The Utica Jr. Comets and Army (West Point) are proud to announce the commitment of Owen Carlile to play his NCAA college hockey with the Black Knights. In 22 games this year, he has put up 4 goals and 18 assists for 22 points.

“When I went on my visit to Army, I loved everything about it. It’s such an historic school and everything about it just fits me as a person,” Carlile said. “When the coaches were talking about how their team usually likes to play, everything with what they said I believed in. I also feel that I’m making my parents proud as both of them served in the military. All those factors made it a very easy decision for me!”

“Owen has been a great player for us this year," added Head Coach Louis Educate. "Showing maturity beyond his years will serve him very well at West Point. Owen is a 200-foot center who gets up and down the ice with ease. He isn’t afraid to get dirty, either, as he is constantly first on pucks.

"His ability to see the ice is next level and is why you see him with almost an assist a game. Owen will continue to grow this year in Utica not only on the ice but off it as well. I am very excited for Owen, and West Point will be getting a very well-rounded and disciplined player.”

Carlile mentions his time with the Jr. Comets as a major factor in his progression.

“My time here in Utica has been very beneficial not only as a player but as a person as well. I wouldn’t be where I am today with out the support of Coach Educate and Coach [Shawn] Lynch.”

The last turkey bone has long been picked clean and the soup has been made. The thermostats are going up ever so slowly in the northeast as the mercury falls and December gets ready to dawn. That means the NCDC must be nearing the halfway point - and that it will, on Friday, Dec. 10. 

When teams hit the ice again on Thursday - with a New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs vs. Islanders Hockey Club showdown in the North Division - we’ll see a continued jumble of races in both divisions. Four points separate first from fourth - and six points separate first from sixth - up in the North Division, but the real crowding situation is in the South. Four teams are jockeying for first, all with 27 points coming off the break. And none of them are the hottest team in the South, which belongs to the Connecticut Jr. Rangers, 4-0-1-1 in their last five, and just one point out of the four-way tie. In terms of point streaks, no one else has better than a one-game winning “streak” going into December. 

Where will we be after this first weekend back in action is anyone’s guess - but it’ll be outstanding fun watching whatever happens happen. Let’s get into what the teams are up to.

Connecticut Jr. Rangers Enjoying Season-Best Six-Game Point Streak

Going 3-0 at the Islanders Hockey Club Showcase was exactly what the Rangers needed. They had started the month at 7-7-0-0 and have improved to 12-8-1-1 after a 5-1-1-1 month of November. 

As good as their present run is, it pales in comparison with their 13-game point streak from early in the 2019-20 season, when they went 9-0-4-0 between September and the start of November. At the Islanders Hockey Club Showcase, they started out with a 3-1 win over the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs that evened out the all-time series at 6-6. From there, they defeated the Northern Cyclones, 7-3, and wrapped up with a 5-1 win over the hosts on Nov. 21. 

Next up, the Rangers bring their hot streak up against the Jersey Hitmen in a Saturday-Sunday home-and-home that starts in Connecticut. Their last weekend series on Oct. 23-24, both resulted in Hitmen wins. 

• The Rangers are second-best in the league in getting shots on goal, with an average of 36.55. However, they are also 13th in shots against with 38.08 against them each game. 

• When the Rangers get up after two periods, they are unbeatable so far - they are one of just three teams league-wide with a 5-0 record when holding a lead after 40 minutes. 

• Rangers defenseman Andrew Mosley is currently tied for the goal-scoring lead among defensemen with five, the fifth coming on Nov. 14 in the third of three games in Utica. 

• Andrei Levushkin has the league’s best active goal-scoring streak with six goals in his last five games going back to the 5-4 shootout loss on Nov. 13. Adding in nine assists over the last 11 games, he also has the best scoring streak with 15 points.

• The league’s second-best active point scoring streak is also held by a Ranger, that being Bobby Barrasso. He has a 5-4-9 line going back the last six games. He and fellow Ranger Dean Rocco are both on four-assist streaks in their last three and four games, respectively. 

Junior Bruins Trying To Tie Wins Together To Hold Onto First In North 

The Boston Junior Bruins have gone 3-2-1 over their last six games, and before that was a three-game losing streak. The Junior Bruins want to come back strong in December after they last strung together wins on Oct. 17-23, when they won three in a row. They enter December with the North lead, which they have never relinquished since first grabbing hold of first on Oct. 3 after a 3-0 start to the season. 

Around them, they’ve seen hot streaks over the last month-plus from the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs, Northern Cyclones, Boston Advantage and South Shore Kings. 

