I’ve noticed the younger kids will attempt to replicate those directions and efforts when completing their own repeti tions. It has been amazing to watch the growth. I believe this type of visual education has gone much farther than we anticipated and has created a drive in the younger kids that did not exist prior.

“AHU has also allowed me to be innovative in practice and has supported my passion in exploring modern products on the market. I spend quite a bit of time research ing goalie coaches around the country and when I see a product I believe our kids will enjoy, I reach out to AHU with a plan on enact ing. They’ve been very open to my ideas, and you can see that translate to the teams on the ice. Every skills session is new, fun, and unique while we discover what the best methods are in training the next generation of goalies. We’ve had a lot of fun and we plan to bring this sense of innovation and community into the next few seasons.”

Now with a dedicated plan in place, Wilson is expecting the AHU goalies to get better and better each time they hit the ice this season.

“This season will focus on push ing our goalies to become engaged students of the game,” said Wilson.

“We want to encourage them to be forward-thinking on improv ing their own skills on their own

Trevor Wilson goes over the fine details with Arizona Hockey Union goal tenders during the 2021-22 hockey season. Photo provided by Trevor Wilson

Inland Empire Tournament Series kicks off ’22-23 season with 14 winners crowned at Sun & Surf Labor Day Tournament

The Inland Empire Tournament Series, created and hosted by the Jr. Reign, kicked off its 2022-23 season Sept. 2-5 with the Sun & Surf Labor Day Tournament at Icetown Carlsbad, Icetown Riverside, On tario Center Ice and Toyota Arena.

A total of 14 teams brought home championship banners at the conclusion of the thrilling weekend.

8U B (Pool A) Champion: Anaheim Jr. Ducks 8U B1

Runner-up: Empire Hockey Club

The Jr. Ducks brought the of fense in a big win to take home the championship banner.

8U B (Pool B) Champion: Anaheim Jr. Ducks 8U B4

Runner-up: Jr. Reign (Riverside)

More offense came from the Jr. Ducks in winning their second championship of the weekend.

8U B (Pool C)

Champion: Jr. Reign (Riverside) Runner-up: Goldrush

The Jr. Reign and Goldrush combined for 19 goals, with the Jr. Reign coming out on top with a 12-7 championship victory.

8U A

Champion: Goldrush Runner-up : California Golden Bears Goldrush scored two goals in the third to take a thrilling 5-3 win over the Golden Bears in the title game.

10U A/BB

Champion: Empire Hockey Club Runner-up: San Diego Saints

In one of the tightest champi onship games of the weekend, Empire defeated the Saints 2-1 to earn the banner.

10U A/BB

Champion: Las Vegas Storm 10U AA

Runner-up: Las Vegas Storm 10U A Jack Heaton scored five goals and the Storm 10U AA team popped five goals in each period to secure the championship.

12U A/BB Champion: Ventura Mariners Runner-up: Jr. Reign Christopher Deveau and Liam Rodrigues each scored twice, and Aiden Zellinger had a goal and an assist to lead the Mariners over the Jr. Reign, 6-1 in the title game. Joshua Guadorff and Crosby Dean added two assists each for Ventura.

12U B

Champion: Las Vegas Ice Warriors Runner-up: Las Vegas Storm

Kian Barber’s third-period goal was the difference as the champi onship battle between two Vegas teams went to the Ice Warriors, who edged the Storm 3-2.

12U A Champion: SB Ice Hawks Runner-up: Empire Hockey Club The Ice Hawks used a balanced of fense and steady defense to claim the championship after collecting a 3-1 win over Empire in the title contest.

12U AA Champion: Las Vegas Storm Runner-up : California Golden Bears Edgar Yanga scored the decisive

goal in the shootout to lift the Storm over the Golden Bears in a phenomenal game, 3-2. Hunter Reid and Nolan Walsh also scored for the Storm, while Jonathan Agazaryan and Martin O’Sullivan netted markers for the Golden Bears.

14U A

Champion: Las Vegas Storm Runner-up: Las Vegas Ice Warriors Cayden Francis, Alex Brnilov ich, and Ryan Rodriguez tallied for the Storm, who picked up the championship banner with a 3-1 win over the Ice Warriors. Lu cas Nervegna added two assists for the Storm, and Ryan Troxell scored the lone goal for the Ice Warriors.

14U B Champion: Las Vegas Ice Warriors Runner-up: Orange County Hock ey Club

Kevin Breyfogle, Arseni Bar san, Allessandro Sulto, and Tyler Pittinger scored for the Ice War riors in a 4-1 win over OCHC to take home the championship banner. Benjamin Kellogg regis tered two assists for Vegas, while the lone OCHC goal came off the stick of Chase Robertson.

JV

Champion: SB Ice Hawks Runner-up: Jr. Reign 16U Calvin Frisell’s two goals and an assist paced the Ice Hawks’ at tack in winning the championship after a 4-0 shutout over the Jr. Reign. Cade Moharram recorded a goal and two helpers and Ryder Horton added a goal with Everett Kuhm tacking on three assists.

Varsity

Champion: West Ranch Hockey

Club

Runner-up: Anaheim Jr. Ducks

Five different players scored for West Ranch in a 5-3 win over the Jr. Ducks to cap the division championship. Ethan War had a goal and an assist, while Andrew Niner, Michael Irven, Nolan Luke Marchant, and Aidan Pierzchalski scored one each in the win. Derek Brock chipped in a pair of assists. For the Jr. Ducks, Kyle Noyes went for a goal and two assists and Maxwell Seymour scored twice.

The next IE Tournament Series event is the Fall Classic, which is scheduled for Nov. 25-27.

For more information or to register, visit www.jrreign.com/ tournaments.

Quest Foundation

The South Coast Hockey Asso ciation DBA “Quest Foundation” is a registered not for profit 501C3 charitable organization dedicated to helping support children with a pas sion and a dream for the great sport of ice hockey and in becoming the best athletes and people they can be through world class hockey training programs.

The Quest Foundation believes ev ery child deserves a chance to pursue their own Quest for their life.

It is the mission of the Quest Foun dation to never allow financial barri ers to be the reason that a child can not pursue their dream to the fullest.

For more information, visit www. jrreign.com/foundation.

From the Trainer’s Room

Dealing with hockey injuries

So let’s just say you did everything right in the offseason.

You stayed off your skates and re covered from last season’s injuries. You put in good work in the gym and got bigger, fast er, and stronger. You felt great getting back on the ice as you practiced for the first tournament to prepare for the upcoming season.

But then all of a sudden – BOOM –something goes wrong and an injury occurs and now the season seems all but derailed. What do you do?

Hockey is a physically aggressive, high-speed, collision sport. The game is played by physically aggressive athletes. The increasing speed and size of players, the stick work, and the body contact in hockey make in juries inevitable. No one likes being injured, but you have a choice: either use it or it uses you.

If an injured player can accept what has happened and stay positive, then ultimately the player could use the negative situation to be a better player.

An injury can be a challenge. In juries hurt. In addition to the actual pain you feel, injuries can cause anxi ety, frustration, and fear. These feel ings can be controlled with a positive attitude and a constructive approach to rehabilitation, which includes goal setting and the commitment to a good athletic training program.

Be 100 percent committed to the rehab process. These are the players

who are highly motivated to get back on their skates. They see the value of working hard and give themselves the best chance to get back sooner. You might even be in better shape than ever before.

Injuries cannot be completely pre vented in a sport like hockey. Simple things like good equipment, good nu trition, staying in shape, and keeping your head up can help minimize the chances of being injured.

Stay positive and stay focused on the rehab process put forward by your medical professional, such as the team athletic trainer.

Mike Hannegan is an athletic trainer and strength coach with 10 years of experience in the NHL with the Anaheim Ducks and St. Louis Blues. He is currently the director of the Compete Sports Performance and Rehabilitation facility inside The Rinks-Yorba Linda Ice.

Contact Mike via email at mike@ competeperformance.com.

Returning to play after an injury

Injuries occur in sports.

Some require rest, some rehab, and sometimes treatment and modi fications to activity are necessary in order to get the athlete back into competition.

Every injury and every athlete are different, so there is no black and white answer to how fast or what is needed to return to play.

When an injury occurs, it is smart to seek out advice from a medi cal professional such as physician, athletic trainer or physical therapist. This will help determine what the injury is and its severity.

At that point, a game plan should be put in place to get the athlete back in the game quickly and safely.

When preparing a rehab strategy

there are a few simple things that must be addressed in most injuries.

These include: decreasing pain and swelling, regaining full range of mo tion of the affected joint as well as any surrounding joints that may be affected and regaining strength.

If these factors are not addressed, the process may not be complete for a safe return.

As the re hab process progresses, the athlete needs to be placed un der certain stressors and demands that they will meet during competi tion.

In other words, the demands placed on an athlete are different from those placed on a non-athlete.

An athlete’s rehab program needs to include dynamic movements, im pact exercises, acceleration, decelera tion and stability drills to name a few that will mimic the demands placed on their bodies during play.

