USPHL Premier 2023-24 Midwest Region Players Of The Week

Week of Jan. 26, 2024

Games of Jan. 18-24, 2024 

Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com 

Midwest West Division 

Forward: Joel Texmo, Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings

Texmo (‘03/Minesing, Ont.) put up a pair of goals in each of the Riverkings’ last two games over a three-point weekend against the Minnesota Squatch, including the Jan. 20 GWG. He also registered an assist for five points in two games. Texmo joined in late November and has put up nine points in 12 USPHL Premier games. 

Defense: Konrad Kudeviita, Minnesota Blue Ox

The ‘04 out of Tallinn, Estonia, had his best offensive output of the season with three assists in a game where he skated 23:21 and registered three blocked shots to defeat the Isanti Outlaws 4-2. The three points helped Kudeviita improve to 10 points in 28 games this season. 

Goaltender: Zachary White, Isanti Outlaws 

White (‘04/Devils Lake, N.D.) had his best performance of the season when he stopped 42 out of 43 shots to give the Outlaws an important victory against a Dells Ducks team with whom they are in a tough battle for playoff positioning down the stretch. For this first junior season, White has put up an impressive .914 save percentage in 19 games. 

Great Lakes Division 

Forward: Khyle Flynn, Nashville Spartans 

Flynn (‘03/East Wenatchee, Wash.) has been on fire all season for the Predators, and the proof is in his career numbers. With 66 points, he’s already improved upon last season’s total of 44 – and added half of that. And we’re still a month and change from the end of the regular season. Flynn put up a pair of goals and five assists for seven points as the Spartans took two wins against Cincinnati, including a 1-4-5 mark on Jan. 19. 

Defense: Austin Micale, Nashville Spartans 

Micale (‘03/Hamilton, N.J.) had the best offensive showing of any USPHL Premier defenseman last week, putting up a goal and adding eight assists on Jan. 19 and 20 for nine points, an average of 4.5 per game. He’s improved to 62 points in 35 games this year, and he is an amazing +50 for the season. 

Goaltender: Taylor White, Metro Jets 

White (‘03/Bay City, Mich.) helped the Metro Jets win The Dan K Show’s Coney Cup in-season tournament, a total goals scored format that he lended to by keeping the Cherokee to just two goals, including a 50-minute stonewalling effort in relief in Game 2, where he stopped all 18 shots he faced after the Cherokee had a 2-1 lead. He also sent aside 16 of 18 in Game 1 of the series. His 14 wins this season are tied for second most in the league and he holds a .923 save percentage for the season and .937 mark for his career. 

Midwest East Division 

Forward: Brian Bell, Motor City Gamblers 

Bell (‘03/Macomb, Mich.) was dishing out the desserts over the three-game weekend against Decatur, putting up six assists in addition to one goal scored for seven points over the three-game series. The big output helped Bell to climb back above the point-per-game average for his two-year career. With 33 points in 32 games this year, he now has 80 points in 74 games (or 1.08 points per game). 

Defense: Jake Knieling, Motor City Gamblers 

Knieling (‘05/Arlington Heights, Ill.) continues to emerge as a bigger part of the Gamblers defense every weekend. Over the last four games, which saw him put up four points and a +4 rating – second on the Gamblers’ D corps – he’s helped the Gamblers to a win in each game, including the tight 2-1 victory over the MJDP on Jan. 24. His four blocked shots were also second most on the Gamblers squad for the same stretch of games. 

Goaltender: Bennett Pieters, Chicago Cougars

Pieters (‘04/Buffalo, N.Y.) racked up 40 saves on every shot the Battle Creek Kernels could put on him on Jan. 19, helping his team to a 4-0 victory. This was his second shutout of the season and also his second in his last five starts, the last coming Dec. 8 vs. the Chicago Crush (35 saves). He has been on a strong run lately, as three of his six wins have also come in those last five starts.