• At a 20.2 percent success rate, the Junior Bruins and Jersey Hitmen (27.2) are the only NCDC teams above a 1-in-5 rate for power plays. 

• Holy Cross recruit Joe Solimine registered his 19th assist in the team’s most recent win, 6-0 over the Advantage, putting him at fourth in USPHL assists. His 1-1-2 game that day kept him in the top five of scoring overall as well with 28 through 21 games. 

• Goaltender Colin Winn became the first goalie to pass 1,000 minutes played this season, standing at 1,045. He is also third in saves at 510.

• Army recruit Jude Brower’s feed to Aaron Catron at 5:17 of the second in the 6-0 win over Advantage made him the only NCDC defenseman with two shorthanded assists this year. 

New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs Pushing Junior Bruins In Close Race

The Monarchs kept the pressure on the Junior Bruins - whom they trail by just two points - with a 2-1 performance at the IHC Showcase. This began with a 4-2 win over the Jersey Hitmen on Nov. 18, avenging a 5-2 loss to the Hitmen from Oct. 4 at the BJB Shootout. 

They fell to Connecticut, 3-1, but bounced right back to defeat the Philadelphia Hockey Club, 3-2, on Nov. 20. 

• Mitchell Day was in net for all 180 minutes of the IHC Showcase and improved to a league-best 10 wins on the season, the first in the NCDC this year to cross double digit W’s. 

• Day also leads in saves, 544, on 587 shots, which gives him a save percentage of .927, ranking third in the league in that category. 

• Day set the new season high mark for saves in a game with 52 in the 3-1 loss to Nov. 19. 

• Bekk McClaine’s shorthanded goal against Philadelphia, which stood up as the game-winner, gave the Monarchs a league-best six shorthanded goals as a team. 

Hitmen, P.A.L. Tied In Points, Wins, Winning Percentage 

Even with four teams tied in points in the South Division, you can’t find two more almost completely identical teams than the Jersey Hitmen and P.A.L. Jr. Islanders, who have 13 wins and seven regulation losses apiece. The Hitmen have an OT loss and P.A.L. has a shootout loss, about the only big difference between them. They both have a .643 save percentage, both won their most recent game and are both even 7-3-0-0 in their last 10 games. 

• Jersey’s special teams are aces - first in power play at 27.2 percent, and second in penalty killing (89.4)

• The Hitmen are also first in goals for per game (4.05, the only team averaging over four), shots for per game (40.95, only team averaging 40 or better) and fewest shots against per game (32.00). They are second in team goals against at 2.76. 

• P.A.L. leads the league in team goals against at 2.38. 

• The Hitmen have the best record in the league when leading after two periods - 10-0 - followed closely by P.A.L. at 9-0. 

• P.A.L. is the only team in the NCDC with a winning record when being outshot in games, at 6-5-0-1. 

• Tyler Crist leads the league in goals for the Jr. Islanders with 17, which sees a lead of three on his closest competition right now. 

• Hitmen Patriks Marcinkevics (35 points) and Dylan Lugris (31) points are first and third in the league in scoring, respectively. Second - and the only other player with at least 30 points - is the Jr. Islanders’ Spencer Korona (34 points). 

• Marcinkevics and Lugris, however, are tied without any other company in leading the league with 11 power play assists apiece, and Marcinkevics leads the league in points at 16. 

• Hitmen defensemen Brandon Cimino (22 points), a Bentley recruit, and Sean Melso (21) are 1-2 in league defenseman scoring and the only two blueliners in the league with at least 20 points. They are also tied for the league lead in assists with 18 apiece. 

Northern Cyclones Hope To Build On 2-1 IHC Showcase Performance

The Cyclones, like the Monarchs, came out of the IHC Showcase with a 2-1 mark. They could have done without the 7-3 loss to the red-hot Rangers, but they’ll definitely take the 3-2 win over the Hitmen, the Cyclones’ first-ever in their five NCDC years. Along the way, they also beat the Utica Jr. Comets, 4-1, to even up their all-time series at a dead-even 8-8. 

• Goaltender Kristoffer Eberly has kept up his outstanding performance from the start of the season and now sits second in save percentage at .932.

• The Cyclones are almost outscoring their opponents 2:1 (31-16) in second periods of games - but then getting outscored 1:2 (13-26) in third periods. 

• Michael Felsing, a 2003-born center, has not stopped scoring since joining the Cyclones ahead of their Nov. 12 game. He has an active five-game scoring streak of four goals and three assists for seven points, including 2-2-4 at the IHC Showcase. 

