Schedule announced for FALL League Championship in Blaine
The time has come to crown a new champion of the FALL League!
10 teams at the 18U and 16U level will compete for the title as this weekend will be an exciting conclusion to three very competitive events. This championship is scheduled alongside the T1ER Pre-Tender Release Showcase creates an exciting atmosphere that maximizes exposure for the athletes.
The FALL league will be wrapping up its fourth season this weekend and we look forward to another fantastic finish to what has already been an intense and fierce first two events.
Watch all the action live and exclusively on NATV.
18U Division: The story through two events has been the Corpus Christi IceRays. They are perfect 8-0, scoring just over six goals per game and have allowed just 14. It’s been a complete team effort for the IceRays but Cayden Monson has been leading the way. The Northfield, Minnesota native has eight points in just four games. Nathan Mach has been perfect in between the pipes with a 5-0 record through seven appearances and has given up just seven goals. The Fairbanks Ice Dogs sit in second place with a record of 6-2. They had a perfect second weekend as they’ve won four games in a row.
Leading the charge for them is one of the top performers in the league, Andrew Lindquist. He is tied for the league lead in goals with eight and is second in the league in points with 11. They also boast one of the top defenseman as Thomas Quast has three goals and nine points in eight games this season. Minnesota sits in third place after posting a record of 5-2-1. Wisconsin sits in fourth with a record of 5-3 as they come into the playoffs as another red hot team, they have won their last three games. They boast one of the best players in the FALL League as Michael Maillette leads the league with 13 points through eight games. He’s netted seven goals which has him tied for second. Janesville, Kenai River and St. Cloud sit in fifth, sixth and seventh while Austin, Chippewa and Odessa round out the standings.
16U Division: Coming into the championship weekend, the Kenai River Brown Bears took first place after posting a record of 7-1. They were a perfect 7-0 before the final game of the Showcase a month ago. In second place, the Janesville Jets sit there with a record of 6-2. They possess the league’s top offense, scoring 31 goals in through the first two events. Odessa and Chippewa are both 5-3 on the season with Fairbanks sitting in fifth place with a record of 4-4. Minnesota, Austin, Corpus Christi, Wisconsin and St. Cloud round out the rest of the FALL League standings.
Nathan Lando of the Wisconsin Windigo leads the age level with 12 points, six goals and six assists. Cody Sawyer also has 6 goals on the campaign, his four helpers give him 10 points, good for second in the league. The top blue liner also comes from the Windigo in the form of Josh Graves. He’s got two goals and nine points this season so far. Neil Elsmore of Minnesota, Austin Gibson of Minnesota, Austin Gibson of Austin and Tate Swanson of Minnesota all have eight points and sit amongst the top five in 16U scorers. In the blue paint, Owen Debbert has been lights out. He’s appeared in four games, winning them all while posting a 4-0 record to go with a goals against average of 1.25 and a save percentage of .944.
In an effort to provide more opportunity to FALL League teams in Blaine during the Showcase, the North American Hockey League and the office of the Director of Player Personnel is offering an education seminar to NAPHL FALL League teams.
Craig Barnett will be discussing “The Path” to NCAA Hockey. The seminar will include climbing USA Hockey Develop Ladder, the levels of USA Hockey Juniors, and NCAA opportunities within NCAA Division I, III, and ACHA hockey along with NCAA compliance.
The 45-minute presentations will be held on Saturday, October 14th at 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm, and 5:00pm at the Grand Hall of the Welcome Center, which is the building located just to the right of the Super Rink.
Craig Barnett is the Director of NCAA Compliance Education for the NAHL and the Executive Director of the ACHA. He brings a wealth of knowledge as a former NCAA Division I Head Coach and Athletic Director.
There will be time at the end of each session for a Q&A. We believe the seminars are extremely valuable and hope that you encourage your players, parents and coaches attend.
