USPHL Premier Players Of The Week: West Region

Games of Feb. 1-7, 2023

Northwest Division

(Summaries By Joshua Boyd)

Forward: Filip Molnar, Vernal Oilers

Molnar (‘03/Bratislava, Slovakia) put up an outstanding 3-5-8 line in their trip to Washington State over which they went 2-1. Molnar, a Provo Predators NCDC Tender for 2023-24, has improved to 69 points in 28 games this season so far. 

Defense: Lucas Jones, Bellingham Blazers

Jones – an ‘04 local product from Bellingham – posted a fantastic +2 as he helped lead the Blazers to their first-ever win over the visiting Vernal OIlers. In 37 games, he has posted seven points, with five of those being registered during a hot January. The Blazers are neck-and-neck with the Rogue Valley Royals for the last playoff spot in the Northwest. Whoever wins that faces the division champion Vernal in Utah for a best-of-three. This Lucas Jones is no relation to one half of The Dan K Show. 

Goaltender: Antonio Tarantino, Vernal Oilers

Tarantino (‘02/Fremont, Calif.) was outstanding with 53 saves on 56 shots in one of the Oilers’ two road wins against the Seattle Totems this past weekend. Tarantino continues to be one of the dominant goalies overall in the Premier, posting 18 wins (third place) and a .939 save percentage (also third).

Pacific Division

(Summaries by Grace Mello)

Forward: Noak Persson, Fresno Monsters

Coming hot off of Player of the Month, Noak Persson (‘03/ Sollefteå, SWE) has been a powerhouse for the Monsters. In their three-game-sweep over the Bakersfield Roughnecks Noak recorded 12 points, with five goals and seven assists; This included a game-winning PP goal. Noak is second in points for Fresno with 67 and is on track for even more.

Defenseman: Nick Bonaldi, Las Vegas Thunderbirds

Helping his team go 2-1 over the Jr. Reign this weekend, Nick Bonaldi (‘03/Las Vegas, Nev.) had two goals and two assists for a total of four points. He scored the GWG in their Saturday night 8-5 victory. He is a heavy hitter defender that has helped the Thunderbirds win some big games since the New Year.

Goaltender: Herman Renden, San Diego Sabers

Currently holding the top save percentage for the Sabers with 0.937, Herman Renden (‘03/Norway) has been a brick wall for San Diego helping them to remain in second place in the Pacific Division. This weekend he earned a 33-save #ShutoutShoutout over the Long Beach Shredders, which happens to be his sixth straight win. Renden has been unbeaten in regulation since October.

Mountain Division

(Summaries by Brendan Price)

Forward: Alexandre Bedard, Northern Colorado Eagles

The St-Agustin, Que., product has terrorized the Bulls this season, to the tune of six goals in 10 games, and last weekend was just another entry in that book. Bedard grabbed five points (3-2-5) in a crucial two-game sweep over Pueblo last weekend, including a game-winning goal on Saturday. The second-year forward became the first Eagle to hit the 20-goal plateau and has a scorching hot six goals in his last seven games.

Defense: Matthew Koepke, Utah Outliers

The Concordia University commit snapped a six-game pointless streak in style over the weekend and helped the Outliers pick up three points from their two games. Koepke finished with five points (1-4-5) over the weekend to help the Outliers tighten their grip on first place in the Mountain Division. Koepke’s goal also brought him to a tidy 75 career points in his third season with Utah.

Goaltender: Ulrik Roussel, Northern Colorado Eagles

The Mont-Tremblant, Que., product put on a show last Sunday to get the Eagles the win, going 1-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA last weekend. Roussel’s 53 saves on 55 shots marked the second time in the past two weeks that he has made 50-plus saves and allowed two goals or fewer. The veteran goaltender has picked up his game down the stretch, with a .928 save percentage (200 of 216) in his last six appearances.