• Veteran Cyclone Massimo Pietroniro also had two goals and two assists for four points in the three IHC Showcase games. 

Around The Boards In The NCDC

The Rockets Hockey Club and P.A.L. Jr. Islanders split their pre-Thanksgiving series with rather decisive wins on both sides. The Rockets won the first game 5-1, followed by a 7-1 Jr. Islanders win. 

• Just before a call-up to the USHL, the Rockets’ Barron Woodring scored his league-leading seventh power play goal in the 7-1 win.  

• Along with the Jersey Hitmen’s leaders, the Rockets Hockey Club are the only other team to have two defensemen in the top five of D scoring - Evan Pahos and Penn State recruit Jason Gallucci (both with 15 points). 

Prior to the Boston Advantage’s shutout loss to the Junior Bruins, they were able to pick up a 7-3 win over the South Shore Kings. 

• Manny Sanchez’ assist on Cade Helmer’s shorthanded goal against the Kings put him into a four-way tie for shorthanded assists with two. 

• Helmer’s first of two goals in that game was the game-winner his third on the season, good for a tie for second in the league. Only five players have at least three GWG’s, with P.A.L.’s Tyler Crist leading with four.  

The host Islanders Hockey Club did not leave their showcase empty-handed, picking up three points with a 1-1-0-1 record there. They fell in a shootout to Philadelphia 5-4 in the opener, before defeating Utica 5-4. They ended with their 5-1 loss to Connecticut.

• Patrik Somerville drew the league’s first overtime penalty shot of the 2021-22 season on Nov. 19, but missed scoring on Philadelphia’s Ryan Keyes. In four total penalty shots this year, there’s only been one goal, back on Nov. 6, when the Rockets’ Cam Bergeman scored on Utica’s Sebastian Woods.

• Jake Bernadet has the second-best active goal streak in the league with six in his last four games. Jack Dolan has the second-best active assist streak with five helpers in his last five games.

The Philadelphia Hockey Club’s Liam Cox-Smith and Carter Newlin scored a shootout goal apiece to end the shootout with IHC after just two rounds, giving them a 5-4 win and their only two points of the showcase. They also had close games with the Twin City Thunder (4-3) and the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (3-2). 

• Chip Hamlett’s two-point weekend outside of Boston gave him 15 points and put him up in the top five of defenseman scoring, tied for third with the Rockets’ Gallucci and Pahos. 

• Ryan Mulholland scored a shorthanded goal vs. the Islanders to make him one of just four blueliners in the league with a shorty. 

• PHC is dead even in shots with their opponents in the second period at 235-235. They are second only to the Hitmen in fewest shots against per game (32.38).

Twin City’s win over PHC was also its only two points at the IHC Showcase. They went on to fall 2-1 to Utica and 7-1 to Jersey. 

• Ryan Hintz’ goal against Utica was his fifth of the season, putting him into a four-way tie for the league lead in goals by defensemen.

Utica also picked up just two points at the IHC Showcase, from that 2-1 win over Utica. Their other results were a 5-4 loss to Utica and a 4-1 loss to the Cyclones. 

• Dhillon Wilde’s second hat trick of the season came against the Islanders, and also gave him 14 on the season, tying him for second in goals with the Advantage’s Cade Helmer. 

• John Gutt is on a five-game, seven-assist streak (best in the league) and eight-point scoring streak in six games (third in the league). His three assists at the IHC Showcase put him third in the league at 21 helpers. 

• Sebastian Woods is second in both goaltender minutes (984) and saves (534).  

Upcoming Action

• New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs at Islanders Hockey Club, Dec. 2 - The Monarchs own an all-time edge of 7-4-1-3 in this all-time series. New Hampshire has won 3-2 in a shootout and 4-1, and the Islanders won on Sept. 26, 4-3 in a shootout. 

• South Shore Kings at Boston Advantage, Dec. 3 - The Advantage beat the Kings twice in November, 4-3 (Nov. 9) and 7-3 (Nov. 19). 

• Boston Junior Bruins at Twin City Thunder, Dec. 3 - The Junior Bruins have scored points in each of their first four games, going 3-0-0-1 - the three wins were shutouts. 

• Rockets Hockey Club vs. Philadelphia Hockey Club, Dec. 3-4 - The Rockets are 6-1 all-time against the PHC, who won their first game in the all-time series on Oct. 22. 

• Twin City Thunder at Northern Cyclones, Dec. 4 - The Cyclones and Thunder have each won one game in their season series by a 3-1 score. 