Incorporating these ideas will test the injured area under a controlled environment to see how the athlete reacts to the outside forces. It will also create confidence in the athlete mentally that he or she is ready to return. As the injury heals, the athlete should progress through drills and modified practices prior to return to full practices and games.

At this point, the athlete has been tested away from the field, ice or court and now needs to be tested in their sport. This is also a time when conditioning will need to be im proved to return to action.

Though it seems like a lengthy process, it doesn’t necessarily have to be.

The goal should be to return the athlete as soon and as safe as possible so to minimize any re-injury.

Chris Phillips is a certified athletic trainer and strength and condition ing specialist with over 30 years’ experience in professional hockey, football and soccer, as well as the 2022 Winter Olympics. Chris is the owner of Compete Sports Performance and Rehab in Orange County.

Contact Chris via email at chris@ competeperformance.com.

Laura Veharanta, captain of the U.S. Women’s Inline Hockey Team, works on her conditioning at Compete Sports Performance and Rehab.

Photo provided by Chris Phillips

Hannegan

Phillips

New video program helping make memories for Arizona puck stars

BY MATT MACKINDER

As the game of hockey continues to grow in Arizona, so, too, does pro grams and businesses that aim to help with that growth.

Recently, SportsKast came on to the market, something its president and founder Pat Wilde calls “the most exciting product for athletes that has ever been offered.”

“It’s the most spectacular sports product or memory that you can create for your athlete,” Wilde said. “Our customers upload the videos they have on their phones or other devices to our website, where we edit those videos into our pre-shot templates at the SportsKast studio, resulting in a five – to six-minute production that spotlights the athlete in a setting that mimics a nationally broadcasted sports program, com plete with commentators. Your video can be sent to you in a link to share with family and friends, or we can host it on our servers in a more cus tomized way.”

Wilde explained that the idea popped into his head several years ago around the holiday season while watching the IIHF World Junior Championship.

“I was watching an ESPN episode where they were doing background biographies on a few players,” said Wilde. “As parents of hockey play ers, we always dream about the feel ing we would have if our kids ever had the chance to wear the flag of our country in that tournament. In remembering how few players actu

ally make it that far, it occurred to me that the vast majority of youth athletes aren’t ever going to make it on a sports show episode. I decided to come up with a way to add some magic to the time those athletes are spending on the ice, the field or on the court, and give them a taste of what it would be like to be the star of

never get looked at again. We all have gigabytes of video sitting in the cloud but have no idea of what to do with those videos. SportsKast solves that problem. It’s the next genera tion of sports memories, and there’s nothing like it out there anywhere.

SportsKast is the evolution of the player stat/trading card that you get

We are very close to providing adult player videos as well.”

In getting SportsKast off the ground, Wilde said it’s all a work in progress.

“It’s a family effort at this point, with my wife and kids providing the social media expertise that I lack, along with great creative content,” said Wilde. “I am the main point of contact for the company, and I work with the studio in Phoenix to bring the ideas we come up with to life.”

Wilde also said that while the SportsKast concept sounds compli cated, it’s really quite the opposite.

“I’d like people to know how easy it is to create the most dynamic and customized sports memory possible for their athletes,” Wilde said. “All they have to do is go the website, www.sportskast.com, and follow the guidance from our Coach Mike on how to upload their videos. In less than a week, their video is done, and I promise it’s like nothing else they’ve ever seen before.

the show, regardless of skill level.”

Fitting in with the ever-expanding Arizona hockey landscape is a situ ation Wilde feels can be spiced up with SportsKast.

“We think the Arizona hockey mar ket is the same as any other hockey market in the U.S.,” Wilde said. “Re gardless of geography, parents want to capture those moments of their kids on the ice. Prior to the rollout of SportsKast, us parents would hit the ‘record’ buttons on our phones and have a ton of videos that would likely

at the end of every season. It’s what happens when you add cutting-edge graphics and studio production to the simple video you’ve taken on your phone.

“We started with hockey because that’s what we know best. We will eventually move into other sports, but hockey is at the forefront of our lives right now, so it made sense to start there. The core demographic will likely be the under-14 age groups, but we can create videos for play ers all the way up to 18U right now.

“To coordinate with the launching of SportsKast with the start of the hockey season, we are working with various associations across the coun try to help with fundraising. Most teams struggle with that, so if your team or association needs some cre ative fundraising assistance, please reach out to us.”

For more information, contact Wilde at pwilde@sportskast.com.

Union netminders in knowledgeable hands with Wilson at helm

Continued from page 5 times a week and also helping start a Senior A team in Arizona that would help feed the need for a com petitive adult team in the Valley.

time. To accomplish this, myself and the other AHU goalie coaches will work on filling out report cards a couple times during the season to serve as real-time performance reviews. Ultimately, we want the goalies to know the specific areas they need improvement on so they can work on them during down time at practice or when our goalie coaches are not present on the ice. As we know ice time is valuable, being able to practice as a goalie on your own time is so important.

“We hope that our feedback in real-time will allow them to active ly work on their weaknesses with an independent attitude.”

Outside of working with AHU, Wilson stays on the ice on his own time, playing in a men’s league two

“I have found that the talent in Arizona is widespread and there is a huge market that exists here,” Wilson said. “I recently returned from Jackson, Wyo., with the Ari zona Desert Dogs where we played two games in front of 1200-plus fans, live-band entertainment, and an all-around red-carpet experience. We happened to win against the lo cal Jackson Hole Moose Senior Alevel team, and while we served as entertainment for the night, we also realized there is more potential that exists here than meets the eye.

“I continue to support all levels of hockey whether by coaching – or playing.”

Arizona Hockey Union goalies of all ages will learn from Trevor Wilson, who says that ‘I wanted to make the goalies more of a focus and make goalie coaching a priority at AHU. Photo provided by Trevor Wilson

USPHL 2022-23 SEASON PREVIEW: PACIFIC DIVISION

BY JOSHUA BOYD/USPHL.COM

The USPHL’s Pacific Division fea tured some of the most exciting, highoffense games of the 2021-22 season and hitting the gas pedal hard will continue to be the standard operating procedure for this new and upcoming season.

Order Is 2021-22 Regular Season

Finish Fresno Monsters

The only Pacific Division to have played in the National Champion ships have made the trip twice, first to Chesapeake, Va., and then this past March to Hudson, N.H. Wherever the compass points, they’ll be happy to go there in 2023.

As successful as the first two sea sons have been, nothing is ever given, everything is always earned. Monsters General Manager Jeff Blair knows this all too well, but he is confident in his 2022-23 roster to get the job done once again.

“We have a wonderful combination of returning veterans and a diverse group of young players that are look ing to not only win the Pacific Division for a third year in a row, but to go very far in the Nationals this year,” he said. “While were both fast and quick last year (and there is a difference between the two), we may actually be faster and quicker this year. Speed kills and we may be deadly.”

With two seasons under his belt already, Jacob Gagnon returns just eight points off the century mark (92 points in 78 games, the latter a USPHL team record). Christopher Miraldo was nearly a goal-per-game performer last year, with 20 in his 21 games with the team. Blueliner Drew Brett is fifth in the Monsters’ USPHL history in games played with 58.

“With veterans such as Christopher, Jacob and Drew, our veteran presence on and off the ice will be easy to recog nize by anyone watching our games,” Blair added.

The Monsters are excited at the ac quisitions of Kelly Coldwater, Brayden Wilson and Emil Loov, “just a few of the new players we expect to make an immediate impact on our team.”

Blair sees the Pacific Division to be heating up to be one of the toughest in the league.

“With the additional teams added, it

will be even tougher. We expect a chal lenge from all the teams and we respect them all,” he added. “The Long Beach Shredders may be looking to make a very competitive jump this year.”

Las Vegas Thunderbirds

The Monsters had the T-Birds on their tails the entire season last year, and Las Vegas finished just four points behind the Fresno squad. Las Vegas presented some of the most dynamic players in the league all season, with Heath Mensch holding down the scor ing lead for a time and finished third with 102 points, one of only three play ers league-wide to hit the century mark.

“I think we have a good division. We all go about things differently, but we all want the same thing,” said Bonaldi. “We’re far deeper at the forward level, our defense looks strong and we have a goaltender returning after putting up really good numbers before an injury last year.”

Loic Morin, a Quebec-born ‘04 goal ie, played in just six games last year, but put up a 4-1-0-0 record with a .917 save percentage.

Additional returning Thunderbirds include past All-Star defenseman Nick Bonaldi, along with fellow blueliner Tristan Nelson (a Las Vegas native), and forwards Kevin Hanly (also a local product), Antoine Tourigny, Guillaume Dufour and Michael Wells.

In terms of newcomers, Bonaldi points to the strong bonds created with past players, who have served as some of his best recruiters.

“We’ve done really well in building

relationships, so we get a lot of refer rals from players from last year or the year before,” said Bonaldi. “We had one of the better camps that we’ve ever seen.”

