I’d love to start this edition of CSHL insider off with a snipe from an unlucky source, CSHL veteran & noted stay at home defenseman Bill Evans.
This was Bill’s first goal in our A Division as he walked down the red carpet & put this one top bins past PMart. Great shot Bill!
Speaking of firsts, we'd also love to congratulate our favorite COO & Riverbend Rapids keeper Bobby Arkus on his first goal of the season.
This comes in a big weekend for the Rapids as they dominated the Wieners 4-0 and took care of business against the Hoolies for an undefeated weekend & their first two wins of the season.
Not going to do game logs this week as we will be focusing on our Midseason Mount Rushmore of CSHL award races & prediction for the end of season winners. Let’s start with the forwards.
Midseason Mount Rushmore's
While a lot of these players are near the top of the league in points, they’re not all that’s taken into account when selecting these names. As always the minds at CSHL Insider prioritize two-way play over compiling stats. Players must have played over half of their teams’ games for consideration.
A Division - Forwards
1. Sam Wood, JJ’s Bombers
4G, 7A - 1.57 PPG
Attempting to follow the Zach McKenna “join CSHL and immediately win MVP” strategy, Sam started the season off red-hot and leads all runners in points per game. The Bombers deep defense (Brownlow, Becht, Severins, Evans) allows Wood to play forward where he can use his vision to feed Greco & Campbell around the net. He’s an Alternate Captain and will play defense for the Queen City Realm in the National Ball Hockey League this season.
2. Jeremy Hotchner, Mighty Mullet Men
7G, 3A - 1.25 PPG
Last year’s breakout was no fluke as Jeremy is pacing our A Division with almost a goal per game this season. He scores from all over and is one of the best forecheckers in the league with his partner in crime Helinski. As we saw the end of last season, he’s now picking corners and blasting slapshots past goaltenders from deep. He’s playing for the Charlotte Rise again this season in the NBHL and should have a monster season for them.
3. Kevin Helinski, Mighty Mullet Men
5G, 3A - 1.33 PPG
The Yin to Jeremy’s Yin, these guys are unstoppable together for the second season in a row. He scored two goals last weekend that were both the most Helsinki goals ever as he used his length to put rebounds past the opposing netminders. A big thing that’s missed for people is how much effort Helinski puts in on the defensive end and the hustle that goes into these rebound goals as he’s not just camped around the net. He’s an Alternate Captain for the Charlotte Rise and we assume Steck will have him paired with Jeremy (and Arkus?) throughout the NBHL season.
4. James Forbes, Huntersville Hooligans
5G, 4A - 1.13 PPG
Forbes started this season ice-cold and really picked it up the last two weeks as he collected all five of his goals. The Hoolies Captain scored a game-winner against JJ’s Bombers with under a second left to keep his team in third on the season. Part of the Hoolies core that can rack up goals & they’ll need to as they lack A-quality defensive depth. Forbes’ versatility, hands & scoring ability keeps him on this Mount Rushmore and we’ll probably see him next playing center for the Carolina Copperheads as he’s the best faceoff man in CSHL.
AMVF Prediction: Jeremy Hotchner, Mullets
Sam is going to miss a week late which will give Jeremy time to extend his goal lead even further.
B Division - Forwards
1. Nick Lavella, High Voltage
7G, 3A - 1.25 PPG
Part of a pair of fast two way players on this mountain, Lavella is our early favorite for B Division MVP. The best defensive forward by far in B League, this will be Nick’s last season outside of A as he’s breaking out with almost a goal-per-game pace. He’s the engine that keeps High Voltage running as they try to keep pace with younger and faster teams in the division & it’s not surprising they’ve climbed the standings as Nick’s started to score goals with a nasty wrist shot.
2. Jeff Kennedy, Charlottans
8G, 4A - 1.5 PPG
Speaking of a goal-per-game pace, Kennedy is the only one currently matching that mark in CSHL. He’s also first in B Division in PPG as the Charlottans rely on the veteran for most of their goal scoring. The fun thing about watching Kennedy play is you know exactly what he’s going to do & other teams still don’t stop it: All of his goals come within 5 feet of the net, he’s gonna play like a scumbag around the crease, and we’re hoping none of his body parts fall off before the playoffs. Jeff is Assistant Coach & playing for the Queen City Realm this NBHL season.
