USPHL Premier Players Of The Month – February 2023: Mountain Division

Summaries by Brendan Price

 

Forwards

Jake Meure, Ogden Mustangs

Meure (’02/Fremont, Calif.) native finished the regular season with a flourish and became the first 100-point scorer in Mountain Division history while setting the all-time league scoring mark in his second to last game. Meure had at least one point in all but one of his 10 February games, finishing the month with 19 points (7-12-19). Meure saved his best for last; the third-year ‘Stang notched a scorching 11 points (5-6-11) in his final three games, bringing him up to 30 multi-point games on the season.

Will Cohen, Utah Outliers

Cohen is heating up just in time for the playoffs, looking to lead the Outliers to a third consecutive division title. The Columbus, Ohio, product had at least one point in seven of his final eight games en route to a 17-point (8-9-17) month to help Utah finish the regular season on a six-game winning streak. Cohen’s 39 goals this season are second only to Meure in the division and his eight-goal month gave him even more space as the No. 1 all-time goal scorer in Outliers history.

 

Matthew Perry, Northern Colorado Eagles

Perry (’03/Drayton Valley, Alb.) started his time in NoCo with a bang, scoring a goal in his debut, and hasn’t looked back since. The forward led the Eagles in points in February and found the scoresheet with 14 points (4-10-14) in 10 contests. Perry’s best month of the season came down the stretch for NoCo; the Drayton Valley, Alb., product had six multi-point games in February alone. The new acquisition has been quite comfortable as an Eagle, closing the season with a point in 11 of 13 games since joining the team.

 

Defense

Teddie Hember, Ogden Mustangs

The prolific, puck moving Swede was at it again for the ‘Stang blueline. Hember heated up in February with 11 points (3-8-11) and two separate four-game point streaks in 10 games. His two point night against Rock Springs in the season finale moves him into a tie for the best single season scoring record for defenseman in Ogden history with 58 points. The rookie’s 58 points (12-46-48) this season also makes him the highest scoring defenseman in the Mountain Division and was second amongst USPHL rookie defenseman in the scoring column at year’s end.

 

Magnus Einarson, Utah Outliers

Einarson had over a point per game average on the blue line in ten games and closed the month out with a five-game point streak and three multi-point games. The streak was the second longest of his career and the Winnipeg, Man., product grabbed eleven points (0-11-11) in February. Einarson set career highs in assists and points in the process; he finished the season with 43 points (6- 37-43).

 

Goaltender

Nathan Dickey, Utah Outliers

Dickey has been lights out all season and February proved no exception to that. His perfect record (4-0-0) and four wins paced all Mountain Division goaltenders, helping him end the regular season on a six-game win streak. Dickey’s 25-save shutout against Pueblo was the highlight of the month in which the ’03 Butler, Pa., product had a 1.50 GAA and .943 save percentage. It was Dickey’s fifth shutout of the year, leading all Mountain Division netminders and tied for second overall in the USPHL Premier.