• Utica Jr. Comets at P.A.L. Jr. Islanders, Dec. 4-6 - It’s been a close all-time series, but Utica (and their predecessors the Syracuse Jr. Stars) leads 11-8-1-0, with two OT wins and two shootout victories. 

• Jersey Hitmen vs. Connecticut Jr. Rangers, Dec. 4-5 - The Hitmen have dominated the all-time series 18-2-1-0, winning once in OT and twice in a shootout. The Hitmen won both of their 2021-22 meetings on Oct. 23-24. 

• Boston Advantage at New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs, Dec. 4 - The Boston Advantage are 2-0-0-2 all-time against the Monarchs. They won 4-1 on Oct. 24, the only game that hasn’t gone to OT or shootout between the two. 

• Boston Junior Bruins vs. Northern Cyclones, Dec. 4 - The Junior Bruins hold a very slim 10-8-1-0 record with one overtime win in the all-time series. 

Drop The Pucks! 

David Battisti takes what his friends and former teammates say very seriously. So, when former Charlotte Rush teammate Sam Martin, now playing for the State University of New York at Canton, began talking with Battisti about potentially joining the Canton Roos in 2022, Battisti listened closely to the sales pitch. 

“I stayed with Sam when I went on my visit,” said Battisti. “He’s been trying to convince me for a while, and he did a good job of it.”

Of course, the SUNY-Canton coaching staff also had something to do with this whole process. They began talking with the 2001-born Victor, N.Y., resident last year just before the USPHL Premier Nationals in Chesapeake, Va. The talks continued and on Wednesday, Nov. 24, it was announced that Battisti had committed to SUNY-Canton. 

The Canton staff then watched as Battisti and his Rush teammates pushed their way past nearly every team they faced (taking just one round robin tie along the way) to win the Championship. 

“I began talking with them last year just before Nationals, and then just a little bit throughout the summer, and it started back up again before I went back to Charlotte this year,” said Battisti, who currently stands at 5-4-1 on the season for the Rush. His fourth win was a 4-3 victory against the Metro Jets, which came into the Islanders Hockey Club Showcase at 20-0. 

“They said they like how quick I am on my feet,” said Battisti. “I’m a smaller guy, so I have to be a quick goalie, and they like how I play the puck a lot and I’m aggressive.”

Battisti said there was a lot that he liked about SUNY-Canton as well, so the interest remained strong on both sides. 

“I love the great hockey facilities they have, and it’s a very good culture there that I’m excited about to be a part of,” said Battisti. “Everything’s clean and modern on campus, the way it looks. That played a big part in where I wanted.” 

Battisti plans to major in Business, in order to help with the family business, Tambe Electric Inc., an electrician services company based in Victor. 

“Going into business will help in getting into the family company, which my Grandpa owns, and everyone in my family works there,” he added. 

Battisti started out playing locally in the Rochester area, skating in the USPHL 16U Division for two seasons with the former Rochester Jr. Monarchs, and then he continued with the Jr. Monarchs into his 18U year, while splitting with McQuaid Jesuit High School. From McQuaid, he joined the Rush last year and put together an outstanding 25-6-1 record during the regular season, along with sparkling a 1.84 goals against average and .938 save percentage. 

“I can’t say enough good things about Charlotte, not even just the hockey aspect of it, but Charlotte prepares you for the real world,and  becoming a man,” said Battisti. “There’s a lot of success and a lot of pressure there. A loss on a weekend is not acceptable, but no one really gets nervous when we lose a couple because we know we’ll come right back with wins.”

Most of the time, Battisti just works with the coaching staff led by Troy Schwab, which also includes General Manager Ryan Cruthers and Trevor Jewell, the former head coach now Director of Hockey Operations and Player Development. New this year, the Rush also brought in NHL alum Jean-Sebastian Aubin as a goaltending coach. 

“I’ve met with him a couple times, and he comes down from Pittsburgh once a month to work with the goaltenders,” said Battisti. 

This year, Battisti is still working to improve to become an even better goaltender for the Roos of the future. 

“For me, it’s really just the consistency aspect,” said Battisti. “I think I was very good last year, every game, I felt like I gave the same. It’s different a little bit this year, so I just want to make sure I’m giving the team the same guy in net every game that they want. I’m trying to get my shoulders over the puck a little more, just to find any way to make myself bigger.” 

The Rush are certainly pushing for a repeat National Championship this year, as they certainly enjoyed the experience of winning (along with their Elite brethren) this past March. 

