Power Rankings

Thought I'd take some time to give my rankings of the USHL teams up to this point in the season.


1. Green Bay Gamblers - As if there really was any doubt. Green Bay has easily become an elite franchise over the past few seasons, and this season is no different. The Gamblers have the best record in the league right now at 16-3-1. Green Bay is paced by veteran forward Nolan LaPorte (12g, 9 a) and rookie forward, Kyle Novak (9g, 12a), as well as NHL draft picks Alex Broadhurst and Andrew Welinski, The Gamblers had arguably the best goaltending duo in Ryan McKay and Adam Wilcox before the team shipped out Wilcox to Tri-City for a draft pick. McKay has very impressive stats, going 9-1-1 with a 1.65 GAA. Even more impressive is his GAA is that low without recording any shutouts on the season. Currently, GB is on a 10 game unbeaten streak. They lost in OT to Indiana during that stretch, but their last regulation loss came in Des Moines exactly one month ago. The Gamblers also boast an amazing road record, going 11-1-0 so far on the season.

2. Dubuque Fighting Saints - Last season's Clark Cup winners are right at the top again this season. They return highly regarded Zemgus Girgensons from last season and he is currently tied for 8th in league scoring with 20 points. Top goalie, Matt Morris, is also back this season, but has been sidelined for the last while with an ankle injury. Despite Morris being out, Gabe Antoni has really stepped up to help keep the Saints atop the league. The Saints officially added emergency goalie, Collin LeMay, to the roster to ease the workload on Antoni. In his first career start, LeMay posted a shutout. Dubuque is 2nd in the league with an impressive 14-5-1 record. The Saints have only lost once in their last six games.

3. Lincoln Stars - Despite losing twice this weekend, Lincoln comes in at #3 for me. They have been pretty consistent this season and are led by potential rookie of the year, Kevin Roy. Roy is tied for first with Fargo's Austin Farley for goals scored with 16. He also sits atop the league scoring race with 30 points in 20 games. Prior to the start of the season, the Stars made a trade for Dubuque goalie, Jackson Teichroeb. At the time, many weren't too sure how the trade would work with Lukas Hafner scheduled to return and some good talented goalies at their tryout camp. Since then, Hafner opted for another junior league, while Teichroeb has gone 10-6-1 with a 2.32 GAA. Lincoln added another import in Ralfs Freiburgs prior to the season and he is leading the way among defensemen. Over his last five games, Ralfs has scored four goals.

4. Youngstown Phantoms - Youngstown started their season off with a 10-3 whooping at the hands of the USNTDP. Following that, one might think it would be a typical middle-of-the-road type season for the Phantoms. However, Anthony Noreen has this team playing some good hockey and goalie, Matthew O'Connor, is one of the top goalies in the league. After posting 10 wins all of last season, O'Connor currently sits at 10 wins in 20 games for Youngstown. The Phantoms have posted a 13-6-1 record so far at the 1/3 mark of the season for them. Last year, it took the Phantoms until January 22nd to capture their 13th victory. Youngstown is led by returning forward, J.T. Stenglein, and rookie Austin Cangelosi. Both players currently lead the team with 10 goals apiece. Cangelosi exploded on the USHL scene this year after scoring 11 points in his first six games. He also leads the league with four shorthanded goals on the season.

5. Waterloo Black Hawks - Waterloo is much improved over last season, posting a 10-7-2 record thus far. The Black Hawks are led by a very young, but extremely talented group of forwards in Taylor Cammarata, Tony Cameranesi, and Vince Hinostroza. Cammarata is only a 95, but already has 24 points in 19 games. It's not very often a kid that young does so well as a rookie in the USHL. Waterloo is led by veteran, Jay Williams, in goal. He has posted a 8-3-2 record so far this season. Another big piece to the Black Hawk puzzle is veteran forward, Joe Rehkamp. Rehkamp came over to Waterloo prior to the season from Fargo. Rehkamp is the type of player that isn't all that flashy and isn't going to fill up the scoresheet, but he is an extremely hard worker and a type of player any team would want to have.

6. Indiana Ice - Indiana has, most likely, the most dangerous top line in the entire league. The line consists of Daniil Tarasov, Jacob Fallon, and Sean Kuraly. Those three are also the top three point scorers for the Ice. The Ice also have two very skilled rookie forwards in Robbie Baillargeon and Robert Polesello. Those five have helped the Ice lead the league in PP%, posting an amazing 32.3% rate. They have only had 65 chances (least among the USHL) but have the 2nd most powerplay goals, only one behind Green Bay (Gamblers have had 30 more chances on the PP.) Indiana also boasts one of the more talented younger goalies in the league in Jon Gillies. Gillies has been stellar this season, posting a 10-4-2 record.

7. Des Moines Buccaneers - The Buccaneers could easily be higher up on these rankings, but they are battling inconsistency. They have shutout Green Bay and Dubuque, and also scored three big wins against Omaha, two of which came on the road. The Bucs can look fantastic one night, then lose a game they should win the next. Des Moines has one of the most fundamentally sound goalies in the league in Jason Kasdorf. Kasdorf was recently named Goaltender of the Week by the USHL, and he deserves it. Although only having a 6-6-1 record, Kasdorf leads the league with three shutouts on the season. The Bucs are led by Anthony Greco with 14 points. Greco only had 15 points last season between Waterloo and Des Moines.