The GM is excited about bring ing in USPHL Premier veterans such as Narek Aleksanyan and Cole StLaurent, while Quebec continues to be a productive recruiting ground for the T-Birds. He is looking forward to Sam Dumont, Ludovic Martel and ‘05 Vin cent St-Aubin, a QMJHL Draft Pick of the Quebec Remparts. Also watch for big things from Gavin Frack, who has played high-level Midget hockey from Boston to St. Paul to Omaha.

Bonaldi is excited to see teams such as San Diego and Ontario continuing to improve, while he expects a tough draw against Long Beach this season.

“If all of that holds true, we’re going to have a deep, competitive division this year,” he added.

Lake Tahoe Lakers

Just one year in, and the Lakers are already under new ownership from their 2021-22 origins. First-year head coach Jason Smith is looking forward to both picking up where the inaugural Lakers started – with an impressive 2221-0-1 record for a first-year squad.

“We will be a hard-working and physical team,” said Smith, of the sec ond-year Lakers. “All I can say is we will work hard and be disciplined.”

Two of the biggest returners include Ari Rossi and Chase Sechrist. Rossi, an ‘02 forward from Santa Rosa, Ca lif., returns after scoring 67 points last

year. Also from Santa Rosa, Sechrist is an ‘02 defenseman who put up 35 points last season. This will be their third straight season together, as they were signed in 2021 out of Tahoe Prep Academy.

Smith is excited to see what the many newcomers will add to the mix, adding “all our newcomers are going to play a big role”

Ontario Jr. Reign

The Jr. Reign joined the Lakers in being newcomers to the Pacific Divi sion in 2021-22, and like their first-year colleagues they made great impres sions on the league. They beat every member of the Pacific, and also beat non-divisional opponents the Boston Junior Bruins and Decatur Blaze at the USPHL Winter Showcase.

“The players that have signed here have a clear understanding of what this program is all about,” said Blumes.

“We expect big things from this group both on and off the ice. There are three rules to playing on this team: the team comes first; we get better every day; and we have fun.

“First and foremost we are a humble hard-working group. We play with pace and purpose. We compete all over the ice,” he added. “As an expansion team last season there were a lot of unknowns. I believe our strong finish during the second half of the season helped establish what the Reign are all about.”

They were also about advancement, as they saw Damon Agyeman move on to Tier II junior hockey and several players advance to college hockey.

Zach Stangness and Andrew Cer vantes are returning to the Jr. Reign. Stangness was a strong two-way defenseman scoring 28 points in 35 games. Cervantes, entering his fourth USPHL Premier season, is unmissable at 6-feet-5-inches and 225 pounds on the defense.

New to the Jr. Reign are a few names to keep an eye on. Blumes is excited about Max Kathol, a “gritty, two-way forward” with three years of Tier II ex perience in Canada. Eamon Julian is a Burbank, Calif., product who has been in the Jr. Reign system with their 18U AAA squad the last two years.

Watch for ‘05 Mason Welsh, another Orange County product who is coming

Pacific Division looks to boast top-level USPHL action

in from a season with the Los Angeles Jr. Kings.

“He competes real hard and I think the edge he plays with will serve him well at this next level,” Blumes added. “[Our] success has certainly helped our recruiting efforts. During this offseason, we believe we’ve identified players that have the requisite ability and character to compete and play at a high level in our league. You don’t win games on paper, but I believe we are clearly ahead of where we were last season at this time.”

Watch for the Pacific Division to be “a wide-open race” here in 2022-23, Blumes said.

“Teams can improve dramatically at this level from one season to the next and we really won’t know where every body is at until we drop the puck and the regular season begins,” he added.

San Diego Sabers

The Sabers missed the playoffs by just two points after putting together a 17-23-4-0 record, but it was a far cry in the right direction from their first rough-and-tumble season in the league in 2020-21. The Sabers, as seen above, are viewed by other coaches as a rising force and that was what they were last season. Like the first-year Lakers, the Sabers beat every team in the Pacific Division and performed fairly well be yond the division with a 2-2 record at the USPHL Winter Showcase.

“The Sabers have a good feeling go ing into this season. We like what we have done throughout the off-season and recruiting. Compared to last year’s team, I would say that we are a bit big ger overall but still have good speed,” said GM Domenick DiCicco. The for mer head coach has handed the bench to Tyler Casillo, but will still have his signature on the product. “We have a good mix of players coming from all over the world. One aspect that [Tyler and I] really like is that we seem to have strong character throughout the entire team, which is always a focus for us. We are excited to get this season started and looking forward to our first game.”

The team brings three veterans back from last year, and one additional player from the inaugural season. Devin Wood was on that first team and already has a year of college hockey

under his belt.

“He looks like someone who will not be outworked,” said DiCicco, who is also excited about the 2021-22 return ers. “We expect Jordan McArthur, an assistant captain last year for the team during his rookie season, to step it up on and off the ice and he has looked determined since arriving in town. Joey Chappelle and Reed Loree are both returning from last year’s team and coming off their first season of junior hockey. We expect them to build off their accomplish ments from last season and to really be strong guys for us.”

In terms of top newcom ers to watch, DiCicco is excited for Czechia im port Michal Novak, along with Nevio D’Alessandro and Ethan Blackburn, who has USPHL Premier experience.

“Novak is a smooth skater with a lot of skill at forward, and Nevio is a smooth-skating defenseman whom we expect to be very strong day in and day out,” said DiCicco. “Blackburn enters his age-out year and we expect him to be a leader and a shutdown goalie for us.”

DiCicco said to watch out for the T-Birds (“they’re coming off a strong season with a lot of young guys”) and that the surprise could be Lake Tahoe.

“We feel they are a bit of an un known at the moment,” he added.

Long Beach Shredders

Owned and coached by Long Beach native and NHL alum Emerson Etem, the Shredders are coming off an in augural season of getting the gist of the USPHL Premier and finding some bright moments of success along the way. Year 1 is in the rearview mirror and Etem is looking for a much better sophomore season for the organization.

“I feel we upgraded in areas but still some other areas that need to be

improved on before game 1. As we learned last year, depth at every posi tion is so important and is something in each position we didn’t have enough of,” said Etem, in late August. “I need our players to compete and win more puck battles whether they’re filling skill or energy roles. I can honestly say we do have more of that at this point in the recruiting season.

“Obviously you don’t want to end up in last place in your division and that’s where we were.

Return ing players remember that feeling and newly signed play ers are more motivated than ever to start a new chapter,” he added.

“More depth and higher compete level should translate into more wins.”

Santa Clarita, Calif., native Gabe Gifford comes back for his third junior season and second with the Shredders.

“He was just over half a point per game last year, and I look for him to be a point-per-game at least,” added Etem.

Several newcomers have the GM/ coach excited for the 2022-23 cam paign.

“Forwards Cole Colbert and Nathan Compton are locals who will likely play on a line together and be a con sistent threat,” Etem said. “Yuri Stalev and Gage Senio on the beck end pro vide a solid presence in different ways. I don’t want to single out any of our goalies, as all can and will have a big impact on this hockey club.”

After the puck drops on Thursday, it’s anyone’s Pacific Division in his eyes.

“From what I’ve seen other teams do this off-season, it’s going to be a com pletely different look in the standings,” said Etem. “I can see one team drop off big time and one team, other than us, jump up into the top half of the divi sion. There’s a few top teams from last season with some big turnarounds, so

it will be interesting to see if it bodes well for them or not.”

Bakersfield Roughnecks

The new squad in the Pacific has been working as hard as their name sake oil industry employees, putting in the long hours to build up power in their field. Christian and Sara Gregory founded the Roughnecks, and Christian will also be the Head Coach for the new squad. The blueprint, he added, is to build from a foundation of youth.

“We have a young team this year with only a few guys having junior experience. We do have a lot of talent coming to us from the AAA levels and will lean on our older guys for some guidance through the early stages of the season,” said Christian. “We don’t have much to judge off of but early indications lead us to believe that we will be a fast young team ready to learn on the fly. We will have some speed bumps along the road but are ready to face them head on. We believe our strengths this year will be goaltending and our team-first attitude from all 25 guys.”

Everyone’s new to the USPHL on the Roughnecks, and the management is excited to grow with them.

“Emile Rodrigue will be leading our defensive corps. Drafted in the QMJHL two years ago, he brings so much to our club on both ends of the ice. His hockey IQ is through the roof, and he will be a fan favorite,” said Christian.

Landon McCoy, a Bakersfield native, had a strong 16U AAA season last year and “will see himself on the scoresheet regularly.”

Robin Benoit, of St-Felicien, Que., “will also be a force up front with of fensive awareness and ability to create opportunities for his teammates.”

“The Pacific is usually known for a run and gun style of play with lots of scoring. I don’t see our team playing that style much and will rely on our next guy up mentality in order to get the job done this season,” Christian added. “With all the expansion in our division the past two years, it’ll be a dogfight for the last two playoff posi tions. It would be tough to pick against Fresno or Vegas in the Pacific, but you never know. Everyone has another year under their belt, so we could see a few surprises this year.”

