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USHL Notes: April 4, 2023

Published on April 4, 2023 under United States Hockey League (USHL) News Release


USHL Notes March 29 - April 4, 2023

18 Games on the docket this week as teams jockey for play-off positioning; 80 league alumni on rosters for 2023 NCAA Frozen Four; Connelly extends point-scoring streak to 17 games

USHL Weekly Press Release

Players of the Week: Cole Eiserman (NTDP/USHL Forward of the Week) lead the USHL in goals with five and points with six last week. The Newburyport, Mass., native scored three times in a home win over Muskegon last Tuesday in registering second hat trick on the season and has upped his season totals to 28-16- 44 in 32 USHL games played in the process. The University of Minnesota commit is now a two-time USHL Forward of the Week in 2022-23.

Antonio Fernandez (Lincoln/USHL Defenseman of the Week) had a goal and four assists for five points in three games last week. Fernandez, who was +2 with eight shots on goal for the week, had a goal and an assist in 3-2 win over Tri-City last Wednesday with his goal serving as the game-winning tally in the victory, The San Jose, Calif., native is a Colorado College commit and as 10-25- 35 with 117 shots on goal in 52 games on the season.

Including a 23-save shutout in a 2-0 road win at Omaha last Friday, Merrimack commit Max Lundgren (Des Moines/USHL Goaltender of the Week) went 1-1-0 with 67 saves, a 1.17 goals against average and 0.955 save percentage in three appearances last week. The Angelholm, Sweden, native stands 15-15-2-2 on the season with 2.77 goals against average and .910 save percentage.

USHL with Huge Presence at 2023 Frozen Four: The annual NCAA Division I men's hockey Frozen Four get together begins Thursday in Tampa with a pair of semifinal games. And not unlike an all-school reunion where you get see a bunch of people you know really well, 80 former players from the USHL will be there playing with and against former teammates with Boston University squaring off against Minnesota and Quinnipiac facing Michigan. Michigan has 24 former USHL players, Minnesota claims 23, Boston University has 20 and Quinnipiac comes in with 13 former players from the league. Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko is a former USHL player and coach, while Michigan's interim head coach Brandon Naurato played in the USHL with two different teams. Go here to view more information on the USHL's Frozen Four connections.

And the Beat Goes on: Trevor Connelly (Tri-City) is in the midst of a league season-best 17-game point-scoring streak that dates back to Feb. 10. His streak is one of nine streaks of 16 games or more in the USHL since the 2007-08 season, the longest of which is 23 games by Jack Drury (Waterloo). Connelly, a Providence commit who's from Tustin, Calif., has racked up 28 points on 14 goals and 14 assists during his streak and for the season owns 20-23--43 in 51 games.

It Commences with Defense: Dubuque's Max Burkholder ranks second in the league in scoring by defensemen with 16 goals and 28 assists for 44 points in 54 games played. Burkholder, a Chaska, Minn., native, is in his third season with the Fighting Saints and has registered 27-44--71 in 157 games for this three-year USHL career. Serving as captain this year for Dubuque, the Colorado College commit has 4-7--11 in his last 13 games played.

Conference Call: The Lincoln Stars (33-18-3-1) and the Tri-City Storm (31-18-3-3) have both gone 7-2-0-1 in their last 10 outings in locking up 2023 Clark Cup play-off spots. Other teams in the Western Conference who are assured of play-off positions include league-leading Fargo (37-13-2-4) and Waterloo (35-20-1-0).

Eastern Conference teams who've clinched Clark Cup play-off spots include Chicago (36-16-3-1), Youngstown (34-17-4-1) the NTDP (34-18-2-2).

The 2023 USHL regular season concludes April 22 and the league play-offs begin April 24.

USHL NHL Alumni Spotlight: Drafted in the first round (seventh overall) by the New York Islanders in 2006, former Des Moines forward Kyle Okposo is in his 16th season playing the National Hockey League. The St. Paul, Minn., native who tallied 27-31--58 in 50 games with the Buccaneers during the course of the 2005-06 season, has posted a 230-360--590 stat line in 977 games in the NHL and is currently serving as the team captain for the Buffalo Sabres.

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