8. Omaha Lancers - The Lancers have appeared to gain some steam following the firing of head coach Bliss Littler. In their last two games, the Lancers have scored 12 goals and allowed four. In their previous three games before that, the Lancers only managed two goals, while allowing 14 and being shutout twice in that span. The Lancers picked up their #1 goalie, Alex Lyon, prior to the start of the season after he was released by the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Lyon has gone on to post a 8-6-2 record in his first USHL season (only played 1 game for Cedar Rapids last season.) Omaha is led up front by veteran Jimmy Murray, who is 2nd in the league with 15 assists. Casey Bailey leads the team with 11 goals, 6 of which came in a 3 game span that included two hat tricks.

9. Sioux Falls Stampede - The Stampede don't have the go to type player they have been fortunate to have a majority of every season. USHL rookies, Todd Skirving and Kyle Rankin, lead the Stampede with just 10 points apiece. Sioux Falls, however, has one of the better goalies in the league in Stephon Williams. He has posted a 5-5-1 record, but is far better than what the record shows. Though the Stampede have lost three of their last four, they did squeak out a road victory over Youngstown on Thursday.

10. Sioux City Musketeers - The Musketeers are playing some good hockey right now, going 7-4 in their last 11 games. Previously, they had gone 2-7. The team seems to have a new mentality since the acquisitions of David Goodwin, Andy Ryan, and Dan Molenaar. Matt Skoff recently returned from injury, and has recorded four wins in his last five starts. Skoff currently has 51 wins in his USHL career. The Musketeers are paced by the red hot Brad Robbins, who has a six game goal scoring streak and a 10 game point scoring streak. Sioux City just finished a six game road trip, in which they went 4-2 in that span. They now play five of their next six on home ice and hope to continue their winning ways in front of their home crowd.

11. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders - This is unfamiliar territory for the Riders, as they are usually one of the top teams in the league year in and year out. Cedar Rapids has only won once in their last eight contests and have an overall record of 8-6-6. The six OTL is noticeable to me, as they only had six OTL all of last season. Cedar Rapids is led up front by Nick Saracino (5, 13) and Gerald Mayhew (10, 5). Goaltender Jake Hildebrand came over in the pre-season in a trade with Sioux City and has posted a pretty good 6-3-3 record, while Matt McNeely has only posted two wins on the season. Cedar Rapids is fighting a few injuries, with top player Ryan McGrath still on the shelf and newly acquired Davey Middleton, who suffered an injury in his first game for the Riders.

12. Muskegon Lumberjacks - Muskegon had a brutal start to the season, but have started to right the ship a bit as of late by picking up a few wins, although they only have one win in their last five. Muskegon looked to Omaha to help solve their goalie issues when they acquired veteran John Keeney. Since the trade, Keeney really has not disappointed, as he has posted two shutouts for the Jacks, including stopping 82 of 86 shots this weekend in two games against Youngstown. Muskegon has had some issues with players leaving, as Mike Moran decided to hang up the skates not too long ago. Rookie forward, Josh Henke, left the team and demanded a trade, which was granted and he is now with the Storm. It has also been reported that import, Joona Manninen, has left the team as well. The Jacks are led up front by two players who previously played major juniors in John Padulo and Travis Behlorad.

13. Chicago Steel - The Steel currently sit with a 7-13-1 record. Last season, they got their 7th win on November 20th, but didn't record another win until February 12th. This season has been a different story so far, as this teams appears to play with more passion and I fully expect Chicago to improve greatly from their nine win season last year. Chicago is relying heavily on workhorse, Mattias Dahlstrom, in net. Dahlstrom has appeared in 17 of the Steel's 21 games, posting a 7-10-0 record and a 2.99 GAA. The Steel are led up front by Mike Fallon (6, 10) and former Buccaneer, Andrew Miller (9, 4). Miller recorded 11 points last season for Des Moines. Many thought it could be another really long season in Chicago because prior to the start of the season, they had two goalies opt for college rather than suit up for the Steel and #1 overall pick, Brian Christie, chose to stay in Topeka instead of joining Chicago for a USHL campaign.

14. Fargo Force - Over their last 10 games, the Force have only recorded three wins, two of which have come against the Tri-City Storm that are ranked lower. This is unusual territory for the Force, as they have always been near the top since they broke into the league a few years ago. Boston Bruins draft pick, Zane Gothberg, has posted a 4-7-2 record, but has a decent GAA of 2.90. Reed Peters doesn't have stats that look particularly good, but he has done a good job getting a few spot starts here and there to give Gothberg a rest. Fargo is led by Austin Farley, who has been red hot over his last three games, notching seven points, including a hat trick this past Saturday. Outside of Farley (23 points), the Force don't have a lot of scoring threats. Farley has accounted for 16 of Fargo's 54 goals on the season. The next highest point getter is Bryn Chyzyk at 12 points. Fargo has one of the top defensive prospects in the league in Brian Cooper, but he hasn't been on the scoresheet like he was last season. If the Force are going to make a run, they will need Cooper and the other veterans to help Farley on the offensive side. Newly acquired Dominic Racobaldo and David Mead should be able to help defensively.

15. United States National Development Team - The USNDTP currently owns a record of 6-8-2, but have played the fewest games of among USHL teams. U-17 goalie, Hunter Miska, has posted four of those wins, but has a less than stellar GAA and SV%. They scored a big road win this afternoon over Cedar Rapids, with Miska picking up the win. Up front, the USNDTP are led by U-17 forwards, Tyler Motte and J.T. Compher. If this season is anything like last season, these guys will start to move up the standings before too long after they get acclimated to the USHL level of play.