More info, visit USPHL.com.

USPHL 2022-23 SEASON PREVIEW: MOUNTAIN DIVISION

BY BRENDAN PRICE/USPHL.COM

The Mountain Division enters its third season and has been at times a very nip-and-tuck division in both the first two years. While the Utah Outliers captured both of the division’s first two Nationals berths, that certainly doesn’t take away from any other team in the division. After all, USPHL leadership saw fit to admit all six teams to the Tier II National Collegiate Development Conference in 2023-24, including the first-year Idaho Falls Spud Kings.

Order Is 2021-22 Regular Season

Finish

Utah Outliers

The Outliers raced out to a 12-1-1 start, took the division lead, and won the regular season title with near wireto-wire control for the crown. They set a franchise record with a 15-game win ning streak in December and January over seven different opponents, and set the tone for their stretch run.

They promptly swept Pueblo and Northern Colorado in the division playoffs by a +13 total margin in four games, won their first two games at Nationals before narrowly falling to the Northern Cyclones on day three, bringing their franchise-best season to a close. Utah had nine different doubledigit goal scorers and allowed a min iscule 2.29 goals per game with four different goalies.

“Winning the division the past two years has been fun but that is now in the past,” said Head Coach Paul Taylor. “This team will have to create its own identity and push hard all season for any chance of a ‘three-peat.’ But in saying that, I believe they are up for the challenge. Every season begins with a clean slate and it’s up to this year’s group to find a path to their own suc cess.”

The team was able to move Jakub Suran to NCAA Division III University of Southern Maine among other ad vancements. NCAA commitments, Tier II advancement, and overseas contracts have been waiting for Utah players following their time under Taylor’s tu telage, something he credits to the style of play.

“We work hard to play a fast, skilled game where players can make the jump to [Tier 2] and have an easier transi tion. We also talk a lot about what it

takes to play at the next level and how to get their minds thinking about the type of commitment it takes to achieve that opportunity.”

The scoring tandem of Miles Mc Cue (‘02) and Will Cohen (‘03) is back again. Cohen’s explosive right handed shot notched 25 goals in just 40 games and McCue led the team with 50 points as a rookie. The back end projects to be a strength for Utah again with the return of Matthew Koepke anchoring the unit. Koepke (‘02) was an All-Star in 2021-22 and exploded for 37 points in 47 games, including 16 goals.

Marco Felicetti (‘03) returns after a 17-3-2 record, 2.35 GAA, and won drous .922 save percentage from his rookie season.

With the specter of the NCDC loom ing large over the next season, Taylor and the Outliers ready for one last run at the division title. Before the NCDC however, Taylor understands that the parity in the Mountain makes for a long road.

“We play in the toughest division in the USPHL so we need to be ready to play each and every night. Anyone can beat anyone in the Mountain division,” Taylor explained.

Ogden Mustangs

Ogden jumped out to an 8-1-0 start to the regular season and didn’t break stride, finishing 2nd in the Mountain Division. The playoffs left a bitter taste in the mouths of the Mustangs. Despite being tied or leading for 231 of 239 minutes of game action, the Eagles

captured Games 1 and 3 in overtime to advance past Ogden.

Head Coach/General Manager Kenny Orlando believes the Mustangs have loaded up again and are ready to compete for a division crown.

“We have a lot of fresh faces to our team this year, but we will not miss a beat,” Orlando stated. “We brought in players with high-level junior ex perience or youth experience that we expect to push to the pace we usually have.”

Ogden will have 17 new skaters on their 2022-23 roster with previous ex perience ranging from U18AAA to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Defenseman Benji Rutkai and JAckson Ferry, both ‘02’s lead the wave of new talent.

Rutkai spent last season with Wey burn (SJHL) and Minot (NAHL) and could be the player that fills the gap on the ‘Stangs top defensive unit along side Luke Faas; Ferry also comes by way of Weyburn (SJHL) and will look to be a driving force in a potent Ogden attack.

“We demand a lot out of our rookie players. They will buy in and be committed to the team goal. I expect each one of them to be a contributing member to the teams’ success,” said Orlando.

With so many newcomers, the onus will be on the returning Mustangs to help ease the burden on players get ting adjusted to the physicality of the Mountain Division and the semiunique home ice advantage in Ogden:

an Olympic-size ice sheet.

The wider ice can be a huge boost for speed and playmaking; two things that returning forwards Jake Meure and Dimitri Voyatzis, and defenseman Luke Faas have in spades.

“Meure, Voyatzis, and Faas bring such great numbers and leadership abil ity,” said Orlando.

Meure (‘02) may be the most tal ented forward returning to the division. The All-Star had 59 points in 49 games and could close out his ‘Stang career by finishing in the top-5 in games played, assists, and points.

Voyatzis (‘03) posted 43 points in 47 games and Faas registered 37 points as a defenseman and was a jolt of energy for the Ogden blue line. Faas is ready to step into a larger role for Ogden this year, especially with a D-core that lost four key members to graduation.

Similar to their division counterparts, the Mustangs built their 2022-23 roster with an eye on the future of the NCDC.

“We are growing sponsorship sup port, local community interaction and reaching out to new groups that we haven’t worked with in the past,” he said. “Growing our scouting staff to cover more of North America and Europe, we will have eyes on most levels of hockey this season around the globe.”

Their hockey eyes are set on their season opener on Friday, Sept. 30, when they welcome the Northern Colo rado Eagles to the Ice Sheet.

Northern Colorado Eagles

Twenty-seven. That’s the number of regular season games decided by two goals or fewer for “NoCo” last year. They saved their most heart-stopping finishes for the playoffs. The Eagles advanced past Ogden in the Mountain Division semis thanks to two overtime wins before falling at the hands of the Outliers in the Mountain Division Fi nals.

Head Coach/General Manager Steve Haddon utilizes his “season within a season” approach to great success.

“There are so many steps in a sea son: making the playoffs, learning and growing as a team, finishing as high as you can in the standings, getting to Na tionals, and winning a championship,”

Mountain Division will again have quality teams, players

page

he said.

The team have to replace 47 percent of their goals just from the NCAA Division III advancement by Ethan Pitzman and the Tier II promotion of Brayden Fryfogle.

Looking to expand their toolbox and become the players they could be are Alexandre Bedard and Javen Heider gott. Both 02’s, Bedard flashed scor ing chops with 27 points in 47 games, while the Telluride, Colo., native Hei dergrott finished with 25 points in 36 games.

They are set in goal, as well. All-Star goaltender Charles-Anthony Barbeau (‘02) returns. He finished second in the USPHL in wins (21) and was fourth in minutes played (1,768). He is joined by 2020-21 Mountain Division All-Star Ulrik Roussel (‘02) and up-and-comer local product Evan Stringer (‘05), who will have great mentors with those to help him through his first season.

This year’s squad will be a distinct look for the Eagles, who have one eye on the future in the NCDC.

“The thing I have stressed as a staff is we will all be doing two jobs this season. We are focused on this year’s group, doing whatever this team needs each day along with helping the older players with schools and finding NCAA programs that fit for them,”

Haddon started. “Once that’s checked off for the day, we need to flip the switch in preparation for the NCDC.”

Part of that preparation will be de veloping the youngest roster that NoCo has skated out in their time in the USPHL, including four ‘05’s and two ‘04’s.

“Hockey is the ultimate team sport and I don’t believe I can say this guy or that guy is a player to look for,” said Haddon. “It takes everyone and as the season moves along those guys will prove it game in and game out. That’s why you play the games, it’s not what you look like on paper but what you prove everyday on the ice.”

The “first” season for the Eagles begins this Friday, Sept. 16, when they welcome the expansion Idaho Fall Spuds Kings to the Greeley Ice Haus.

Pueblo Bulls

The Bulls had an up-and-down sea son in 2021-22, featuring some speed

bumps along the way in their second USPHL season. The Bulls caught some momentum down the stretch to enter the Mountain Divi sion Playoffs. Pueblo defeated Provo in a two-game sweep, before bowing out to eventual division champions Utah in the semis.

Bulls General Manager Tyler Tune berg mentioned a different feel to the roster in some areas for the upcoming year.

“We have a ton of new faces to Pueblo and the USPHL. We have a larger inter national pres ence than we have in the past, and an extremely tal ented group of goalten ders that have always been the backbone of the Bulls,” Tuneberg said. “We pride ourselves on our ability to recruit and serve our players.”

They wave goodbye to 77 percent of their goal scoring, both starting goaltenders, and a franchise icon. The Bulls will look to familiar faces and newcomers to step into larger roles and help Pueblo hit the ground running.

“Returners like Rylan Marcum, Owen Ames, Thomas Soucy, and Isaac Hood are all guys who know the divi sion. They all had good rookie seasons in a very tough division and are now tasked with taking this thing to the next level during the ‘22-23 season,” said Tuneberg.

