Contact: awest@thesphl.com
HUNTERSVILLE, NC (April 1, 2023) – The Southern Professional Hockey League continues its 19th season with five games tonight. You can follow all the action this season at www.sphltv.com
Quad City @ Fayetteville (6:00 p.m. EST, 5:00 p.m. CST)
Quad City Storm (22-28-2 | 9th, 46 pts)
- Michael Moran leads the Storm with 18 goals
• Tommy Tsicos leads the team lead with 17 assists
• Kevin Resop is fifth in the league in goals against average (2.66 gaa) and is fifth in save percentage (0.916%)
• Quad City is 0-4-1 against Fayetteville
Fayetteville Marksmen (23-22-8 | 8th, 54 pts)
- Drake Glover leads the Marksmen with 20 goals
• Austin Alger leads the Marksmen with 46 points and 27 assists.
• Alger ranks second in the league among rookies with 19 power play points
• Set SPHL single-game attendance record with 9,500 in attendance on education day vs. Pensacola on March 16th.
• Fayetteville is 5-0-0 against Quad City
Birmingham @ Macon (6:30 p.m. EST, 5:30 p.m. CST)
Birmingham Bulls (35-15-4 | 2nd, 74 pts)
- Clinched playoff berth
• Michael Gillespie ranks second in the league with 27 goals
• Mike Davis is tied for fifth in the league with 22 goals (Placed on 21-day IR retroactive to March 10th)
• Gillespie is fourth in the SPHL with 59 points (27g, 32a)
• Gillespie’s 32 assists are the ninth most in the SPHL
• Goalie Austin Lotz is second in the SPHL with 22 wins and his 2.78 gaa is sixth-best in the league.
• Hayden Stewart became the first goalie in SPHL history to score a goal when he netted an empty-net goal in the waning seconds against Evansville on March 18, 2023
• Birmingham is a league-best 26-1-1 this season when scoring first
• Birmingham is 3-1-1 against Macon
Macon Mayhem (12-36-4 | 10th, 28 pts)
- Rhett Kingston leads the Mayhem in goals with 20
• Tommy Munichiello leads the Mayhem with 36 points (15g, 21a)
• Kyle Soper leads the Mayhem with 23 assists
• Goalie Nick Latinovich ranks tied for fourth in the SPHL with 16 wins, while his 2.78 gaa is the sixth-best amongst netminders.
• Macon is 2-2-1 against Birmingham
Peoria @ Roanoke (7:05 p.m. EST, 6:05 p.m. CST)
Peoria Rivermen (35-14-4 | 1st, 74 pts)
- *Clinched Playoff Berth*
• Alec Hagaman leads the Rivermen in goals (20), assists (35), and points (55)
• Hagaman is tied for fourth in the league with 14 power play assists
• Tyler Barrow is ninth among rookies with 30 points (11g, 19a)
• Zach Wilkie leads the league with a +40 rating
• Eric Levine leads the league with five shutouts, is second in gaa (2.30), and fourth in save percentage (0.915%)
• Peoria was the first team this season to reach the 30-win mark
• Peoria is 0-1-0 against Roanoke
Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs (30-17-5 | 4th, 65 pts)
- Clinched Playoff Berth
• Billy Vizzo leads the Dawgs with 19 goals
• Nick Ford (14g, 37a) leads the Dawgs with 51 points
• Ford’s 37 assists are a team-best
• Goalie Austyn Roudebush boasts a league-best 23 wins and is third with a 2.40 goals-against average
• Roanoke is 1-0-0 against Peoria
Knoxville @ Evansville (8:00 p.m. EST, 7:00 p.m. CST)
Knoxville Ice Bears (30-21-3 | 6th, 63 pts)
- Clinched Playoff Berth
• Center Justin MacDonald leads the SPHL with 74 points (32g, 42a), and his 32 goals are a league-best
• MacDonald’s 42 assists are second-best in the league
• MacDonald’s 12 power play goals are tied for the most in the league
• MacDonald was named the SPHL player of the Month for February after posting 16 points, nine goals, and seven assists in nine games played
• When outshooting their opponents, Knoxville is 10-4-1
• Knoxville is 2-1-0 against Evansville
Evansville Thunderbolts (31-20-2 | 5th, 64 pts)
- Clinched Playoff Berth
• Trevor Gorsuch (15 wins) and Zane Steeves (12 wins) rank fifth and tied for seventh in the league overall in wins
• Gorsuch’s 2.23 Goals against average is the best in the SPHL
• Aaron Huffnagle (10g, 41a) leads the Thunderbolts with 51 points
• Huffnagle leads Evansville and is third in the league with 41 assists
• The Thunderbolts are 21-4-0 when scoring first
• Evansville is 1-2-0 against Knoxville
Pensacola @ Huntsville (8:00 p.m. EST, 7:00 p.m. CST)
Pensacola Ice Flyers (25-23-6 | 7th, 56 pts)
- Garrett Milan owns the top spot in the league with 43 assists
• Milan is also second in the SPHL with 69 points (24g, 43a)
• Milan became Pensacola’s all-time points leader on February 3rd, securing his 207th point as a member of the Ice Flyers.
• Kolten Olynek (19g, 21a) is third in rookie scoring with 40 points
• Olynek’s 19 goals are second among rookies
• Ryan Orgel is third among rookies in power-play assists (10) and is fifth with 12 power play points
• The Ice Flyers have the top home power play, converting 40 of 105 chances (38.1%), while also having the top-ranked power play overall with 58 goals in 193 chances (30.1%)
• Pensacola is 3-5-1 against Huntsville
Huntsville Havoc (33-18-2 | 3rd, 68 pts)
• Clinched playoff berth
• Sy Nutkevitch is second in the league with 42 assists
• Nutkevitch leads the Havoc with 59 points (17g, 42a)
• Dominick Procopio (+27) and Derek Perl (+21) are second and third in the league in +/- rating
• Huntsville is 6-1-1 against Pensacola