16. Tri-City Storm - The Storm have just not been good this season. The Storm are only 6-14-0 on the season for 12 points, which is the worst in the league. Tri-City is having trouble scoring goals, outside of Nick Lappin (12 goals) and Trevor Moore as of late (5 game goal scoring streak.) Tri-City has a solid duo in net with Pheonix Copley and Adam Wilcox. Copley was their workhorse until head coach, Drew Schoneck, made the trade to acquire Wilcox from Green Bay. Schoneck should look to get a player or two who can score, as they have the goalie position solidified, but they can't score goals for your team. Wilcox currently owns a 8-4-0 record, with a record of 1-2-0 while with the Storm. In his debut, Wilcox faced Lincoln for the first time in his USHL career and came away a winner, which stunned many.

Fall Classic Power Rankings

Now that the Fall Classic is over, it's time to take a look at my power rankings. Cedar Rapids and Des Moines both went 3-0 while Sioux City and Fargo went winless. There was lots of good hockey action this weekend, and it looks like Green Bay and Des Moines will be MUCH improved this season.

It was also announced that the Fall Classic would be in Sioux City again next season. And now, on to the rankings.


1. Des Moines Buccaneers

Des Moines had a great three days, and the fans in Des Moines should be excited. Aaron Crandall and Fredrik Bergman in net should keep the Bucs in a lot of games. The Bucs seem very sound at forward and defense, and we have not even seen Yasin Cisse take the ice for them yet. They have lots of highly touted Minnesota high schoolers in Jake Youso, Joey Gleason, and Ryan Walters that I expect some big things out of. Brett Bruneteau looks healthy, and that can only mean good things this year for him and Des Moines. Andrew Panzarella also looks much improved from last season.

Key Player: Ryan Walters
Rookie to Watch: Yasin Cisse


2. Green Bay Gamblers

Jon Cooper and the Green Bay Gamblers are very much improved this season. Reid Ellingson in net is going to be a key for the Gamblers. Steve Summerhays appears to be a capable backup at this point and should also be able to keep Green Bay in the games he plays. Green Bay has a lot of players that have juniors experience and know how to handle the league. This should definitely help in the beginning and at the end of the season. Cooper has a great eye for talent and getting the best out of his players, so you can bet Green Bay will be up there in the standings for a good part of the season.

Key Player: C.J. Lee
Rookie to Watch: Jefferson Dahl


3. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

Cedar Rapids had an amazing Fall Classic, in which they posted a shutout and then knocked home 10 goals. The Riders lost one of the best goalies in Brady Hjelle, but Mike Johnson seems to be a very capable goalie. Troy Grosenick posted a shutout, though it was only 9 saves and against a struggling Fargo squad. Greg Burke is going to have a great year, as he is an all around great player and I think Cedar Rapids got themselves one hell of a player. He led everyone with 4 goals scored, including a hat trick against Omaha. The only thing that concerns me is the defense. They seemed to let down and gave the other team a shot to come back.

Key Player: Greg Burke
Rookie to Watch: Cody Murphy


4. Lincoln Stars

Lincoln boasts one of the oldest, most experienced teams in the USHL this season. They saw their first game action at the Fall Classic, and didn't look too bad at all. They lost a tight game to Green Bay, but won their next two. It looks like Lincoln has some guys who can score up front, and Kory Kaunisto seems to have a knack for scoring key goals. I'm not sure if Lincoln should have questions in net after the way Alan Armour played this past weekend, but I think it can still be questioned until a few more games are played. Rookie forward Garrett Peterson suffered a nasty finger injury trying to block a shot, but went right back to block another. Coach McGroarty was excited about that effort and Lincoln fans all around are anxious to see this kid get back on the ice.

Key Player: Chris Forfar
Rookie to Watch: Garrett Peterson


5. Waterloo Black Hawks

Waterloo returns a solid goalie in Joe Howe. This factor alone is enough to rank them highly, but P.K. O'Handley does an excellent job of bringing in top talent to fill holes on his team. Waterloo is always good defensively and this year will be no different. They picked up free agent Dan Sova from Hill-Murray HS, and he's going to be a good one. Nick Larson returns for another season, and he should be one of the top forwards in the USHL. He started off very slow last season, but was on fire towards the end and I look for that to continue. Waterloo brought in Parker Milner to be the backup, and he played quite well in his appearances at the Classic.

Key Player: Joe Howe
Rookie to Watch: Lee Moffie


6. Sioux Falls Stampede

Sioux Falls opened with Chicago, and didn't start off very well. To their credit, they kept putting pressure on Chicago and eventually came back to get the win. They beat one of the better teams coming into the Classic in Waterloo, in a hard fought shootout battle. Hartzell seemed to be a bit off on his game last weekend, so Sioux Falls will have to hope he can get back into his groove before too long. Clay Witt played in a couple of games and showed he was ready for this level. He could step in and steal the #1 if Hartzell doesn't get his stuff together. Dane Walters always seemed to be denting the scoresheet, so I would look for a big year out of him this year.

Key Player: Robbie Vrolyk
Rookie to Watch: Marcus Perrier


7. Chicago Steel

Chicago lost a heartbreaker to Sioux Falls in their opening game, but made up for it Saturday in a drubbing of Indiana. Chicago may not have had the best record, but they have a solid team. Eric Alexander is going to be a good player this year and Chicago will rely heavily on him. Chicago also boasts defenseman John Moore, who is arguably one of the best defensemen in the entire league. Chicago faced some questions in net, but I think Matthew Delaney has emerged as a capable goalie. Hudson Stremmel didn't do too bad, but you could tell he wasn't very comfortable. He's young and will learn and I think he will be a quality goalie before long.

