Feature Story
A look back at the season’s first half
By Jon Garver
The calendar has now turned from 2007 to
2008, and the USHL has reached its unofficial midpoint (unofficial because no
teams have actually played 30 games as of yet), and the time is right to take a
look back at the first half of the season for each of the league’s 12 teams and
a player from each that has helped make a difference in 2007-08.
Cedar
Rapids: Prime Time Player – Brady Hjelle.
With incumbent Kent Patterson sidelined due to injury, Hjelle
stepped in and carried the bulk of the work in goal, going 14-4-1 in 19 appearances with a 2.20 goals against average and a
.934 saves percentage.
Chicago: Prime Time Player –
Andy Miele. Miele, in his
third year in the USHL, is the league scoring leader with 37 points and is
averaging more than a goal per game. He is on pace for 62 goals this
season.
Des Moines: Prime Time Player –
Joe Rodwell and Fredrik Bergman. On a team that is
offensively challenged, the duo has kept Des Moines in most games and helped them stay competitive. They are
giving up 3.40 goals per game.
Green Bay: Prime Time Player –
Neil Conway. Conway was added by the Gamblers on Nov. 3, and has gone 5-5 since
his arrival.
Indiana: Prime Time Player –
John Kemp. Kemp was the league’s top returning scorer from a year ago, and is
currently second in the league in scoring with 35 points and leads the league
in assists with 29. He has at least one point in 19 of the Ice’s 25 games this
season.
Lincoln: Prime Time Player –
Ryan Kretzer. Kretzer
played the preseason with Waterloo and was released, paving the way for Lincoln to add him. All he’s done is lead the team in goals and
points. He’s the only Lincoln player in double digits in goals (12) and has been vital to
the team’s power play with 10 man-advantage assists.
Ohio: Prime Time Player –
Derek Roehl. Roehl leads Ohio in goals (8)
and is close to surpassing his point total from last season.
Omaha: Prime Time Player –
Barry Almeida. Almeida has resided in the league’s top 10 in scoring throughout
the season. He was the league scoring leader for a stretch, and leads the
Lancers in goals (18) and points (31). He has 13 power-play points, which also
is tops among Lancers.
Sioux City: Prime Time Player –
Josh Robinson. On a team that has displayed consistent and spread-out scoring, the job of the goaltender is to keep them in a
position to win. Robinson has done that for Sioux City, who sits atop the league standings. Robinson has ranked in
the top five all season among goaltenders, going 12-2-0 with a 2.62 goals against average and a .919 saves
percentage.
Sioux Falls: Prime Time Player –
Jack Connolly. The defending national champions experienced a lot of turnover
from their roster a year ago. With that, first-year players needed to come in
and make an impact. Connolly is one of those players. Connolly has danced
around the top 10 in league scoring throughout the season and is the top scorer
for The Herd with 28 points in 23 games. He also leads the team in assists
(18).
Tri-City: Prime Time Player – Mike Cichy. Cichy has been a bright spot on a Storm team that has
struggled through the first half of the season. The newcomer is their top
scorer with 20 points and ranks in the top 20 in assists with 15.
Waterloo: Prime Time Player –
Blake Kessel. The defending Anderson Cup champions
have found things to be a little tougher than last year. That’s to be expected
with the turnover the Black Hawks experienced. One returner
who has taken his game to a new level is Blake Kessel.
Kessel leads the Black Hawks in goals (11) and points
(23). He is the top-scoring defenseman in the USHL. Of his 23 points, 17 have
come on the power play.
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