Soucy, an ‘03 with 29 points in 45 games (including 16 points in his last 16) and Hood, with 23 points in 48 games, both showed a scoring touch in the second half that could carry over.

A large crop of newcomers is high lighted by a trio of new players from all walks of the hockey world that could break out for the Bulls. If their preseason exhibition was an indication, forward Rivers Ball will be a handful for Mountain Division foes. Ball put up 47 points last year with the Wenatchee Wild U18AAA program.

Paer Sandin (‘02) has seen some limited action in the Swedish second division over the past two seasons. A former point-per-game player as a 17-and 18-year-old, and with three blocked shots in a preseason game, he could be a pivotal point. The crowd at Pueblo Ice Arena was an “X” factor in the team’s preseason comeback.

“The crowd we have in Pueblo is incredible. It is the most passionate and loyal fan bases there is in the league. Our building is different from most with a low roof and when the fans get into it, it is a complete ly different element than any other facility in the country,” said Tuneberg.

Pueblo will look to take advantage of a raucous home crowd when they wel come Idaho Falls for the season opener on Friday, Sept. 30.

Provo Predators

The Provo Riverblades had a tough season in 2021-22. They were the youngest team in the division by a full year and despite scoring highlights from Yuri Ushakov and high-volume goaltending from Axel Rosenlund and Patrick Colburn, the results just didn’t translate and Provo finished the year out of the playoffs. Fast forward three months, there is a new sheriff in town.

Fresh off being named head coach, Nick Dreyer had to get to work build ing a new team under a new banner. The newly-christened Provo Predators march into 2022-23 with a new coach, a strong crop of newcomers, and a ton of excitement about the next chapter of junior hockey in Provo – the NCDC in 2023-24.

“I’m really excited to see the group I have grow and develop,” Dreyer start ed. “We have a lot of really talented hockey players in our group, but most importantly we have great people and

guys who have bought into our culture and team identity.”

Ushakov and Christofer Castricone return as the only two veterans from last year’s squad.

As an assistant coach last season for Ogden, Dreyer saw firsthand the scor ing chops that Yuri Ushakov can pro vide. He earned himself an invite to the OHL Peterborough Petes’ main camp this past off-season.

“Yuri is a strong-skating power for ward that has a very dynamic skill set,” Dreyer said. “He has put in a ton of work in the offseason and it has shown here in camp.

“I knew that Chris was a skilled player, but you never know what kind of character someone has until you see them and get to interact with them,” Dreyer added. “Since the moment he stepped foot in Provo, he has been a leader and teammate.”

Forward Michael Gakhutishvili (‘04) is one of those newcomers that could be an important part of the Predators attack, after scoring nine goals last year in the NA3HL. Trent Van Gels (‘03) has also made the move from the NA3HL to the Predators.

Apart from scoring up front, the Predators will look at experience to man their blue line for the upcom ing year. Anchorage, Alaska, product Conner Brown (‘02) has junior experi ence in spades, dressing in nearly 70 NA3HL games in two seasons.

“I knew I had some really good pieces coming into camp and the hard part was going to be fitting them in the puzzle,” Dryer said.

The Predators will #jointhehunt when they open their season on Friday, Sept. 30, versus the Utah Outliers.

Idaho Falls Spud Kings

The expansion Idaho Falls Spud Kings have a full roster that’s ready to play and Head Coach Josh Hoff will guide the Spud Kings through their inaugural campaign with high expecta tions.

“Our goal is to compete for a divi sion championship,” Hoff began. “There is a ton of excitement around the team in the Idaho Falls community. We are going to match that energy on the ice by playing fast north/south hockey.

Aurora’s Fritschler ready to take next step in hockey career

BY MATT MACKINDER CO HOCKEY HUB

Curtis Fritschler earned plenty of opportunities for himself playing youth and high school hockey in Colorado.

Now, the Aurora native is looking at options to continue his career at the junior hockey level.

Fritschler said the 2021-22 season with Cherry Creek High School was “a great season.”

“I made a lot of friends for life there,” Fritschler said. “We were not able to reach our end goal of winning states, which I feel like has made me want to train harder and improve ev ery day. I’m very grateful that I was able to come back home from Seattle for my senior year and made memo

ries that will last me a lifetime.

“Last season at Cherry Creek pre pared me for the next level by matur ing me and preparing me being able to battle through adversity.”

Growing up in Colorado, Fritschler said he was “fortunate enough to have exposure to great hockey pro grams everywhere.”

For his 15U year, he played for the Hyland Hills Jaguars and before that, from 8U to Pee Wee, he played for the Arapahoe Warriors.

“My goals for the future are to play hockey at the highest level and for as long as I can,” said Fritschler. “Pref erably I would love to play NCAA Division I hockey but there is great hockey everywhere after juniors, in cluding NCAA Division III.”

Colorado Springs native Roberts signs with WHL’s Rebels after being first-round pick in U.S. draft

BY MATT MACKINDER

CO HOCKEY HUB

Last month, the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels announced that forward Jera miah Roberts had signed a standard player agreement with the team.

Roberts was selected by the Reb els 14th overall in the first round at the 2022 U.S. Priority Draft back on May 18.

“We’re very excited that Jeramiah and his family have chosen to pur sue his academic and hockey goals with our club,” said Rebels associate general manager Shaun Sutter. “He is a fast, talented player who likes to get involved physically and battle. He was a standout at our training camp with his speed and skill while showing he has a bright future in the WHL.”

A native of Colorado Springs, Roberts played in 46 games in 202122 with the Colorado Rampage 14U AAA, recording 29 goals and 20 assists for 49 points, along with 82 penalty minutes. This season, he is skating for the Rampage 15U AAA team.

Roberts said that on draft day last spring, he didn’t even pay attention to the draft.

“Started with my coaches Tyler Shipstad and Kevin Patterson tell ing me that there are a couple teams looking at me,” Roberts said. “I had

no idea of the WHL at this time. Received a call from the Red Deer Rebels that they were interested in me. Had no clue that I was going to be drafted on draft day. I was so ex cited when my dad told me Red Deer drafted me because I was in school. Getting to Canada was a struggle with all the situations going on, but my dad made it happen.

“On the first day of camp, I was nervous. I was thinking I wouldn’t play well or have a good game. My dad told me to just play my game and have fun. After the first game, we had meetings. My dad and I did some research on the culture there and we really started to like the organiza tion. By the second day, my dad and I knew this is where I wanted to be, this is what I had been working for. That is why we made the decision for me to sign with the Red Deer Reb els. It seems this is the place to get me where I want to be for the sport I love.”

Once he signed with the Rebels, Roberts went to work on finding out more about the franchise.

“I did a lot of research watching highlight videos on the team and saw how they played, both physical and fast paced, and I liked that,” said Roberts. “It made me excited that I would be coming to the team next year. I would love to get called on

Curtis Fritschler played the 2021-22 season in the Colorado high school ranks tending the crease for Cherry Creek High School. Photo provided

Jeramiah Roberts parlayed a strong 2021-22 season with the Colorado Rampage 14U AAA team into being a WHL draft pick in May. Photo provided

First-year Spud Kings aiming to make noise in 2022-23

Continued from page 15

“The buzz around town of our team coming is huge. The city is looking forward to the home games and giving our town a great event to go and watch during the winter times here in Idaho Falls. We are looking forward to get ting into the Mountain America Center and getting our season started there,” added Hoff

The Mountain America Center, a brand-new 6,000 seat arena, will be ready in late November, meaning the Spud Kings play their first 24 games on the road or at neutral sites.

“Being on the road is going to be tough for our players, but each player has great character and work ethic to be

able to compete right off the start of the season,” Hoff said.

Four ‘04’s and two ‘06 birth players are listed on their roster to begin the season. That being said, Hoff believes that some key veteran contributors will guide their roster.

“I believe we are deepest at the goaltending position that will help this young team early on in the season,” he began.

Goaltender Ben DiFiore joins the Spud Kings after a strong season with Bay State (NA3HL) in his rookie cam paign. DiFiore (‘02) had a .918 save percentage across 25 starts.

“Ben brings great character to our locker room and leads by example with

our club. He is a big, mobile goalie who looks to battle each day to earn his NCAA commitment with us in our inaugural year,” said Hoff.

Up front, junior veteran Ben Cesario comes off a great year in the Northern Ontario Junior League.

“We will look to Ben to be a leader on and off the ice. He brings a great skill set and junior hockey experience to our club,” said Hoff.

Defensively, Matt Ryan could be the anchor to a young defensive unit. Ryan (‘03) spent the 2021-22 with Sioux Falls Power 18UAAA team and led the squad’s defensive unit. He also previ ously played in the USPHL Premier for the former Lansing Wolves.

“Matt will be bringing a great skill set to our blue line, along with skating. Matt carries himself on and off the ice we are looking for in our program,” Hoff explained.

Put it all together and the Spud Kings believe they will be just as competitive as anyone in the division.

