Playoff race heats up after four events
December 16, 2014
Four events are now in the books on the 2014-15 NAPHL season after the completion of the last showcase and event, which took place from December 5-8 at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, MN.
Just one regular season event remains for the NAPHL and that will take place from January 16-19, 2015 at the Troy Sports Center in Troy, Michigan. It is the final opportunity in the race to make the Top 8 for the NAPHL Playoffs, which will take place in mid-February, also in Troy.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the top eight teams in each division will qualify for the Gold Division (Championship) round of the NAPHL Championship. The bottom eight teams will qualify for the Silver Division (Consolation) round of the NAPHL Championship.
At the conclusion of the NAPHL regular season, Clubs that have an equal amount of points shall have their final position in the NAPHL standings determined by applying the following tie breaking procedures:
1. Most wins during the regular season.
2. Results of head to head competition.
3. Goal differential in head to head competition.
4. Total goal differential during the entire season.
5. Total goals scored during the entire season.
6. Coin flip.
Here is a look at how each team fared in Blaine and their place in the standings to date:
18U Division
Anaheim Jr. Ducks: The Anaheim Jr. Ducks went 4-1 in Blaine. Defenseman Evan Nyhus led the team in points with seven. Paul Boutossov, forward, led the offense and also earned seven points at the event. Goaltender Rob Ivy had a 2-0 record and a 1.50 goals against average. The Jr. Ducks are currently second in the standings with 30 points total, the same amount as the Esmark Stars. They are only two points behind the first-place Madison Capitols.
Arizona Bobcats: The Arizona Bobcats had a 1-4 record in Blaine. Forward Erik Pritchard led the team in goals with three, and earned a total of four points at the event. Defensemen Jordan Nolan and Chase Gillaspie both earned two assists and led the defense in points in their last five games. Goaltender Nathan Nazari earned a 1-1 record and had a .906 save percentage. The team is in 14th place in the standings and has earned a total of eight points this season. The Bobcats have a lot of points to earn if they hope to get into playoff contention.
California Titans: The California Titans earned a 4-1 record at the Blaine event. Forward Connor Chilton led the team in points with a total of seven, including a game-winning goal. Defenseman Cody West led the defense in points with a total of two points. Goaltender Nicholas Nast earned a 3-0 record with one shutout and an impressive .960 save percentage. The Titans are in eighth place overall for their division with 24 points total this season. They are five points ahead of the team below them, the St. Louis Selects, and can easily gain leverage on those ahead if they continue to win.
Esmark Stars: The Esmark Stars earned a 3-0-2 record in Blaine. Adam Alavi, forward, led the team with eight points at the event. Defenseman Christian Louria and Carter Ekberg led the defense with five points each. Goaltender Scott Trellis’ record was 2-0-1 with a .904 save percentage. The Stars have 30 points total this season (along with the Anaheim Jr. Ducks) and currently hold the third place spot in their division.
HC Dallas: HC Dallas went 4-0-1 at the Blaine event. Forward Patric Fun led the team in points with eight and scored a game-winning goal. Grayson Dillingham led the defenseman with three points and also scored a game-winner at the event. Goaltender Link Ferch earned a 2-0-1 record with one shutout victory. HC Dallas now holds the seventh place spot in their division and is one point ahead of the eighth place California Titans. They have to earn at least three points to catch up to the sixth-place Lansing Capitals.
Lansing Capitals: The Lansing Capitals earned a 4-1 record in Blaine. Forward Josh Kirsch led the team in points with a total of six and scored one game-winning goal. Defenseman Alex Counsellor led the defense in points with three and also scored a game-winner. Goaltender Ricky Gonzalez recorded a win in both of the games he played in Blaine and earned a .935 save percentage. The Capitals are in sixth place in their division with 28 points, and are only one point behind the fifth-place New Jersey Jr. Titans.
Madison Capitols: The Madison Capitols went 3-2 in Blaine. Phil Erickson, forward, earned an impressive 14 points and scored a game-winning goal. Defenseman Chase Mickleson led the defense with a total of seven points at the Blaine event. Goaltender Burton Rehm earned a 2-1 record and had a .857 save percentage. The Capitols currently hold the first-place spot with 32 total points this season, but their opponents are not far behind as they are only ahead by two (the Anaheim Jr. Ducks have 30).
Minnesota Revolution: The Minnesota Revolution earned a 1-3-1 record at the Blaine event. Forward Cory Sprague led the offense in points with four. Defenseman Dylan Ceynar led the defense with one point and scored the lone game-winning goal for the Revolution. Goaltender Dakota Cyhaniuk played three out of the five games at the event and had a .888 save percentage. The Revolution is currently 15th in the division with a total of seven points. If they hope to climb the standings, they have to earn at least one point in their next game to jump ahead of the Arizona Bobcats.
New Jersey Jr. Titans: The New Jersey Jr. Titans earned a perfect 5-0 record at the Blaine event. Forward Anthony Cusanelli led the team in points with a total of 11 and scored two game-winning goals. Brad Becker led the defense with a total of 10 points earned in Blaine. Goaltender Cam Newman played all five games in Blaine and was able to record two shutouts along with the five victories. The Jr. Titans are currently fifth in the division and have a total of 29 points this season (along with Omaha AAA). They are on track to staying in the top eight in order to make playoffs.