“Obviously, that was our goal all year. It was a marathon for us. We kept winning and winning and we let that roll into Nationals. We had that feeling that we were going to do it, then after we won, it was the best feeling ever,” said Battisti. “We didn’t do it just for us, but for our alumni. That 2019-20 team felt like they were going to win [before the 2020 Nationals were canceled], and a lot of them came down to watch us. We were really playing to win for two years worth of Rush teams.” 

The USPHL congratulates David Battisti, his family, the Charlotte Rush and SUNY-Canton for his commitment. 

South Division

Forward: Alex Dameski, Jersey Hitmen

Dameski (‘01/Oakville, Ont.) set up both goals that the Hitmen scored in a close loss against the Northern Cyclones, and then posted two goals - one on the power play - and one more assist for five points in two games against the Twin City Thunder to leave New England with a 7-1 victory. 

Defense: Mika Petersen, Connecticut Jr. Rangers

Local Stamford product Petersen (‘03) racked up a couple of assists - one in each of the Rangers’ wins against the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs and the Northern Cyclones. Petersen, a veteran of the 2020-21 Rangers who rejoined this month, has four assists already in five games. 

Goaltender: Devin Stephens, Connecticut Jr. Rangers

Stephens (‘03/Trenton, Mich.) is a first-year NCDC player who had an outstanding weekend at the IHC Showcase, going 3-0, with a 1.66 goals against average and a .957 save percentage. All told, he made 113 saves on 118 shots. He started with a 47-save performance in their 3-1 win against the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs. From there, he went up against the Cyclones and helped them get a decisive 7-3 victory with 30 saves on 33 shots. In the end, against the host Islanders on Sunday, he made 36 saves on 37 shots - all but six of those coming in the second and third of an eventual 5-1 victory.

North Division 

Forward: Jake Bernadet, Islanders Hockey Club 

Bernadet (‘03/Burlington, Vt.) was burning hot for the IHC as they played four games in six days between Nov. 16 and Nov. 21. He scored six goals 2-1-2-1 in that order of the four games, and added an assist in the Nov. 16 5-3 win against the Boston Advantage. He has an active five-game, eight-point streak going into December. 

Defense: Charlie Killian, Boston Advantage

Killian (‘02/Mendota Heights, Minn.) helped the Advantage to a big win over the South Shore Kings on Nov. 19, and over the course of three games, he posted three of his eight total assists on the season. He also led the Advantage in ice time with an average of over 30 minutes in each game. 

Goaltender: Mitchell Day, New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs

Day (‘02/Kirkwood, Mo.) was the big man in net during the IHC Showcase recently, picking up two wins and was outstanding making 52 saves (on 55 shots) in his only loss to the Connecticut Jr. Rangers, who went 3-0 at the event. In the first of three games, he stopped 29 of 31 to defeat the defending Dineen Cup Champion Jersey Hitmen. Then, after the big show against Connecticut, he made 25 stops on 27 shots for the win against the Philadelphia Hockey Club. 

Islanders Hockey Club Showcase Recap

South Division

With some teams playing three games, some two (including away from the showcase), the month of November ended just with the same situation in the South as existed a week earlier on Jan. 16 - with four teams tied for first in points, all with 27. 

The Jersey Hitmen picked up a pair of points in winning their final game of the showcase, 7-1, after earlier losses to the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs and Northern Cyclones..

The P.A.L. Jr. Islanders and Rockets Hockey Club split their weekend - so there's that. Those two teams also earned just two points apiece to rise to 27 apiece.

The fourth team in the four-way tie - the Utica Jr. Comets - won their IHC Showcase opener - a 2-1 win against the Twin City Thunder. They were unable to earn any further points in losses to the Islanders Hockey Club and Northern Cyclones. Two points over the 25 they came in with equals, you guessed it, 27. 

The Connecticut Jr. Rangers - as aforementioned above - are the current hottest team in the South winning three in a row to stand now one point back of the four-way tie. 

The Philadelphia Hockey Club sandwiched a 5-4 shootout win over the host Islanders Hockey Club between one-goal losses to the Twin City Thunder and New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs. 

North Division

The Boston Junior Bruins had one chance (i.e., one scheduled game) to prove their ability to hold onto first place, and they did just that with a 6-0 shutout of the Boston Advantage. 

Meantime, there's a new second place team in the form of the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs, who leapfrogged the South Shore Kings into the second spot. Coming off two losses the prior weekend, the Monarchs only looked forward and defeated the Jersey Hitmen, 4-2, in Game 1 of the entire IHC Showcase on Thursday. They fell in Game 2 to the red-hot Rangers, 3-1, but then rebounded to end November against the Philadelphia Hockey Club with a 3-2 win. 