“We look to compete with every team in Mountain Division right of the bat,” said Hoff.

The competition begins on Friday, Sept.16, when the Spud Kings travel to Greeley to take on the Northern Colo rado Eagles.

USPHL.com

Roberts thrilled to have WHL future ahead with Rebels

Continued from page 16 this year, but also a little nervous to leave next year. I do feel like this is going to be an amazing opportunity for me. I’ve never been away from my family before.”

Born in 2007, Roberts is ineligible to play any games with the Rebels during the 2022-23 season due to USA Hockey regulations.

Last season with the Rampage was a “really good” season, according to Roberts, who has high expectations for the current 2022-23 season.

“There were a lot of hard-working guys out there,” Roberts said. “If we play like how we did last year, just faster, smoother, and with intensity, we will be the team to beat this sea

son. This last year was a little rough. We lost a lot of games, but we did not give up. That showed me what type of a team we can be. I pushed myself and my teammates harder and harder every day so that we could be the team everyone wants to beat this year.”

As with many high-end Ameri cans when it comes to the Canadian Hockey League, Roberts had to make a decision between playing Major Junior or looking at NCAA options.

“It was challenging picking be tween the WHL and the NCAA,” admitted Roberts. “I picked what I thought was the best for me, which was the WHL, which could get me to my ending goal of playing in the

NHL.”

Growing up, Roberts found his passion playing hockey and has not looked back.

“When I was younger, I played with Green Mountain Falls in 201516 under coach Brian Kane, and he moved me up to play with the 10U A team and we won a state title that year,” said Roberts. “Got to learn a lot from the older kids that year and play at their pace. Then I went to the Colorado Rampage and have been playing with them for a long time. They helped support and get me to the next level. I have really enjoyed all of it. One of my old coaches Kev in Patterson and my current coach ‘Ship’ pushed me very hard because

they knew what I was capable of. They put in time to help me improve my game taking me to where I am today.

“I owe a lot to the Rampage or ganization for everything they have done to get me to this point in my hockey career.”

Looking ahead, Roberts has his goals ready to be achieved.

“My long-term goal is to play in the NHL – that is something I have always dreamed of,” Roberts said. “I want to succeed in school as well to make sure I have a backup plan. I want to have a wonderful life doing what I love.

“Hockey is not work – it is my life.”

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Fresh off Stanley Cup title, MacKinnon signs massive extension with Avalanche

BY MATT MACKINDER CO HOCKEY HUB

After signing a contract that makes him the highest-paid NHL player per year, Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon posted on his Instagram that he is “Avalanche for life.”

The Avalanche on Sept.20 signed MacKinnon to an eight-year contract extension starting in 2023-24 (runs through 2030-31) with an average annual value of $12.6 million. He has one year left on his current deal that he signed on July 8, 2016.

“Nathan is obviously one of the premier players in the NHL, so a long-term extension was something we wanted to get done before the season started,” said Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland. “He has that rare combination of speed and power with a high compete level that makes him a generational player. We are thrilled

he will continue to be a member of this team and this community for many years to come.”

The first overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, MacKinnon was a finalist for the Hart Trophy in three of the last five seasons (2017-18, 2018-19, 202021). He won the 2020 Lady Byng Award and 2014 Calder Trophy and was named to the NHL’s Sec ond All-Star Team in both 2017-18 and 2019-20.

MacKinnon finished sec ond on the Avalanche with 88 points (32 goals, 56 as sists) in 65 games during the 2021-22 campaign.

The 27-year-old helped the Avalanche win the 2022 Stanley Cup after tallying 13 goals and 24 points in 20 postsea son games. His 13 goals tied for the league lead and equaled the second

highest total in a single postseason in franchise history (Joe Sakic, 18, 1996).

“I had a sense the whole time it was going to get done eventually; it was only a matter of time,” MacKinnon said. “It was a relief. I didn’t want to play out the season without a deal. I didn’t want to talk about it or think about it. I just want to be part of the team and try and win anoth er Cup this season.”

Heading into what will be his 10th NHL season this fall, MacKinnon has tallied 648 points (242 goals, 406 assists) in 638 career regularseason games, ranking sixth on the franchise’s all-time scoring list. MacKinnon’s 638 points, 242 goals

and 406 assists are the fourth most by an Avalanche player since the fran chise relocated to Denver in 1995. No player from the 2013 NHL Draft has more goals, assists or points than MacKinnon.

“Nathan’s a No. 1 center, a fran chise center,” MacFarland said. “They’re unicorns. There’s not 31 of them in the league. What he does for us is really important. To have him locked up for nine years is really crucial for the short- and long-term planning for us. It’s a big day.”

Going forward into the upcoming 2022-23 season, MacKinnon wants to see the Avalanche lift the Stanley Cup again.

“We’re not planning on just win ning one,” MacKinnon said. “There’s always pressure. We have experience now. We’ve been through a lot as a group. We have most of our guys back. There’s no reason why we can’t repeat.”

Chandler product, Bobcats, Hamilton alum Manning nets monthly EHLP award

The EHL Premier has announced that Vermont Lumberjacks forward Bren dan Manning is one of the September Stars of the Month.

Vermont picked up where they left off in the 2021-22 season, by win ning all five of their games in the opening month of the year, all while outscoring their opponents 32-9 along the way.

As for Manning, the 2003-born native

of Chandler was one of a handful of forwards that helped set the pace for Vermont, tallying 13 points with three goals and 10 assists to his credit.

Playing in his first-ever season of junior hockey, Manning hasn’t dis played any ‘rookie’ signals so far. Back home, Manning skated for the Arizona Bobcats and at Hamilton High School.

Brendan Manning collected 13 points for the Vermont Lumberjacks in September and bagged EHLP honors for the month. Photo: Cara Mooney

MacKinnon

San Jose native, Jr. Sharks graduate Scott moves up hockey ladder with commitment to NCAA D-I Brown

maining with the Bulls in their move to Mason City and notching 27 points in 41 games. He has already regis tered three more points for North Iowa this season, appearing in five games.

Scott is on track to appear in his 100th NAHL contest later this season and has already passed the 100-game plateau for his junior career thanks to a 13-game stint last year with the USHL’s Lincoln Stars.

Tigers alum Villers kicking off junior hockey career with NA3HL’s Cobras

BY MATT MACKINDER CO HOCKEY HUB

Weston Villers spent his entire childhood in Colorado Springs skat ing for the Colorado Springs Tigers and then last season at Cheyenne Mountain High School.

This season, he’s on the move to junior hockey, joining the NA3HL’s Butte Cobras, a team coached by Vail native Kirk Golden.

San Jose Jr. Sharks grad Max Scott is playing in his third NAHL season in 2022-23. Photo: NAHL

The NAHL’s North Iowa Bulls have announced that forward Max Scott has committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at Brown Univer sity (ECAC Hockey).

He becomes the first active North Iowa player to announce an NCAA commitment this season, and the first player in Bulls history to commit to an Ivy League member school.

“The education was a huge part (of my decision),” said Scott. “They’re in the Ivy League, so they’ve got a great program and it’s going to set me up for success. The campus is very impressive – they’ve got an oldstyle barn, but everything is brandnew in terms of the locker room and the facilities at the rink.”

The San Jose native played for the San Jose Jr. Sharks and then at Lake Forest Academy in suburban Chicago prior to beginning his junior career and is in his third year in the Bulls organization.

Scott joined the Bulls for their final season in Amarillo in 2020-21, post ing his first junior goal in only his second game and finishing with nine points on the season. He took his game to the next level last year, re

“We are very excited for Max Scott’s commitment to Brown Uni versity,” said North Iowa head coach Todd Sanden. “This is an opportunity for Max to attend an esteemed aca demic institution and also continue his hockey development. Max is a consummate leader on and off the ice. His attitude, effort and determi nation separate him from many play ers at this level.”

Scott made his decision to attend Brown at the end of September, but received his offer at the NAHL Showcase, one of the premier events in junior hockey for fans and scouts. More than 300 college, professional, and junior scouts attend the showcase each year, and dozens of players earn an NCAA Division I opportunity an nually during and shortly after the event.

“That was my first offer, after our game against Janesville,” said Scott.

“It was great to have that, and they see me playing a big part on their team. Hopefully, we can make a run and have a good season (next year).”

He now stands to join a Bears team coached by Brown alumnus Brendan Whittet, who brings to the table more than a quarter-century of coaching experience at Ivy League schools.

Prior to taking the head coaching position at his alma mater in 2009, Whittet spent three years as a Bears assistant and 11 more as an assistant coach at Dartmouth. As an assistant with the Big Green, he helped lead the program to 166 wins and seven straight winning campaigns.

Upon attending Brown, Scott says he intends to pursue a degree in busi ness or economics.