Key Player: Eric Alexander
Rookie to Watch: Greg Wolfe


8. Indiana IceIndiana returns very few players and traded one returner, but they should have a solid team anyways. Brett Bennett will likely be their go to guy in net, though he didn't look too good Saturday morning against Chicago. Bennett though, played previously with the NTDP and Boston University, so he is a top notch goalie. Brandon Richardson always stood out to me this weekend. He is an 88 and had played the last couple seasons up in Canada before making the move to the USHL. I don't think he will have any trouble landing a scholarship this season. Another player that impressed me was 92 born Stanislav Galiev from Russia. He was very young, but held his own very well and just oozes potential. Indiana also traded for Max Cook, so that should help the Ice up front with a veteran forward.

Key Player: Brandon Richardson
Rookie to Watch: Stanislav Galiev


9. Tri-City Storm

The Storm played in one of the more thrilling games of the weekend, when they squeaked by Green Bay. Nick Maricic should be their #1 goalie with overage goalie Nick Hopper being the back up. Maricic seemed to be much better in net and keep his team in the game. Hopper allowed 11 goals in 2 games. Offensively, Mike Cichy should lead this team in points once again. Rookie Matt Bailey shows some nice promise and could surprise a lot of people with a solid performance this year. Danny Heath will likely lead the Storm in points among defensemen, but Sean Escobedo may be the best all around guy they have. Tri-City is in the lower portion of my rankings, but I expect them to have a solid campaign under new head coach Tom Rudrud.

Key Player: Mike Cichy
Rookie to Watch: Eli Zuck


10. Sioux City Musketeers

I really had to think hard about this one. Yes, I am a Musketeers fan, but I feel they have the talent and are a little more stable in goal than the Lancers. The Lancers did beat Sioux City, but overall, I felt Omaha played much worse than Sioux City. The Musketeers will be led offensively by Stephane Da Costa and the Daniels twins, Drew and Justin. In goal, Sioux City returns Steve Thompson, though he didn't play all that well in the Classic. Adam Janecyk will be the backup, but I feel he has the most potential and will be better in time than a lot of goalies in the league. Sioux City also boasts Seth Helgeson on the blue line. Helgeson has the potential to be taken in the first round of the NHL draft next June. To go along with Seth, the Musketeers also acquired highly regarded Chase Drake from Green Bay. I really feel like the Musketeers will have a real good season and impress a lot of people.

Key Player: Stephane Da Costa
Rookie to Watch: Austin Mattson


11. Omaha Lancers

Fresh off a Clark Cup title, it will be extremely tough for the Lancers to repeat. They return very few players, and learned recently that Tyler Elbrecht would head to Iowa State to play club hockey. The Lancers do have some very talented forwards, but they can't do everything. The defense is decent, but still has a long ways to go. The goalies are a huge question mark, and Bliss has already gone through multiple goalies and the regular season has yet to begin. Matt White looks poised to have a big year for Omaha, as do rookies Patrick Mullane, Louis LeBlanc, and Danny Kristo. Kristo, LeBlanc, and White had been playing on a line together, and that could potentially be one of the best lines this year. If Omaha can get their goalie situation fixed, they will rocket up the list.

Key Player: Ben Arnt
Rookie to Watch: Louis LeBlanc and Danny Kristo


12. Fargo Force

Fargo was very disappointing. A few bright spots included Mike Lee and his outstanding goaltending. Without Lee, Fargo could have easily been blown out more in each of their games. Though his stats don't reflect it, Lee was solid in net. Cody Campbell did well for such a young goalie, but I wouldn't expect him to play in a ton of games with Lee and Tyler Bruggeman also on the roster. Fargo has some talented players up front, including Josh Birkholz, Nate Condon, Bryce Ravndalen, and Colten St. Clair. Give this squad a little time to adjust, and I think they will be a fun team to watch in a couple of months. Fargo struggled mightily in their opening game against Cedar Rapids, but came back the following day more determined, but came up short. They just need to get familiar with each other and they will be fine. There were even a few Fargo fans in attendance, which is a good thing for the Force.

Key Player: Matt Leitner
Rookie to Watch: Josh Birkholz

February Power Rankings

1. Omaha Lancers (Prev. #5, +4)

• Key Wins: at Lincoln, at Sioux Falls.
• Key Losses: SOL at Sioux City.
• February Record: 10-0-1.
• GF: 56, GA: 24
• Key Player in February: Aaron Lewadniuk.
• Player to Watch in March: Ben Arnt.

2. Indiana Ice (Prev. #2, +0)

• Key Wins: at Cedar Rapids, vs Cedar Rapids.
• Key Losses: at Ohio, SOL at Lincoln.
• February Record: 8-1-1.
• GF: 32, GA: 20
• Key Player in February: Scott Darling.
• Player to Watch in March: T.J. Syner.

3. Sioux Falls Stampede (Prev. #10, +7)

• Key Wins: at Sioux City, at Lincoln.
• Key Losses: vs Omaha, vs Indiana.
• February Record: 8-3-0.
• GF: 36, GA: 25
• Key Player in February: Jack Connolly.
• Player to Watch in March: Robbie Vrolyk.

4. Ohio Junior Blue Jackets (Prev. #4, +0)

• Key Wins: vs Cedar Rapids, vs Indiana.
• Key Losses: vs Des Moines, vs Green Bay.
• February Record: 7-4-0.
• GF: 32, GA: 32
• Key Player in February: Derek Roehl.
• Player to Watch in March: Tommy Cross.

5. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (Prev. #6, +1)

• Key Wins: vs Lincoln, vs Green Bay.
• Key Losses: at Ohio, SOL at Waterloo.
• February Record: 5-5-2.
• GF: 36, GA: 34
• Key Player in February: Doug Jones.
• Player to Watch in March: Kyle Flanagan.

6. Lincoln Stars (Prev. #1, -5)

• Key Wins: vs Waterloo, at Sioux City.
• Key Losses: at Omaha, vs Sioux Falls.
• February Record: 5-4-1.
• GF: 27, GA: 26
• Key Player in February: Jason Gregoire.
  
• Player to Watch in March: Brandon Bollig.

7. Waterloo Black Hawks (Prev. #7, +0)

• Key Wins: at Chicago, vs Cedar Rapids.
• Key Losses: at Des Moines, at Tri-City.
• February Record: 6-5-0.
• GF: 32, GA: 33
• Key Player in February: Matt DiGirolamo.
• Player to Watch in March: Nick Larson.

8. Chicago Steel (Prev. #3, -5)

• Key Wins: at Sioux City, vs Sioux City.
• Key Losses: at Indiana, vs Waterloo.
• February Record: 3-5-2.
• GF: 26, GA: 26
• Key Player in February: Eric Alexander.
• Player to Watch in March: Tim Buttery.

9. Des Moines Buccaneers (Prev. #11, +2)

• Key Wins: vs Waterloo, at Ohio.
• Key Losses: vs Sioux Falls, vs Omaha.
• February Record: 4-6-0.
• GF: 28, GA: 35
• Key Player in February: Keith Kinkaid.
• Player to Watch in March: Michael Dorr.

10. Sioux City Musketeers (Prev. #8, -2)

• Key Wins: vs Waterloo, vs Omaha.
• Key Losses: vs Sioux Falls, vs Lincoln.
• February Record: 4-7-1.
• GF: 31, GA: 43
• Key Player in February: Joey Miller.
• Player to Watch in March: Alex Tuckerman.

11. Tri-City Storm (Prev. #9, -2)

• Key Wins: vs Waterloo, at Chicago.
• Key Losses: vs Omaha, vs Lincoln.
• February Record: 3-8-1.
• GF: 25, GA: 43
• Key Player in February: Aaron Rock.
• Player to Watch in March: Alex Hudson.

12. Green Bay Gamblers (Prev. #12, +0)

• Key Wins: vs Tri-City, at Ohio.
• Key Losses: vs Cedar Rapids, at ohio.
• February Record: 2-7-2.
• GF: 20, GA: 37
• Key Player in February: Mike Borisenok.
• Player to Watch in March: Christian Morrissette.

January Power Rankings

1. Lincoln Stars (Prev. 8, +7)

• Key Wins: vs Omaha, at Sioux City.
• Key Losses: OTL at Waterloo.
• January Record: 8-0-1.
• GF: 40, GA: 11
• Key Player in January: David Reekie.
• Player to Watch in February: David Reekie.

2. Indiana Ice (Prev. #2, +0)

• Key Wins: vs Sioux City, vs Omaha.
• Key Losses: vs Sioux City, at Waterloo.
• January Record: 6-2-2.
• GF: 32, GA: 35
• Key Player in January: Gregory Squires.
• Player to Watch in February: Paul Carey.

3. Chicago Steel (Prev. #6, +3)

• Key Wins: vs Cedar Rapids, at Cedar Rapids.
• Key Losses: SOL at Tri-City.
• January Record: 8-0-1.
• GF: 33, GA: 18
  
• Key Player in January: Rob Madore.
• Player to Watch in February: Simon Olsson.

4. Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets (Prev. #12, +8)

• Key Wins: at Waterloo, at Cedar Rapids.
• Key Losses: at Tri-City, at Lincoln.
• January Record: 6-2-0.
• GF: 27, GA: 18
• Key Player in January: Pasquale Terrazzano.
• Player to Watch in February: Elias Bianchi.

5. Omaha Lancers (Prev. #4, -1)

• Key Wins: at Indiana, vs Sioux Falls.
• Key Losses: at Lincoln, at Sioux Falls.
• January Record: 6-2-1.
• GF: 28, GA: 21
• Key Player in January: Matt Thurber.
• Player to Watch in February: Aaron Lewadniuk.

6. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (Prev. #3, -3)

• Key Wins: vs Waterloo, at Sioux City.
• Key Losses: vs Chicago, vs Ohio.
• January Record: 6-4-0.
• GF: 35, GA: 23
• Key Player in January: Tyler Thompson.
• Player to Watch in February: Kyle Flanagan.

7. Waterloo Black Hawks (Prev. #5, -2)

• Key Wins: at Indiana, vs Lincoln.
• Key Losses: at Cedar Rapids, vs Ohio.
• January Record: 5-3-1.
• GF: 24, GA: 22
• Key Player in January: Siim Livik.
• Player to Watch in February: Eddie Olczyk.

8. Sioux City Musketeers (Prev. #1, -7)

• Key Wins: at Indiana, vs Tri-City.
• Key Losses: vs Lincoln, at Des Moines.
• January Record: 3-5-1.
• GF: 23, GA: 28
• Key Player in January: Stephane Da Costa.
• Player to Watch in February: Joey Miller.

9. Tri-City Storm (Prev. #9, +0)

• Key Wins: vs Sioux Falls, vs Chicago.
• Key Losses: at Lincoln, at Omaha.
• January Record: 4-5-0.
• GF: 23, GA: 35
• Key Player in January: Jordan Willert.
• Player to Watch in February: Danny Heath.

