USPHL Premier 2023-24 Midwest Region Players Of The Week

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com 

Week of Feb. 10, 2024

Games of Feb. 1-7, 2024

Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com 

Midwest East Division 

Forward: Austin Combs, Metro Jets Development Program 

Combs (‘03/Milford, Mich.) is skating in his third USPHL Premier season and second with the Jets organization. He registered a goal and seven assists for eight points in two games against the Decatur Blaze last week. He currently has 37 points in 33 games, which helps add up to 82 points in 85 games. 

Defense: Josh Boze, Metro Jets Development Program 

Boze (‘03/Livonia, Mich.) has played in three seasons for the Jets program, two fully with MJDP and this season he’s split between the Jets and MJDP. He posted two goals and two assists for four points in two games. He currently has 72 points in 117 games. He is a former Captain with the nearby Benjamin Franklin High School. 

Goaltender: Patrick Johansen, Chicago Crush

In his first game with the Crush, Johansen (‘05/Fredrikstad, Norway) made exactly 37 saves to help the Crush to shut out the Battle Creek Kernels. He is 5-0 on the season, and he has a .936 save percentage as well.  

Midwest West Division

Forward: Caden Sutter, Minnesota Mullets 

Sutter (‘03/Eau Claire, Wis.) put up a pair of goals and five assists for seven points in helping the Mullets sweep a weekend against Isanti and the Minnesota Moose. Sutter improved to a team-leading 41 points in 35 games. 

Defense: Carsen Thorson, Isanti Outlaws

Thorson (‘04/St. Francis, Ont.) was a big help as the Outlaws defeated the Midwest West Division-leading Hudson Havoc, as the Outlaws won 5-2 on Feb. 3. He scored two goals and two assists for four points and led the team with 26:44 per game of average ice time. For his two-year Outlaws career, he has 13 points in 37 games. 

Goaltender: Kody Niederkorn, Minnesota Mullets 

Niederkorn (‘04/Hastings, Minn.) put up a 2-0 record and was huge in both the team’s 5-4 win over Isanti and their 4-1 win against the Minnesota Moose, stopping a total of 71 out of 76 shots. He just barely missed a shutout after the Moose scored with 22 seconds remaining. Overall, he is 4-1-0-0 since signing in January. 

Great Lakes Division

Forward: Jacob Ammar, Toledo Cherokee

Ammar (‘03/Scarborough, Ont.) gave every ounce of effort for his Cherokee team, registering points on three of their four goals last weekend in hard-fought battles against the Nashville Spartans and Metro Jets. He registered two goals and one assist, and he ended up being the only player coming out even in plus-minus for his squad. He also led the Cherokee in ice time with 23:11 per game. 

Defense: Sean Karaman, Nashville Spartans 

Karaman (‘03/Brentwood, Tenn.) put up a goal and three assists for four points as the Spartans faced the other top two teams in the Great Lakes Division, the Metro Jets and Toledo Cherokee, coming out with a split weekend. Karaman, who has also seen 17 NCDC games this year, has 33 points through 14 games with Nashville. 

Goaltender: Trevin Jensen-Rose, Columbus Mavericks

Jensen-Rose (‘04/Sandy, Utah) stopped 28 of 30 shots from the Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones for a .933 save percentage to earn his first win since signing with Columbus in late January.