Contact: awest@thesphl.com
HUNTERSVILLE, NC (November 22, 2023) – The SPHL continues its 20th season with five games tonight. You can follow all the action this season at https://flosports.link/SPHL
Peoria @ Knoxville (6:00 p.m. EST, 5:00 p.m. CST)
Peoria Rivermen (7-0-1, 15 pts, 2nd)
• Zach Wilkie (+11) leads the league in plus-minus rating while Cale List is second with a +10 rating
• Mike Gelatt (4g, 7a) ranks first (tied) for the rookie scoring lead with 11 points
• Joseph Widmar is tied for second with 13 points (4g, 9a).
• Ryan Nolan (6g, 4a) is second (tied) with 10 points
• Nick Latinovich is second amongst goalies with a 1.58 gaa
• Tristan Trudel leads all rookies with two power-play goals
• Coach’s son Tristian Trudel suits up for the Rivermen this season, becoming the first-ever father-son coaching and playing duo in SPHL history
• Peoria has not yet played Knoxville
Knoxville Ice Bears (3-9-0, 6 pts, 9th)
• Brady Fleurent is first in the SPHL with nine goals
• Fleurent also is tied for second with 13 points (9g, 4a)
• Riley Robertson leads all defensemen with one shorthanded assist
• Kristian Stead leads the league with 247 saves
• Jason Price is tied for sixth among defensemen with three points (3a)
• Knoxville has not yet played Peoria
Macon @ Fayetteville (7:00 p.m. EST, 6:00 p.m. CST)
Macon Mayhem (3-3-3, 9 Pts, 7th)
• Alex LaPlante is third (tied) among rookies with nine points (4g, 5a)
• CJ Hayes ranks third (tied) with 12 points (5g, 7a)
• Tommy Munichello is third (tied) with 12 points (3g, 9a)
• Macon is 0-2-0 against Fayetteville
Fayetteville Marksmen (8-2-2, 18 pts, 1st)
• Simon Boyko leads the SPHL with five powerplay points (tied)
• Ryan Leith is third (tied) with a +9 rating
• Boyko (46) and Tyler Kobryn (42) rank first and second in shots
• Tyler Kobryn is third (tied) in the SPHL with 12 points (6g, 6a)
• Boyko (4g, 6a) Grant Loven (4g, 6a), and Dalton Hunter (2g, 8a) rank second (tied) among rookies in points with 10
• Home opener record 4,711 fans packed the Crown Coliseum
• Fayetteville is 2-0-0 against Macon
Huntsville @ Roanoke (7:05 p.m. EST, 6:05 p.m. CST)
Huntsville Havoc (5-5-1, 11 pts, 6th)
• Doug Elgstam is second in the SPHL with eight goals
• Alex Kielczewski is second among defensemen with seven assists
• Kielczewski also ranks third (tied) among defensemen with eight points (1g, 7a)
• Dylan Stewart ranks fourth (tied) among rookies with seven points (2g, 5a)
• Huntsville is 1-0-0 against Roanoke
Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs (5-3-2, 12 pts, 5th)
• CJ Stubbs ranks second (tied) with three powerplay goals
• Nick Ford ranks second (tied) with 12 points (2g, 11a)
• Ford’s 11 assists are the most in the SPHL (tied)
• Austyn Roudebush ranks fourth among goalies with a 1.73 goals-against-average
• Hoisted their 2023 Presidents Cup banner in front of their home crowd for the first time in franchise history
• Roanoke is 0-0-1 against Huntsville
Evansville @ Quad City (7:10 p.m. EST, 6:10 p.m. CST)
Evansville Thunderbolts (1-7-1, 3 pts, 10th)
• Grayson Valente ranks sixth (tied) among defensemen with five points (2g, 3a)
• Evansville leads the SPHL with an average of 27.33 penalty minutes per game through four games
• Evansville is 0-1-0 against Quad City
Quad City Storm (4-4-0, 8 pts, 8th)
• Matt Ustaski ranks second (tied) with 13 points (9g, 4a)
• Defenseman John DeRoche is seventh (tied) amongst all blue liners with four points (1g, 3a)
• Ustaski is fifth in shooting percentage (33.0%)
• Tommy Tsicos scored a goal in his 200th appearance for the franchise in a 4-1 defeat to the Rivermen
• Quad City is 1-0-0 against Evansville
Birmingham @ Pensacola (8:05 p.m. EST, 7:05 p.m. CST)
Birmingham Bulls (7-3-0, 14 pts, 2nd)
• Drake Glover leads the league with three game-winning goals
• Glover (6g, 5a) is fourth (tied) with 11 points
• Michael Gillespie leads the league in shooting percentage (five goals on 11 shots) 45.5%
• Hayden Stewart leads the SPHL with two shutouts
• Stewart also leads the SPHL with a 1.49 goals-against average and his .937 save percentage which is good for second
• Nikita Kozyrev was named the SPHL Player of the Week last week after his six-point weekend which included a hat trick and three assists
• Birmingham is 1-2-0 against Pensacola
Pensacola Ice Flyers (7-4-0, 14 pts, 4th)
• Brett Mercones leads the league with 14 points and 11 goals
• Ivan Bondarenko leads the league with 11 assists
• Bondarenko is also second (tied) in the league with 13 points (2g, 11a)
• Jordan Henderson is third (tied) among defensemen with eight points (2g, 6a). His six assists are also third most among defensemen
• Stephen Mundinger is third among goaltenders with a 1.60 goals-against average
• Pensacola is 2-1-0 against Birmingham