10. Sioux Falls Stampede (Prev. #7, -3)

• Key Wins: vs Omaha, at Cedar Rapids.
• Key Losses: vs Sioux City, at Ohio.
• January Record: 3-4-3.
• GF: 25, GA: 29
  
• Key Player in January: Jake Hansen.
• Player to Watch in February: Eric Hartzell.

11. Des Moines Buccaneers (Prev. #11, +0)

• Key Wins: vs Sioux City.
• Key Losses: vs Omaha, at Lincoln.
• January Record: 1-7-1.
• GF: 21, GA: 42
  
• Key Player in January: Michael Dorr.
• Player to Watch in February: Keith Kinkaid.

12. Green Bay Gamblers (Prev. #10, -2)

• Key Wins: None.
• Key Losses: vs Ohio, vs Cedar Rapids.
• January Record: 0-9-1.
• GF: 12, GA: 41
• Key Player in January: Taylor McReynolds.
• Player to Watch in February: Anthony Hayes.

December Power Rankings

1. Sioux City Musketeers (Prev. #2, +1)

• Key Wins: vs Omaha, vs Waterloo.
• Key Losses: vs Omaha.
• December Record: 7-1-0.
• GF: 29, GA: 22
• Key Player in December: Travis Oleksuk.
  
• Player to Watch in January: Stephane Da Costa.
  

2. Indiana Ice (Prev. #1, -1)

• Key Wins: at Waterloo, at Omaha.
  
• Key Losses: vs Waterloo, OTL vs Waterloo.
  
• December Record: 6-1-2.
  
• GF: 38 , GA: 30
  
• Key Player in December: Gregory Squires.
  
• Player to Watch in January: Brandon Blandina.
  

3. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (Prev. #5, +2)

• Key Wins: vs Sioux Falls, vs Waterloo.
  
• Key Losses: at Sioux Falls, at Waterloo.
  
• December Record: 5-2-0.
  
• GF: 30, GA: 20
  
• Key Player in December: Tyler Thompson.
  
• Player to Watch in January: Nick Oddo.
  

4. Omaha Lancers (Prev. #3, -1)

• Key Wins: vs Lincoln, at Sioux City.
  
• Key Losses: vs Lincoln, OTL at Sioux City.
  
• December Record: 5-2-2.
  
• GF: 29, GA: 22
  
• Key Player in December: Barry Almeida.
  
• Player to Watch in January: Nico Sacchetti.
  

5. Waterloo Black Hawks (Prev. #4, -1)

• Key Wins: at Indiana, at Indiana, vs Cedar Rapids.
• Key Losses: at Cedar Rapids, at Sioux City.
• December Record: 5-3-1.
• GF: 26, GA: 29
• Key Player in December: Blake Kessel.
  
• Player to Watch in January: Brett Olson.

6. Chicago Steel (Prev. #7, +1)

• Key Wins: at Sioux Falls, vs Lincoln.
• Key Losses: vs Indiana, at Waterloo.
• December Record: 5-4-0.
• GF: 32, GA: 26
• Key Player in December: Andy Miele.
• Player to Watch in January: Luca Cunti.

7. Sioux Falls Stampede (Prev. #6, -1)

• Key Wins: vs Cedar Rapids, at Omaha.
• Key Losses: SOL vs Des Moines, vs Sioux City.
• December Record: 4-3-2.
• GF: 25, GA: 30
• Key Player in December: Jake Hansen.
• Player to Watch in January: Jake Hansen.

8. Lincoln Stars (Prev. #8, +0)

• Key Wins: vs Omaha, vs Waterloo.
• Key Losses: at Omaha, at Chicago.
• December Record: 5-4-0.
• GF: 20, GA: 18
• Key Player in December: David Reekie.
• Player to Watch in January: Chris Forfar.

9. Tri-City Storm (Prev. #10, +1)

• Key Wins: vs Indiana.
• Key Losses: vs Sioux City, vs Lincoln.
• December Record: 4-3-1.
• GF: 26, GA: 25
• Key Player in December: Josh Berge.
• Player to Watch in January: Phil Ginand.

10. Green Bay Gamblers (Prev. #9, -1)

• Key Wins: vs Des Moines, at Des Moines.
• Key Losses: at Cedar Rapids, vs Chicago.
• December Record: 3-3-1.
• GF: 25, GA: 27
• Key Player in December: C.J. Lee
• Player to Watch in January: Kyle Ensign.

11. Des Moines Buccaneers (Prev. #12, +1)

• Key Wins: at Sioux Falls, vs Ohio.
• Key Losses: vs Green Bay, SOL at Omaha.
• December Record: 2-6-1.
• GF: 20, GA: 32
• Key Player in December: Locke Jillson.
• Player to Watch in January: Michael Dorr.

12. Ohio Junior Blue Jackets (Prev. #11, -1)

• Key Wins: None.
• Key Losses: at Omaha, vs Cedar Rapids.
• December Record: 0-7-1.
• GF: 22, GA: 45
• Key Player in December: Matt Leitner.
• Player to Watch in January: Derek Roehl.

November Power Rankings

1. Indiana Ice (Prev. #6, +5)

• Key Wins: at Lincoln, vs Cedar Rapids.
• Key Losses: at Chicago.
• November Record: 9-1-0
• GF: 47, GA 30
• Key Player in November: John Kemp.
• Player to Watch in December: Gregory Squires.

2. Sioux City Musketeers (Prev. #3, +1)

• Key Wins: at Omaha, vs Cedar Rapids.
  