The Boston Advantage came back from a 5-3 loss to the Islanders Hockey Club to defeat the South Shore Kings, 7-3, but then came up empty-handed with their loss to the Junior Bruins. With the two points in three games, they were at least able to hold onto third place heading into the break. 

The loss to the Advantage was the Kings' only action over the last week and for the month of November, in which they played five contests. 

On the strength of their 3-2 win over the Hitmen and a 4-1 closer against Utica, the Northern Cyclones were able to jump up into fifth place in the North. 

As the Cyclones jumped up, the Twin City Thunder fell to sixth with just a 4-3 win over Philadelphia on Thursday to take away from their IHC Showcase efforts. 

The Islanders Hockey Club earned five points in three straight games going back to a 5-3 win over the Advantage on Nov. 16. At their showcase, they took a point from the 5-4 shootout loss to Philadelphia, then earned a 5-4 win over Utica before the Connecticut Jr. Rangers ended their points streak. 

We'll have a new, full NCDC This Week coming back next Tuesday! Happy Thanksgiving to all. 

The NCDC will get into its final games of the month of November this weekend. Eight teams will play at the Islanders Hockey Club Showcase, and others will have traditional home ice games against local opponents. In any event, the NCDC is already fast approaching the halfway mark of the regular season, which will occur on Dec. 10, the second weekend back after the Thanksgiving break. The good thing for those who love watching the NCDC is every game is competitive, players are putting up outstanding individual performances and there’s oh so much more still to come! 

Jersey Hitmen Win Three In A Row, Sweep Rockets

A sweep of the Interstate 287 rival Rockets Hockey Club over the Nov. 12-13 weekend helped the Hitmen jump into a tie for first place in the South Division, not just with the Rockets, but also with the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders and the Utica Jr. Comets. 

• The Hitmen have the league’s best offense (4.11 goals per game) and second best defense (2.78 goals against per game). That lines up well with putting the most shots on net (41.33) and giving up the second fewest shots per game (31.56). 

• Jersey blueline duo Sean Melso and Bentley recruit Brandon Cimino continue to lead the NCDC in defenseman scoring with 21 and 20 points, respectively. Cimino enters the Islanders Hockey Club Showcase on a three-game, four-assist streak. 

• On Nov. 12, Hitmen newcomer Dominiks Marcinkevics  had a goal and four assists for a league season-high five points, in just his second game since returning to the NCDC after originally playing for the Islanders Hockey Club in 2019-20. In three games, Marcinkevics - twin brother of the team’s leading scorer Patriks Marcinkevics (28 points) - already has 10 points. 

• Since joining the Hitmen just before Halloween, goalie J.J. Cataldo is 3-0.  

• Rockets Hockey Club forward Evan Brown has the most points in a currently active point streak, at 15 (6-9-15) in his last eight games. He is also on a five-game multi-point streak, scoring three in a pair and then two points in his last three. 

South Shore Kings Pushing Junior Bruins Atop North Division With Two Straight W’s

Just as great as the four-way battle for first in the South is the four-way fight for first in the North, with four teams separated by four points. The South Shore Kings’ two-game sweep of their Nov. 12 and 14 games included a 4-1 win over the leading Boston Junior Bruins. The Kings are now just two points out of first in the North, held by the same Junior Bruins. 

• The Kings give up the third-fewest shots against per game (32.56).

• Daniel Cavanaugh is heating up for the Kings. After posting four points in his first 12 games, Cavanaugh has an active six-game scoring streak with a line of 4-3-7. 

• Jakub Teply, who now has 5-2-7 in his last three games, had the game-winning goals against each of the Monarchs and Junior Bruins. He became the second King this season to register back-to-back GWG’s, after Chikara Hanzawa did so on Oct. 22 and Oct. 28, the latter being the goal that broke the Kings’ all-time NCDC scoring record. 

• The South Shore Kings’ USPHL Premier goalie Max Macchioni, one of the leaders in wins in the Tier III league, is already 2-0 in the start of his NCDC career. He defeated the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs 5-1, stopping 29 of 30, and then came back this past Sunday against the Junior Bruins and stopped 28 of 31 in the 4-3 victory. 

• The Junior Bruins’ leading scorer and Holy Cross recruit Joe Solimine made his league-leading 11th power play assist on Easton Ryan’s third period goal that made it 3-3, prior to Teply’s GWG. 