Omaha AAA: Omaha went 4-1 at the Blaine event. Defenseman Conor Yawney led the team in goals with three and also earned three points. Forward TJ Polglaze led the offense in goals and also earned three points at the event. Goaltender Lucas Van Dyke earned two victories in both of the games he played and had a .903 save percentage. The team is currently in fourth in the division with 29 points, and is on track to stay ahead of those behind them and possibly climb the standings.
Philadelphia Little Flyers: The Philadelphia Little Flyers went 1-4 at the Blaine event. Forward Eric Faulk led the team in points with a total of five. Bryan Boylan led the defensemen in points with a total of two. Goaltender Joseph Giacobbo earned a 1-2 record, and despite the losses, had a .917 save percentage. The Flyers currently hold the last place spot with a 2-17 record and four points total this season. They have a lot of work to do if they hope to catch up to the other teams in the division.
Pikes Peak Miners: The Pikes Peak Miners did not record a victory while in Blaine. Defenseman David Dziezawiec led the team in points with a total of 5. Forward Paul Norris led the offense with a total of two points. Goaltender Matty Taylor earned a .889 save percentage despite being unable to record a victory in Blaine. The Miners currently hold the 12th place spot in the division and have 12 total points this season. If they hope to make the top eight, they need to earn at least three points to get ahead of the 11th place Pursuit of Excellence.
Pursuit of Excellence: The Pursuit of Excellence earned a 1-4 record in Blaine. Forward Zachary Zorn led the team with four points. Adam Toor led the defense with two goals and scored the lone game-winning goal. Goaltender Colten Lancaster earned a record of 1-1 and had a save percentage of .952. The team is currently in 11th place with 15 total points this season. They have some leverage on the teams behind them, but have a lot of ground to gain if they hope to be in the running for playoffs.
San Jose Jr. Sharks: The San Jose Jr. Sharks went 1-3-1 at the Blaine event. Forward Ryan Meure led the team in points with a total of four and also scored the only game-winning goal. Jake Stom led the defense with a total of three points. Goaltender Austin Knoebel recorded the team’s only victory while in Blaine and had a save percentage of .857. The Sharks are in 10th place with sixteen total points this season. They have a lot of points to gain if they hope to climb the standings as the St. Louis Selects hold the ninth place spot three points ahead of the Sharks.
St. Louis Selects: The St. Louis selects earned a 4-1 record in Blaine. Jordan Bratton, forward, led the team in points with a total of nine. Brycon Johnson led the defense in points with a total of four. Goaltender David Farley played two games, recorded a win for both of them and had a save percentage of .921. The Selects are just within reach of playoff territory and hold the ninth place spot with a total of 19 points this season. They have to earn at least five points to catch up to the eighth place California Titans.
West Michigan Hounds: The West Michigan Hounds did not record a victory in Blaine and left with a 0-4-1 record. Forward Kyle Prendel led the team in points with three. Goaltender Alex Wilder went 0-1-1 in the two games he played and recorded a .912 save percentage. The Hounds currently hold the 13th place spot and have a total of 11 points this season. They can climb the standings if they earn a few points in their next games, but have a lot of ground to cover if they hope to land a spot amongst the top eight teams.
16U Division
Anaheim Jr. Ducks: The 16U Anaheim Jr. Ducks earned a perfect record at the Blaine event, winning five out of five. Forward Andre Ghantous led the team in points with a total of nine. Chad Sasaki led the defense in points with a total of four. Goaltender Timoty Huxen earned three victories out of three games played, including a shutout and an overall save percentage of .929. The Jr. Ducks are currently second in the division with 28 points, the same amount as the first-place Omaha AAA team.
Arizona Bobcats: The Arizona Bobcats earned a 3-1-1 record in Blaine. Forward Brayden Watts led the team in points with a total of seven. Hunter Cook led the defensemen with two points. Goaltender Sean Dickson earned a record of 2-1-1, including one shutout victory, and had a save percentage of .875. The Bobcats hold the third place spot in the division with 23 points. They are on track to remain at the top, but need to earn at least five points if they want to catch up to the Jr. Ducks or Omaha AAA.
California Titans: The California Titans were unable to record a victory in Blaine and finished with a 0-3-2 record. Forward Daylon Mannon led the team in points with a total of four. Johnny Schacher led the defense with two points. Despite the losses, goaltender Veeti Haapasolo had a save percentage of .929. The Titans are currently in 14th place with a total of seven points this season. They need to earn at least two points to catch up to the Everett Jr. Silvertips and Pikes Peak as both teams have nine points each.
Esmark Stars: The Esmark Stars earned a 4-1 record in Blaine. Forward Brendan Johns led the team in points with a total of seven, including a game-winning goal. David Nee led the defense in points with a total of six. Goaltender Tyler Kurtz had a perfect record of 3-0 and a save percentage of .852. The Stars are currently fourth in the division with 20 total points this season. They are on track to remain in close to the top and have a chance of getting ahead of the third-place Arizona Bobcats if they earn at least three points.