• Key Losses: at Sioux Falls, vs Green Bay.
  
• November Record: 8-2-0
  
• GF: 43 GA: 25
  
• Key Player in November: Alex Tuckerman.
  
• Player to Watch in December: Mitch Bruijsten.

3. Omaha Lancers (Prev. #1, -2)

• Key Wins: at Cedar Rapids.
  
• Key Losses: vs Sioux City, vs Green Bay.
  
• November Record: 7-4-0
  
• GF: 37 GA: 28
  
• Key Player in November: Chris Connolly.
  
• Player to Watch in December: Andrew Conboy.

4. Waterloo Black Hawks (Prev. #4, +0)

• Key Wins: at Cedar Rapids, vs Omaha.
• Key Losses: at Cedar Rapids.
• November Record: 6-1-2
• GF: 22 GA: 17
• Key Player in November: Blake Kessel.
• Player to Watch in December: Brett Olson.

5. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (Prev. #2, -3)

• Key Wins: at Waterloo, vs Waterloo.
• Key Losses: vs Omaha, at Indiana.
• November Record: 6-3-1.
• GF: 25 GA: 23
• Key Player in November: Tyler Thompson.
• Player to Watch in December: David Boehm.

6. Sioux Falls Stampede (Prev. #5, -1)

• Key Wins: vs Omaha, vs Sioux City.
• Key Losses: at Green Bay, vs Tri-City.
• November Record: 6-4-0.
• GF: 41 GA: 37
• Key Player in November: Nick Dineen.
• Player to Watch in December: Jake Hansen.

7. Chicago Steel (Prev. #8, +1)

• Key Wins: vs Indiana, at Sioux Falls.
• Key Losses: at Omaha, at Cedar Rapids.
• November Record: 4-3-3.
• GF: 42 GA: 38
• Key Player in November: Andy Miele.
• Player to Watch in December: Rob Madore.

8. Lincoln Stars (Prev. #9, +1)

• Key Wins: vs Sioux Falls, vs Tri-City.
• Key Losses: at Des Moines, at Ohio.
• November Record: 3-6-1.
• Key Player in November: Jared Festler.
• Player to Watch in December: David Reekie.

9. Green Bay Gamblers (Prev. 12, +3)

• Key Wins: at Omaha, at Sioux City.
• Key Losses: at Indiana, vs Chicago.
• November Record: 4-7-0.
• GF: 26 GA: 43
• Key Player in November: Neil Conway.
• Player to Watch in December: C.J. Lee.

10. Tri-City Storm (Prev. #7, -3)

• Key Wins: at Des Moines, at Sioux Falls.
• Key Losses: at Waterloo, at Cedar Rapids.
• November Record: 4-6-1.
• GF: 24 GA: 38
• Key Player in November: Jordan Willert.
• Player to Watch in December: Nick Hopper.

11. Ohio Junior Blue Jackets (Prev. #10, -1)

• Key Wins: vs Lincoln, at Waterloo.
• Key Losses: at Waterloo, at Cedar Rapids.
• November Record: 2-6-1.
• GF: 17 GA: 28
• Key Player in November: Clark MacLean.
• Player to Watch in December: Jake Coyle.

12. Des Moines Buccaneers (Prev. #11, -1)

• Key Wins: at Tri-City, vs Lincoln.
• Key Losses: at Sioux City, vs Omaha.
• November Record: 2-8-1.
• GF: 19 GA: 35
• Key Player in November: Chris Knowlton.
• Player to Watch in December: Brett Bruneteau.

October Power Rankings

1. Omaha Lancers -

• Key Wins: vs Tri-City, vs Sioux City.
• Key Losses: at Tri-City.
  
• October Record: 7-1-0.
• GF: 35, GA: 16
• Key Player in October: Chris Connolly.
• Player to Watch in November: Nico Sacchetti.
  

2. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders -

• Key Wins: at Chicago, vs Indiana.
  
• Key Losses: at Indiana, at Lincoln.
  
• October Record: 6-2-0.
  
• GF: 37, GA: 19
  
• Key Player in October: Brady Hjelle.
  
• Player to Watch in November: Mike Seidel.
  

3. Sioux City Musketeers -

• Key Wins: at Lincoln, vs Indiana.
  
• Key Losses: at Omaha, at Des Moines.
  
• October Record: 5-2-0.
  
• GF: 27, GA: 20
  
• Key Player in October: Donnie Hallmark.
  
• Player to Watch in November: Seth Helgeson.

4. Waterloo Black Hawks -

• Key Wins: at Tri-City.
  
• Key Losses: vs Chicago, at Chicago.
  
• October Record: 4-3-1.
  
• GF: 24, GA: 27
  
• Key Player in October: Craig Smith.
  
• Player to Watch in November: Matt DiGiralamo.

5. Sioux Falls Stampede -

• Key Wins: at Chicago, vs Tri-City.
  
• Key Losses: vs Omaha, at Chicago.
  
• October Record: 3-3-1.
  
• GF: 28, GA: 26
  
• Key Player in October: Jack Connolly.
  
• Player to Watch in November: Jake Hansen.

6. Indiana Ice -

• Key Wins: vs Cedar Rapids, at Sioux Falls.
• Key Losses: at Sioux City, at Omaha.
• October Record: 4-3-0.
• GF: 24, GA: 27
• Key Player in October: Paul Carey.
• Player to Watch in November: John Kemp.