Philadelphia Hockey Club Picks Up Points In Three Straight

Fourteen of the PHC’s 18 total games have been decided by one goal, including overtimes and shootouts, and the most recent three came against the Connecticut Jr. Rangers and in a home-and-home against the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders (2-0-1). 

• With four assists on Nov. 7, Chip Hamlett moved into second place on the PHC scoring leaderboard since their 2020-21 inaugural season. He is tied at 27 points with teammate Frank Konopasek, who had two goals during the recent 2-0-1 stretch. Last year’s leading scorer Jaxon Mase is the all-time leader with 30 points in 38 games in 2020-21. 

• Hamlett’s four assists on Nov. 7 put him in a three-way tie with Dominiks Marcinkevics and Jersey’s Will Traeger for the league season-high in that category. It also gave Hamlett the all-time lead for PHC assists in the NCDC with 27. He entered this season already as the PHC’s all-time top-scoring defenseman after last year’s inaugural season and remains in the lead by a healthy amount. 

• Swedish import goaltender Jacob Torgner is tied for second in minutes played in the NCDC with 854, and he is fourth overall in save percentage at .921. 

Connecticut Jr. Rangers Jump Back Above .500 With Points In Three Straight

The last thing the four teams tied for first in the South need right now is for the Connecticut Jr. Rangers to get hot. They’re not 100 percent on fire, with just a 1-0-1-1 record in their last trio of games against Utica, but that three-game point streak has them certainly within striking distance of the top group. 

• After 19 games played, the Jr. Rangers remain the only NCDC team to have not allowed a single shorthanded goal against them this season.

• Second-year Jr. Rangers goalie Derek Manzella stopped a league season-high 50 shots (of 54 total) before falling 5-4 in a shootout to Utica on Nov. 13. 

• Andrei Levushkin earlier this season set the Jr. Rangers NCDC mark for goals and now leads with 40. He is on a current eight-game point streak, with a 6-5-11 line. That was capped off by a season-best two goals and one assist in a Nov. 14 6-4 win against Utica. 

• Bobby Barrasso had an impressive weekend in Utica, scoring four goals - one in two of the games, and two in the middle game on Saturday, and one shorthanded. Barrasso, who has 10 goals and 14 points this season, scored four goals in 26 games in his first year with the Rangers in 2020-21. 

• Utica’s Walter Baumann is on a six-game scoring streak having put up 3-5-8 over that stretch. Teammate John Gutt, second in NCDC assists with 19, posted five helpers and one goal over the weekend against Connecticut. 

Around The Boards In The NCDC

Prior to their loss to Philly, the P.A.L. had defeated the PHC by a score of 3-2 on Saturday. 

• For the P.A.L., the most recent goal scored by Tyler Crist was both the league leader as his 15th, and also his league-leading fourth game-winning goal of the season. It was the sixth for his career, one back of the Islanders’ all-time leader Ryan Willett, who had seven. 

• Crist’s P.A.L. teammate Spencer Korona shares the distinction of being both the league’s leading scorer with 30 points in 19 games, and also having broken the Jr. Islanders’ all-time scoring record, currently at 116 points in 152 career games. 

After falling to the Boston Junior Bruins 1-0 on Nov. 12, the Twin City Thunder came back Saturday to beat the Monarchs in New Hampshire, 6-4. 

• Devon Mastay, a defenseman for the USPHL Premier’s top team, the 17-0 Metro Jets out of Detroit made his NCDC debut with Twin City against the Monarchs and earned his first point, assisting on Sam Stitz’ game-winning goal. #USPHLAdvancement In Action! 

• New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs forward Tanner Hartman has picked up five goals and eight assists for 13 points in  a league-leading nine straight games. His teammate Aidan Curran - the Monarchs’ all-time-leading scorer - hit his 100th point with his most recent, his third of three assists against Twin City on Nov. 13. Curran has 12 points in his last seven straight games. 

After falling to the Advantage, 4-3, on Friday, the Northern Cyclones rebounded with a 6-3 win over the Islanders Hockey Club on Saturday. 

• Michael Felsing, a 2003-born Pittsburgh native, made a great debut by posting three points in his first two Cyclones games last weekend. 

• Charlie Ross, picked up in trade with the Monarchs in late October, earned his fourth straight assist on Graham Broadfoot’s Saturday game-winner. 

Bouncing back from the 6-3 defeat against the Northern Cyclones, the Islanders scored their second 4-3 win against the Boston Advantage in the month of November on Tuesday. They had earlier won 4-3 against their North Division foes in OT on November 4. 