— North Iowa Bulls Staff

“The opportunity to play for Butte came from my assistant coach this past season, Kristen Wright,” said Villers. “Kristen knows Kirk and was kind enough to pass my name along. Kirk reached out to me from there and got the ball rolling. Really what sold me was what Kirk is doing for the team and its culture. He’s put a lot of time and work into a team who hasn’t had the best track record in the past. And in only one year with the team, Kirk has helped them reach a number of achievements such as set ting the record for their most wins in a season, their most goals scored and other things.

“I’m really excited to be leaving home and grateful to have a really supportive family behind me.”

Villers said the 2021-22 season with Cheyenne Mountain was “truly indescribable.”

“On our team, there were 10 play ers including myself who had been playing together for as long as I can remember,” Villers said. “We all grew up playing through the Colo rado Springs Tigers. When we got to high school, there was a split as our birth years differed, and some of us continued on to play AAA, while others gave up club when we reached our freshman year. Yet, somehow, it all worked out in a way that allowed us to play one last season together, and it couldn’t have gone any better truly. On a personal level, this last season was very successful, I was happy with my production and the ways I was able to improve my game.

“Last season, I took on a bigger role than what I had been used to, including getting a lot more minutes mostly on the power play. This gave

Colorado Springs product Weston Villers excelled during the 2021-22 season at Cheyenne Mountain High School. Photo: Ben Lutze

me a lot more confidence in my abil ity in different situations and really helped my game overall.”

Villers noted that there is much to like about the NA3HL.

“The number of kids that continue on to play collegiate hockey from the NA3 is definitely appealing,” said Villers. “I also like their affili ation with the NAHL, and that they are the only Tier III junior league in the states that is endorsed by USA Hockey.”

Back home, Villers skated for the Tigers from 8U through 16U AAA.

“All of my coaches have played a huge role in not only my develop ment as a player, but as a person as well,” Villers said. “However, one coach sticks out in particular – my 15U AAA coach Joey Carroll. Joey is not just a great coach, but he’s just a great guy overall. He pushed me to be better on the ice and showed me how to be a leader off the ice.”

Moving forward, Villers has realis tic goals he has set for himself.

“Really right now, I’m just focused on playing the game I love while I still have it,” said Villers. “Short term, I’m really just focused on get ting on the ice with a new team and getting to work, and I believe in the long term that God will continue me on the path he has picked out for me, so I’m not too worried about that.”

With injury now in rearview mirror, Aurora’s Clark banking on bounce-back junior hockey season in Michigan with NOJHL’s Eagles

BY MATT MACKINDER CO HOCKEY HUB

For Kris Clark, his first season of junior hockey didn’t go as planned in 2021-22 with the NOJHL’s Soo Eagles.

The Aurora native is hoping 202223 is a direct 180-degree turn from last season when the pandemic and an injury put a damper on the Eagles’ season, a season that saw Clark play just 15 games during the Michiganbased team’s regular season.

“There are many things that make the Eagles an appealing team, but the one thing that really stood out was how welcoming and nice they are to fellow players as well,” Clark said. “For any tryout, there’s always that huge amount of nervousness and uncertainty about how the program runs, if you are good enough to make a spot, and things like that. But the moment I stepped into the locker room, the team dynamic was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Everybody was so understanding and nice, and instead of feeling like a job interview, it felt like a home. How everybody treated each other it was like you were walking into another family, and that’s something that is really hard to find.”

Clark also reflected on “major per sonal adversity” he had to overcome nearly 18 months ago.

“Over the couple of days that I had spent practicing with the Eagles in March (2021), the coaching staff saw potential in me, and wanted for me to return to their camps later in the sum mer to further my shot of becoming an official Eagle,” explained Clark.

“Unfortunately, about 90 days later, I received devastating news that I was in immediate need of double hip surgery, and if I were not to, I would have to discontinue playing hockey.

My left hip had a partial tear in the cartilage, while my right one had a complete tear, hip fluid leaking, and a cyst encompassing it. Basically, it was a long shot if I could ever play competitive sports anymore.

“I’ve always had hip pain for years

and years, but have always thought it was just muscle, and common remedies have always helped it, but during the recent times before I was diagnosed, I stopped being able to skate and play at a normal pace and from there I could barely walk. But still, if there was any shot at trying to get back to playing the sport I love to play, I was going to take it.”

The whole time, the Eagles’ staff never once wavered from its support of Clark.

“All while I was in intensive recov ery, the Eagles’ coaching staff were more than happy to accommodate me and try to help me recover as best as I could when I was healthy enough to start putting on full gear again,” Clark said. “They were fully support ive in all steps of my recovery, and I will never be able to thank them enough for their generosity and com passion.

“If it wasn’t for the incredible sup port of my teammates, and the coach ing staff and community, I don’t think I would have lasted a month. But all through the tough season, they were fully supportive, and finally through months and months of hard work, I was finally able to play my first game in about a year right near the begin ning of February.”

Looking back on his upbringing in hockey back home in Colorado,

Clark found many positives there as well.

“I started out ice skating for the local in-house league over at Family Sports for a couple of years,” remem bered Clark. “The coach, Justin Wild, taught me all of the basics while still making everything fun. He al lowed me to grow and learn to enjoy the game through the most positive environment I could think of. With out him, I don’t think I would have gotten very far with the sport at all. I then had the opportunity a little later to try out for the AA team over at Big Bear Ice Arena, the Colorado Evolution. It was there that coach Sergei Bautin really developed my intermediate level skills, such as the proper shooting form, puck handling, and important defensive skills. He broke down every aspect in the most simple way possible, only to show every detail needed to build the cor rect, fundamental way. He pushed me to be better every day and taught me how to be competitive.

“The year after, a new AAA pro gram arose in the Big Bear, and I was able to be coached under Nick Tur cotte. Nick had a very different type of coaching style that I had never seen. He was a very advanced skills coach and would teach us these skills in a very unconventional but very effective way. Sometimes they would

be somersaults all the way down the ice, sometimes they would be going out back toward the hill behind the rink, and going up and down it, all while puck handling a golf ball. It was a very unique type of coaching, and one that was very effective.”

After that, Clark joined the Colo rado Rampage and played AAA from 14U to 16U.

“There is where I really learned how to work hard and compete,” Clark said. “Every year, the practices were always intense, fast-paced, and developed your competitive nature. One coach that really stood out was my 16U coach, Luke Fulghum. Luke’s practices were always fastpaced, and you had to show up to work every day. His practices were very advanced, in that he was show ing us what you might expect from practices of the next level, how com petitive they are, and what the next level is really looking for. Now that I am in juniors, his practices and teach ings were spot on into what it’s re ally like. Without him, I would have never been prepared.

“Over the summers, I also had a coach who taught me how to be mentally tough. Ever since I was 14, I skated with coach Chad Macleod, who taught me everything I know on how to be mentally tough. His prac tices were tough, and there were no easy days whatsoever. He made them that way so he could build you not just into a strong hockey player, but a strong-willed person as well.”

Going forward, Clark has a clear head on what he wants to accom plish.

“In the short term, I just want to be able to have a really good bounceback season from my injury and be able to enjoy junior hockey as a healthy player,” said Clark. “In the long term, I want to go to college and study exercise science, and possibly become a personal trainer or rehabili tation specialist.

“Hopefully, I can reach a high enough level that I can earn a schol arship somewhere to be able to pur sue my goal in college.”

Kris Clark played 15 games with the Soo Eagles last year. Photo: SooEagles.net

Rampage alum Boxer set to begin NCAA career in ’22-23 at D-III St. Olaf

BY MATT MACKINDER CO HOCKEY HUB

After spending his junior hockey career in the NAHL, Colorado Springs native Jack Boxer will start his college career this season with NCAA Division III St. Olaf College.

Boxer, a Colorado Rampage gradu ate, finished up his junior career with the Springfield Jr. Blues in 2021-22 after parts of three seasons within the Amarillo/North Iowa Bulls organiza tion.

“I began speaking with St. Olaf after my season came to a close,” said Boxer. “Eddie Effinger, the head coach of St. Olaf, reached out and I was very interested from the start. A few weeks later, I took a visit to St. Olaf. Once the visit concluded, I knew this is where I wanted to be. The academics are top-notch and the facilities are fantastic. The location and surrounding area is awesome. In the end, it was a very easy decision to

come to St. Olaf.

“As I freshman, I hope to come in and make a big impact on the team. We want to win the MIAC champion ship, which would then propel us to the NCAA tournament. I want to win, and I will do anything to make that happen.”

In 29 games with the Jr. Blues this past season, the blueliner recorded one goal and seven assists and was plus-7 after appearing in 21 games with four assists for North Iowa.

“Jack joined us just before the half way mark of the season and provided a veteran presence on the blue line for us from Day 1,” said Springfield head coach Tyler Rennette. “He’s earned this opportunity at St. Olaf, and we are excited to see what he’s able to accomplish.”

In 75 career NAHL games, Boxer accumulated two goals and 15 assists for 17 points with a plus-15 rating.

He joined Amarillo during the 2018-19 season.