Everett Jr. Silvertips: The Jr. Silvertips had a tough go of it in Blaine, posting a 0-4-1 record. it is the first event this season in which Everett failied to generate a win. Forward Brendan Studioso had six points in the five games and forward Troy Pichette led the team with three goals. In the first game, the Jr. Silvertips put up a valiant fight against Lansing, losing 4-3 in a shootout. Goalie Dominic Bosetti played in four of the five games and made 99 total saves. With a good run in Troy, the Top 8 is still in reach for Everett, but they will have to win the remainder of their games and hope for some help.
HC Dallas: HC Dallas earned a 2-3 record at the Blaine Event. Forward Chase Nies led the team in points with three. Jace Foskey led the defense with two points total. Goaltender George McBey earned two victories out of three games played (2-1) and recorded a shutout victory with a .950 save percentage. HC Dallas currently holds the 11th place spot with 10 points total this season. They are within reach of earning a playoff spot but have to work hard to earn a few extra points to climb the standings.
Lansing Capitals: The Lansing Capitals earned a 4-1 record in Blaine. Forward Rex Moe led the team in points with eight and scored one game-winning goal. Reagan Wortz led the defense with four points. Goaltender Danny Yockey recorded two victories and had a save percentage of .822. The Capitals are currently in fifth place with 20 points. They can jump ahead of the Esmark Stars who also have 20 points if they win their next few games.
Madison Capitols: The Madison Capitols earned a 2-3 record while in Blaine. Forward Ken Fiala led the team in points with six. Marshal Plunkett led the defense with three points total. Goaltender Sam Dunn had a record of 1-2 with a save percentage of .829. The Capitols hold the ninth place spot in the division with 13 points. They can get ahead of the eighth place New Jersey Jr. Titans who have 14 points if they win their next game.
New Jersey Jr. Titans: The New Jersey Jr. Titans went 3-2 while in Blaine. Forward Zach Noble led the team in points with four. Davin Van De Zilver led the defensemen with four points. Colin Burgess, goaltender, had a perfect 2-0 record including one shutout and an impressive .968 save percentage. The Jr. Titans are in the middle of the pack and are eighth in the division with 14 points. They can keep their place in the top eight but have to work hard to earn an extra few points to guarantee their spot.
Omaha AAA: The Omaha AAA team earned a perfect 5-0 record in Blaine. Forward Casey Gilling led the team in points with a total of nine and scored two game-winning goals. Garrett Anderson led the defense with five points. Goaltender Anthony Porrino had a record of 2-0 and earned a shutout victory with a .926 save percentage. The team holds the first place spot in the division with a 14-1 record overall and 28 points total. They have to work hard to keep their first place spot as the second-place Anaheim Jr. Ducks have the same record and same amount of points.
Pikes Peak Miners: The Pikes Peak Miners went 2-2-1 at the Blaine event. Dillon Milliron, forward, led the team in points with five, including a game-winning goal. Arkaitt Edren led the defense with three points. Goaltender Joe Chekan had a record of 1-0-1 with a .920 save percentage. The Miners are 12th in the division with nine points total this season, the same amount as the Everett Jr. Silvertips.
Pursuit of Excellence: The Pursuit of Excellence earned a 2-2-1 record in Blaine. Forward Cayden Kraus led the team in points with seven. Stephen Perreault led the defensemen with one point. Goaltender Logan Larock went 1-1 with a save percentage of .889. The Pursuit of Excellence is currently sixth in the division, and close in the race for the top five with 19 points, just one point behind the Lansing Capitals and the Esmark Stars.
San Jose Jr. Sharks: The San Jose Jr. Sharks went 2-3 at the Blaine event. Eamonn Miller, forward, led the team in points with three and tallied one game-winning goal. Greyson North led the defense with one point. Goaltender Noel Zuccaro won his only start at the event with a save percentage of .846 at the game. The Jr. Sharks are currently 10th in the division with 12 points total this season. They are only one point behind the Madison Capitols and have the chance to climb the standings if they pick up a few points in their next games.
St. Louis Selects: The St. Louis Selects earned a record of 3-2 while in Blaine. Justin Meers, forward, led the team in points with six. Jake Faulkner led the defense with three points. Kyle McClellan, goaltender, had a record of 2-1 and recorded one shutout victory with a total save percentage of .936. The Selects are seventh in the division with 16 points. They are three points behind the sixth-place Pursuit of Excellence. The Selects need to earn a few points to guarantee their spot in the top eight.
West Michigan Hounds: The West Michigan Hounds only recorded one victory in Blaine with a 1-4 record. Dallas Tulik. Forward, led the team in points with three. Christian Surns led the defensemen with one point and scored the lone game-winner for the Hounds. Despite a losing record of 1-2, Goaltender Tyler Roe recorded a shutout victory. He had an overall save percentage of .932. The Hounds are currently in last place in the division with four points. They need to earn at least three points to tie the 14th place California Titans.