• The Islanders’ Andrew Carmody leads the NCDC in game-winning goals by a defenseman with three and he added a game-winning assist on Johan Rosenquist’s goal on Tuesday. He had scored the OT GWG in the Nov. 4 win against the Advantage.  

• Dylan Kruss made 28 saves on 31 shots for his first IHC win after being acquired recently from the Jersey Hitmen, with whom he started the season. 

• The Islanders snapped what had been a tie for the Advantage’s longest points streak in their first season and almost a half in the NCDC. They had gone 3-0-2-0 heading into the game against the Isles. 

• The Advantage’s Manny Sanchez registered two straight three-point games with a goal and two assists in back-to-back games on Nov. 9 and 12. With three 3-point games on the season, Sanchez’ 19 points in his first 17 games equaled his total 2020-21 output of 19 points in 41 games.  

• Cade Helmer is enjoying a league-leading active five-game goal and point streak, posting seven goals and four assists for 11 points. 

Upcoming Action 

• Rockets Hockey Club at P.A.L. Jr. Islanders, Nov. 18 and 20 - The first meeting of the season between these South Division foes sees the Rockets hold a slim lead of 12-7-1-0 in the all-time series. 

• New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs vs. Jersey Hitmen, Nov. 18 - The first NCDC game at the Islanders Hockey Club Showcase, beginning at 3:45 p.m. Hitmen defeated the Monarchs 5-2 on Oct. 4 in the BJB Shootout. 

• Twin City Thunder vs. Philadelphia Hockey Club, Nov. 18 - Meeting at the IHC Showcase, these two teams split their two Hub City Tampa games in 2020-21, their only prior meetings so far.

• New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs vs. Connecticut Jr. Rangers, Nov. 19 - The Monarchs won 5-2 on Halloween Day to put the all-time series in their favor at 6-4-0-1.  

• Philadelphia Hockey Club vs. Islanders Hockey Club, Nov. 19 - The Islanders went 2-1 in their three 2020-21 meetings, including PHC’s first-ever NCDC game on Oct. 8, 2020, a 6-3 Islanders win. 

• Boston Advantage at South Shore Kings, Nov. 19 - Outside of the IHC Showcase, these two teams hit the ice for the second time after a 4-3 Advantage victory on Nov. 9. Kings lead the all-time series 4-2-0-0.

• Twin City Thunder vs. Utica Jr. Comets, Nov. 19 - The first meeting between these two teams for the 2021-22 season sees a current Thunder 5-1-0-0 lead in the all-time series. 

• Jersey Hitmen vs. Northern Cyclones, Nov. 19 - The Hitmen are undefeated in 15 meetings all-time against the Cyclones (with two overtime wins), including their two Hub City Tampa matchups last year. 

• Jersey Hitmen vs. Twin City Thunder, Nov. 20 - The Thunder won the first meeting of the season, 5-3, at the BJB Shootout. The Hitmen narrowly lead the all-time series 4-3-0-0 with a shootout victory. 

• Philadelphia Hockey Club vs. New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs, Nov. 20 - The Monarchs have a slight 2-1 all-time series lead, as they won earlier this season 4-1 at the Hitmen Classic. 

• Northern Cyclones vs. Connecticut Jr. Rangers, Nov. 20 - Although the Cyclones have more overall wins in the all-time series at 9-8-0-0, the Rangers’ record of 8-6-2-1 gives them one more point overall in this insanely close matchup. 

• Boston Advantage vs. Boston Junior Bruins, Nov. 20 - Operating outside the Islanders Showcase, these two teams have split their season series so far, both winning one in regulation. 

• Utica Jr. Comets vs. Islanders Hockey Club, Nov. 20 - The first meeting between these foes sees the IHC holding the all-time series lead at 9-5-0-1, going back to the Jr. Comets’ days as the Syracuse Stars. 

• Northern Cyclones vs. Utica Jr. Comets, Nov. 21 - Utica (and their Stars predecessors) have a one-point edge in the all-time series at 8-7-0-0 all-time. 

• Islanders Hockey Club vs. Connecticut Jr. Rangers, Nov. 21 - The final game of the IHC Showcase is also the final game of November in the NCDC ahead of a two-week Thanksgiving break. 

Reader Notice: The next NCDC This Week will be published on Tuesday, Nov. 30, previewing the return to play after the Thanksgiving break, and will at that time recap action from the Islanders Hockey Club showcase and other games this weekend. The next NCDC Players Of The Week will be published as normal on Tuesday, Nov. 23.