USPHL Premier Players Of The Month – October 2022: Midwest West Division

(Summaries by Jim Den Hollander)

Forwards

Jake McAlpine, Minnesota Squatch

As nervous as opposition goaltenders must be when they see McAlpine (‘02/Mounds View, Minn.) on the ice, the keeper of the league’s record book is also shaking as McAlpine is on a mission to tear it up this season. 

Only one team through the first 13 games of the season has been able to keep McAlpine off the scoresheet as he has piled up 31 goals and 49 points for an average of nearly four points per game. McAlpine is especially dangerous on special teams with four goals on power plays and another four playing a man short.

Daniel Ellingson, Minnesota Squatch

One hand washes the other here as Ellingson (‘03/Osseo, Minn.) sets up McAlpine or vice versa. As a result, Ellingson is McAlpine’s prime competition at the top of the league’s scoring race with 18 goals and 44 points. 

Ellingson has five power play goals and another four while shorthanded which means when the Squatch takes a penalty, they consider the next two minutes a legit scoring opportunity.

Tyler Schmitt, Isanti Outlaws

Back for a second season in Isanti for the Outlaws (the former Rum River Mallards), Schmitt has shown a marked improvement this season. 

The ‘03 from Big Lake, Minn., posted 17 goals through the first dozen games, six more than he tallied in 39 games last season and his 29 points is also just seven shy of last season’s total. 

He has had two four-point games and two three pointers, but his best came this past weekend as he led the team back from a 4-0 deficit to a 5-4 overtime win against the Chicago Crush, scoring all five goals against the Crush. The overtime goal was his third game-winner of the season already.

Defensemen

Logan Lake, Minnesota Moose

Lake (‘02/Port Huron, Mich.) a four-season vet with the Moose has proven valuable on the blue line for the Moose so far this season and he brings a 200-foot game. 

Lake has scored twice and averaged more than a point per game for the Moose, with 14 points in 13 games so far. Lake leads the team in ice time and the top defensive pair (Lake with Dave Anderson) have been on the ice roughly 20 minutes more than any other pair. Lake also leads the team in takeaways (38) and passes (169).

Brock Hart, Hudson Havoc

Hart (‘03/Rockford, Ill.) and his defense corps have played a part in the lowest goals against in the league for the Havoc and he has also been a big contributor on the offense.

A third-year player with the Havoc, he scored twice and collected 11 points in the team’s first eight games, leaving him just one goal and 10 points shy of last season’s totals through 42 games. Hart is second on the team in plus-minus (+13) and leads in blocked shots with 11. 

Goaltender 

Nate Gulsvig, Hudson Havoc

There have been some great performances in the Midwest West so far this season, but this is a slam dunk choice. Gulsvig (‘02/Fargo, N.D.) has been as close to perfect as a goalie can get, appearing in four games and winning all four, with three shutouts and a total of one goal allowed so far. 

That gives him an unreal 0.25 Goals Against Average and a Save Percentage of .982 with 56 saves on 57 shots.

Note: October Players Of The Month Includes Stats From September.