Contact: awest@thesphl.com
HUNTERSVILLE, NC (December 30, 2023) – The SPHL continues its 20th season with five games this evening. You can follow all the action this season at http://sphltv.com/
Knoxville @ Fayetteville (6:00 p.m. EST, 5:00 p.m. CST)
Knoxville Ice Bears (8-11-0, 16 pts, 9th)
• Brady Fleurent leads the Ice Bears with 10 goals
• Dawson McKinney (2g, 11a) ranks seventh among rookies with 13 points
• Tyler Rollo (4g, 8a) ranks eighth (tied) among rookies with 12 points
• Jordan Stallard is ninth (tied) with 18 points (7g, 11a)
• Knoxville is 1-3-0 against Fayetteville
Fayetteville Marksmen (15-5-3, 33 pts, 2nd)
• Simon Boyko leads the SPHL with 97 shots
• Boyko leads all rookies with 26 points (14g, 12a)
• Boyko is second (tied) in the SPHL with 26 points (14g, 12a)
• Boyko is fourth in the SPHL with 14 goals
• Ryan Leith is second among rookies with a +13 rating
• Home opener record 4,711 fans packed the Crown Coliseum
• Fayetteville is 3-1-0 against Knoxville
Huntsville @ Roanoke (7:05 p.m. EST, 6:05 p.m. CST)
Huntsville Havoc (11-9-4, 26 pts, 5th)
• Brian Wilson is third among SPHL goaltenders with a 2.04 gaa and a .927 save percentage.
• Wilson also ranks fourth in the SPHL with 369 saves
• David Thomson is second (tied) with three game-winning goals
• Alex Kielczewski is second among defensemen with 18 points (3g, 15a) while his 15 assists are also second among blueliners.
• Huntsville is 3-0-0 against Roanoke
Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs (11-7-3, 25 pts, 6th)
• Nick Ford ranks eighth (tied) with 20 points (5g, 15a)
• Xavier Filion leads all rookies with three game-winning goals
• Austyn Roudebush is second in the SPHL in goals against average (1.86) and save percentage (.934)
• Brenden Pepe ranks fourth among defensemen with 14 points (5g, 9a)
• Hoisted their 2023 Presidents Cup banner in front of their home crowd for the first time in franchise history
• Roanoke is 0-2-1 against Huntsville
Birmingham @ Pensacola (8:05 p.m. EST, 7:05 p.m. CST)
Birmingham Bulls (16-4-3, 35 pts, 1st)
• Hayden Stewart was named SPHL Player of the Month after posting a 7-2-0 record, 1.43 gaa, and a .940 sv% which are all league-best
• Stewart leads the SPHL in GAA (1.51), sv% (.945), wins (13) and leads the league lead in shutouts (3).
• Nikita Kozyrev is second among all rookies with 24 points (8g, 16a). His 16 assists are the most among rookies
• MacGregor Sinclair ranks fifth (tied) among rookies with 15 points (4g, 11a)
• Drake Glover ranks second (tied) in the SPHL with 26 points (16g, 10a). His 16 goals are second most in the SPHL
• Birmingham is 4-3-0 against Pensacola
Pensacola Ice Flyers (13-10-0, 26 pts, 4th)
• Zac Herrmann is second among defensemen with four goals and is fifth in points with 12 points (4g, 8a)
• Brett Mercones is fourth (tied) with 23 points (15g, 8a) and his 15 goals are the third most in the SPHL
• Garrett Milan is fifth with 23 points (7g, 16a). Milan’s 16 assists are the third most in the league (tied)
• Ivan Bondarenko’s 16 assists are the third most (tied) in the league
• Pensacola is 3-4-0 against Birmingham
Evansville @ Quad City (8:10 p.m. EST, 7:10 p.m. CST)
Evansville Thunderbolts (8-12-2, 18 pts, 8th)
• Bair Gendunov is third (tied) in the SPHL with 25 points (10g, 15a)
• Matt Dorsey ranks sixth among rookies with 14 points (6g, 8a)
• Chays Ruddy ranks eighth (tied) among defensemen with nine points (4g, 5a)
• Evansville is 1-4-0 against Quad City
Quad City Storm (10-10-0, 20 pts, 7th)
• Matt Ustaski (17g, 12a) leads the SPHL with 29 points and his 17 goals lead the league
• Leif Mattson is fourth (tied) in the SPHL with 24 points (12g, 12a)
• Defenseman Dillion Fournier is fifth amongst all blue liners with 13 points (1g, 12a). His 11 assists are third most among defensemen
• Tommy Tsicos scored a goal in his 200th appearance for the franchise in a 4-1 defeat to the Rivermen earlier this season
• Quad City is 4-1-0 against Evansville
Macon @ Peoria (8:15 p.m. EST, 7:15 p.m. CST)
Macon Mayhem (4-13-4, 12 Pts, 10th)
• Josh Boyko leads the SPHL with 578 saves
• Alex LaPlante (7g, 7a) ranks sixth (tied) among rookies with 14 points
• Michael McChesney is third overall (tied) with four power-play goals, and leads all rookies
• McChesney also ranks fifth (tied) among rookies with 15 points (7g, 8a)
• Macon is 0-1-0 against Peoria
Peoria Rivermen (14-6-2, 30 pts, 3rd)
• Zach Wilkie leads all defensemen with 21 points (3g, 18a), his 18 assists are the most among blue liners
• Joseph Widmar is second (tied) in the league with 26 points (6g, 19a), his 19 lead the SPHL
• Mike Gelatt (6g, 7a) is seventh (tied) in points among rookies with 13
• Ryan Nolan is third (tied) among all rookies with eight 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
• Franchise record, 8,701 fans vs Quad City on December 14th
• Peoria is 1-0-0 against Macon