Dakota Ridge standout LaJeunesse taking next step with USPHL’s Cyclones

BY MATT MACKINDER CO HOCKEY HUB

It’s onward and upward for Little ton native Sean LaJeunesse.

After four seasons playing for Da kota Ridge High School, LaJeunesse is making the move to junior hockey this season after signing with the US PHL’s Northern Cyclones during the offseason.

“We were in Chicago for a USPHL showcase and (Cyclones coach) Bill Weiand asked to speak with me and one other player after one of the last games,” LaJeunesse said. “He gave us his contact information and told us about his program. After getting home, my parents and I had a call with Coach Weiand about further de tails of the Northern Cyclones. It was far better than what I had originally anticipated and after short consider ation, we signed.

“When I found out that the Cy clones own their own rink, a refur bished college campus, and dorm building that the players live in, that made it sound perfect. And although I love my family very much, I always

knew I wanted to play on the East Coast.”

With Dakota Ridge, LaJeunesse was an alternate captain for two sea sons and captain his senior year.

“I was honored to be named the captain for my senior season,” said LaJeunesse. “I think we saw the suc cess on the scoresheet we wanted but weren’t able to make a playoff push. I was less successful with the Littleton Hawks in the CSDHL, not able to make the playoffs and losing at nationals, but playing on that team developed me as a hockey player and a human being more than I could

have ever thought.

“The switch to the CSDHL defi nitely gave me a taste of playing with and against older and more experi enced players. The three teams we played at nationals in Irvine, Calif., were the best hockey teams I’ve ever played against.”

Now in Hudson, N.H., with the Cy clones, LaJeunesse sees great things in his future.

“The main goal of taking the ju nior route is to develop as a player and hopefully create opportunities to commit to a college and possibly ob tain a scholarship,” said LaJeunesse.

“Hearing Coach Weiand tell us about the number of kids they send from their programs to college and some with scholarships was instantly ap pealing.”

During his youth hockey days, LaJeunesse started with the Hawks and later played for the Arvada Hock ey Association and Foothills Hockey Association before Dakota Ridge and back to Littleton for his senior 18U season.

“A few of the most influential coaches I had over my career are Jason Gour, Brian TenEyck, John McKibbon, and Jeff Towle,” LaJeu nesse said.

Moving forward, LaJeunesse sees hockey being a part of his daily rou tine.

“Graduating college has been a lifelong goal for me,” said LaJeu nesse. “I fell in love with the sport of hockey, and I hope that I can make something out of the next couple years with the Cyclones. In the short run, I want to commit to a college. In the long run, I want to graduate college and still be involved with hockey and give back to the sport.”

Colorado Springs native Jack Boxer ended the 2021-22 NAHL season with the Springfield Jr. Blues. Photo: NAHL

Sean LaJeunesse served as team captain in ‘21-22 for Dakota Ridge High School. Photo: Barry Solomon

WCHC bulks up to 17 teams for 2022-23 season

BY PHILLIP BRENTS

The face of collegiate club ice hockey in California and Arizona has undergone a major facelift for the 2022-23 season, and the West Coast Hockey Conference appears to be the prime beneficiary.

The WCHC, which operates at the American Collegiate Hockey As sociation men’s Division 2 level, has gone from nine members to 17 mem bers seemingly overnight with the addition of eight incoming programs.

“UCLA and USC going to the Big Ten (in college football) wasn’t the only major conference realignment this summer,” Loyola Marymount University general manager Tyler Goeckner-Zoeller said. “We were ap proached by a few teams that wanted to join the WCHC and it snowballed to adding eight new teams to the con ference.”

Returning teams to the WCHC from the 2021-22 season include de fending conference champion Loyola Marymount, Long Beach State, CSU Bakersfield, UC Santa Barbara, CSU Fullerton, Cal Lutheran, Chapman University and UC Irvine.

CSU-Northridge, which did not compete last season, also returns to WCHC action for the upcoming sea son.

Notable expansion members in clude UCLA, Northern Arizona Uni versity, Arizona State University and Grand Canyon University. UCLA and Arizona State were both members of the Pac-8 last season.

The WCHC retains its two-tier for mat but is now essentially comprised of three groups.

Tier 1 includes the six top-ranked teams: LMU, Long Beach State, Northern Arizona, UCLA, ASU and GCU. Goeckner-Zoeller calls the grouping “a very tough division.”

The Tier 2 South Division will in clude seven teams: CSU-Northridge, UC Santa Barbara, CSU Fullerton, CSU Bakersfield, Chapman Univer sity, UC Irvine and Cal Lutheran.

The Tier 2 North Division includes the four newly added programs from Northern California: Santa Clara Uni versity, Santa Rosa Junior College, UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz.

The conference playoffs, which by will hosted by UCLA at The Cube Santa Clarita, will include 10 teams — all six Tier 1 teams, plus the top three Tier 2 South teams and the top Tier 1 North team.

for the 2022-23 season. As a result, the Aztecs and Ducks will compete as independents in their first Division 1 season.

“My goal in advancing this pro gram up to D1 was to open a door for California players playing out of

State University, Grand Canyon University, University of NevadaLas Vegas, University of ColoradoBoulder, Colorado State University and the University of Utah, all of which constitute a geographic fit for future conference play and are on the Aztecs’ 2022-23 schedule.

SDSU will be eligible for the ACHA Division 1 national tourna ment in its inaugural season, Bate man said.

Puck drop

Long Beach State and LMU faced off the 2022-23 season Sept. 23 at Skating Edge Arena in Harbor City. The Lions roared to a 6-2 victory on the strength of goals by six different players: Connor Kaczmarek, Sebas tian Cigarran, Manzer, Adam Nishi no, Bryson Martin and Ryan Brown.

LMU was set to embark on its first Northern California road swing with games against San Jose State Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 at Solar4America Ice and against Cal-Berkeley Oct. 2 at the Oakland Ice Center.

The first big showdown in the conference is expected Oct. 7 at The Cube Santa Clarita when defending WCHC champion LMU takes on ACHA M2 West Region semifinalist UCLA.

LMU has scheduled its annual Ted dy Bear Toss game Dec. 3 at Skate Edge Ice Arena against C-SUN.

The WCHC championship playoffs are scheduled Feb. 10-12. The 2023 ACHA M2 regionals are scheduled Feb. 23-25.

Aztec Nation

The San Diego State University Aztecs helped set the facelift in mo tion when they were green-lighted, along with fellow PAC-8 member Or egon, to move up to Division 1 status

state to have a high-caliber collegiate program to come home to play for during their college hockey years,” SDSU head coach Phil Bateman said.

The Aztecs are the lone ACHA Division 1 men’s team in California, which has already helped promote in-state recruiting. Of the team’s in augural Division 1 recruiting class of 10 players, six hail from the Golden State. Altogether, the Aztecs boast 16 Cali natives on their 25-man roster.

“There’s more reasons to be here than not to be here, the beach, the school, it’s a fun place,” San Jose native Alex Xinos said. “I think I’ve checked all my boxes. I’m super ex cited to be here. I can’t wait to make an impact.”

San Jose’s Ishaan Khatkar, who had played AAA hockey in California before joining the Aztecs, echoed the words of his Bay Area compatriot.

“It’s a great school, great place, you can’t beat the beaches and they have hockey,” Khatkar listed as his reasons for coming to SDSU.

“I wasn’t sure I was going to play hockey this year, but SDSU was at Division 1, so I thought I’d like to give it a shot and I’m here. I want to help the team win at a brand new level, make sure we can be the best we can be, do anything I can to help.”

SDSU will be looking to develop Division 1 rivalries with Arizona

“The only criteria provided by the ACHA is that we have a minimum of 20 ACHA D1 games on our sched ule, and we have 26 scheduled,” the Aztec bench boss explained. “In our first season, qualifying isn’t a goal yet. It would be a wonderful out come, but we have a realistic outlook on the transition to ACHA D1. This is a reset to our new two-to-threeyear plan. Once we have a couple of recruiting classes at this level, we expect to be a very competitive pro gram on the national stage.”

SDSU posted a 12-5-0-0-1 record (12 wins, five losses, one tie) in their final season at the ACHA Division 2 level, their third in Pac-8 play.

“Our collective goal this year will be to continue to grow and develop as a program,” Bateman said. “Our on-ice goals have never changed. We look to focus on skill growth, sys tems implementation and set the stan dards of play for the team. In parallel, we will look to continue to increase our footprint and influence within the San Diego and California hockey landscape.”

The Aztecs faced off their inaugu ral Division 1 season with a pair of home games Sept. 23-24 against Col orado-Boulder. The visiting Buffaloes prevailed, 3-1, in a defensive game in the series opener and out-scored the hosts, 9-6, in a more free-wheeling game in the series finale.

Danville’s Lucas Bellig came out of the weekend set as the Aztecs’ early scoring leader with five assists.

“Winning and losing are not on our radar,” Bateman said “We will do things the right way and the results will be the results. The focus is to know what we are working towards; understanding it is a longer-term plan.”