7. Tri-City Storm -

• Key Wins: at Lincoln, at Waterloo, vs Omaha.
• Key Losses: at Omaha, vs Waterloo, vs Lincoln.
• October Record: 4-4-0.
• GF: 24, GA: 26
  
• Key Player in October: Jordan Willert.
• Player to Watch in November: Chris Hickey.

8. Chicago Steel -

• Key Wins: at Waterloo, vs Waterloo.
• Key Losses: vs Cedar Rapids, at Green Bay.
• October Record: 3-4-0.
• GF: 32, GA: 37
• Key Player in October: Andy Miele.
• Player to Watch in November: Dan Otto.

9. Lincoln Stars -

• Key Wins: vs Cedar Rapids, at Tri-City.
• Key Losses: at Des Moines, vs Tri-City.
• October Record: 4-4-1.
• GF: 24, GA: 32
• Key Player in October: Ryan Kretzer.
• Player to Watch in November: Jared Festler.

10. Ohio Junior Blue Jackets -

• Key Wins: at Green Bay.
• Key Losses: vs Omaha, SOL vs Waterloo.
• October Record: 2-2-3.
• GF: 24, GA: 28
• Key Player in October: Derek Roehl.
• Player to Watch in November: Tim Hall.

11. Des Moines Buccaneers -

• Key Wins: vs Sioux City.
• Key Losses: at Cedar Rapids, vs Tri-City.
• October Record: 2-4-0.
• GF: 14, GA: 21
• Key Player in October: Derek Elliot.
• Player to Watch in November: Taylor Matson.

12. Green Bay Gamblers -

• Key Wins: vs Waterloo.
• Key Losses: vs Ohio, vs Cedar Rapids.
• October Record: 2-5-1.
• GF: 23, GA: 32
• Key Player in October: Aaron Crandall.
• Player to Watch in November: Neil Conway.

USHL Fall Classic Power Rankings

After being able to view almost every team twice (Lincoln only once, since they played only once at the TEC) I will be throwing together a power ranking list of who I feel are the best teams heading into the 2007-2008 season.

1. Omaha Lancers - Best team right now, bar none.
2. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders - Young, but very good. Goalies are excellent.
3. Ohio Junior Blue Jackets - Look for a big year out of this team.
4. Waterloo Black Hawks - Scored 15 goals between Fri-Sat.
5. Tri-City Storm - Had a scare against Chicago, but pulled it out.
6. Sioux City Musketeers - Played two great games, but got ripped apart Saturday.
7. Indiana Ice - Indy's success will depend highly on Scott Darling.
8. Lincoln Stars - Traditionally start off slow, but got first win under JIM McGroarty to finish off the Classic.
9. Sioux Falls Stampede - Defeated Waterloo, but fell to Ohio and Cedar Rapids. Defense lacks.
10. Green Bay Gamblers - This team did win twice, but I'm not sure how they did it. Kyle Rank is subpar and they don't have anyone who is a bona fide scorer.
11. Des Moines Buccaneers - Awful Powerplay and Penalty Kill could result in a long year for the Bucs.
12. Chicago Steel - Winless at the Classic. Madore is a great goalie, but he can only carry them so far.

Pre-Playoff Power Rankings

Here are my power rankings heading into the 2007 Clark Cup Playoffs.


1. Tri-City Storm (5)
2. Sioux City Musketeers (11)
3. Sioux Falls Stampede (8)
4. Waterloo Black Hawks (3)
5. Lincoln Stars (2)
6. Omaha Lancers (1)
7. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (4)
8. Green Bay Gamblers (6)
9. Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets (9)
10. Des Moines Buccaneers (7)
11. Chicago Steel (12)
12. Indiana Ice (10)


Sioux City: +9
Sioux Falls: +5
Tri-City: +4
Chicago: +1
Ohio: E
Waterloo: -1
Green Bay: -2
Indiana: -2
Cedar Rapids: -3
Lincoln: -3
Des Moines: -3
Omaha: -5

March Power Rankings

This time I will be using strength of schedule to influence the rankings. Number in ( ) marks the position they were ranked in February. Green Bay, Lincoln, and Tri-City all made the biggest moves upward, as Sioux City and Sioux Falls made the biggest drops.

1. Omaha Lancers (2)
2. Lincoln Stars (7)
3. Waterloo Black Hawks (5)
4. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (4)
5. Tri-City Storm (10)
6. Green Bay Gamblers (11)
7. Des Moines Buccaneers (6)
8. Sioux Falls Stampede (1)
9. Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets (12)
10. Indiana Ice (9)
11. Sioux City Musketeers (3)
12. Chicago Steel (8)

Green Bay: +5
Lincoln: +5
Tri-City: +5
Ohio: +3
Waterloo: +2
Omaha: +1
Cedar Rapids: E
Des Moines: -1
Indiana: -1
Chicago: -4
Sioux Falls: -7
Sioux City: -8

February Power Rankings

This is my first attempt at this, so give me some time. Stats taken into consideration include wins, losses, OTL, goals for, goals against. Basically what I did was took the points earned and the goal differential into consideration. Big goal game from Chicago helped bump them up, though, in all likelihood, we all know they aren't the 8th best team in the league. The number in (x) is their current league standing.

1. Sioux Falls Stampede (6)
2. Omaha Lancers (1)
3. Sioux City Musketeers (3)
4. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (4)
5. Waterloo Black Hawks (2)
6. Des Moines Buccaneers (8)
7. Lincoln Stars (5)
8. Chicago Steel (12)
9. Indiana Ice (9)
10. Tri-City Storm (7)
11. Green Bay Gamblers (10)
12. Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets (11)