3. Brandon Brownlow, Flying V’s
6G, 5A - 1.38 PPG
Silky hands, slow legs, and putting up stats from the forward position this season. Captain of the most exciting team in CSHL, the Flying V’s pile in goals on offense and are a complete dumpster fire on the defensive end, so I’m not sure if Brownlow will continue playing forward throughout the playoffs but I hope to see him approach the 20 point mark. Still searching for his first B Division MVP & Championship, he’s got a chance for both depending on his team fixing their defensive woes. Puts up sick highlights for the CSHL Instagram so bonus points for that.
4. Jacob Janiga, Flying V’s
5G, 4A - 1.13 PPG
Currently the Rookie of the Year favorite for B, Jacob should also get MVF (and potentially MVP) votes for his initial season. He’s feeding elite shooters like his dad and captain, stickhandling around former A players like Matt Henry, and finishing off goals around the net. Has made drastic improvements in just a few weeks and if the trajectory continues will be a monster come playoff time. One of the better defenders in B from the forward position, his two way game continues to impress.
BMVF Prediction: Nick Lavella, High Voltage
Nick is clearly the best two way forward in B and he's going to keep playing that way.
A Division - Defense
1. Zach McKenna, Huntersville Hooligans
3G, 5A - 1PPG
Before everyone complains about McKenna being listed as a defenseman, he’s playing defense this year for the Hoolies. While his scoring is suppressed playing from the other side of the court, he ‘s still tied for 4th in A Divisions scoring & controls game tempo from the back. At some point Zach will have a monster offensive weekend and will jump back to the top of the standings if the Hoolies let him be more aggressive on the attacking end however that may be hard due to their roster configuration. McKenna is Captain of the Queen City Realm and will be lining up at forward for them during the upcoming NBHL season.
2. Alex Lindvall, Mighty Mullet Men
1G, 5A - .75 PPG
Who’s your favorite late round pick (R5+ for A, R 7+ for B) and why?
"A: Alex Lindvall because I don't know who he is and if he's amazing I can say I called it in the season preview." - Person who's never met Alex Lindvall
Well that person hit the nail on the head because Alex has been an absolute stud since being selected by the Mullet Men. A complete unknown before the season, Lindvall’s length has caused major problems for opposing teams as the Mullets sit in first with a 6-1-1 record. His play has been a huge reason for their success even with the absence of Sernus & Ingalls who have only played two games each. Lindvall has a nasty shot from the point & will start putting goals in as he’s rang a few off the post this season. He’s been picked up by the Charlotte Rise & will play defense for them for his first NBHL season.
3. Chris Cookingham, Riverbend Rapids
3G, 4A - .88 PPG
The reason CSHL Insider invented the “H” position for our All-Star Teams is this type of player. Cookie started off playing defense but has split his time around the rink as the Rapids’ Captain does anything necessary to help his team win as shown by the clip below. The Rapids defense has been better than expected this season and while their offense has predictably struggled they’re coming off a huge weekend. Cookie’s team is built around grit and speed so we’ll see if that style can win the four games in CSHL’s postseason they would need to win a championship as the 4/5 seed. He’s playing (kind of) for the Charlotte Rise in this NBHL season & will only be available for 4 regular season games and not the Carolina playoffs.
4. Caleb Brownlow, JJ’s Bombers
2G, 1A - .5 PPG
While not the Bombers’ best player Caleb may be the most important for their style of play as his presence at the point frees Greco & Sam to run free and avoid some defensive responsibility. One of the best passers in CSHL with a sky-high IQ some Caleb also has edge to his game as he was suspended two games already for an aggressive takedown of Jeremy Hotchner in week two of the season. Caleb will man the blue line for the Queen City Realm in NBHL play.
AMVD Prediction: Zach McKenna, Hoolies
Due for a big weekend and will get one to seal up this award.
B Division - Defense
1. Eric LeVigne, Fridge Raiders
3G, 4A - .88 PPG
The most important player in CSHL’s B Division, we’ve seen vast improvement from his Fridge Raiders and their inexperienced group thanks to the play of Captain Eric LeVigne. The week one LeVigne was holding back, but the week four version? Not so much. Potentially CSHL’s best wrecking ball now that Jack is sidelined I’m expecting peak Eric carrying this team from the blue line in the playoffs.
2. Tom Carriero, High Voltage
5G, 3A - 1 PPG
After heartbreak last year Tom C’s High Voltage are back (tied) atop the standings as he’s shifted to take more defensive responsibility this year due to the graduation of Sevs & McLane to A-League. Never one to shy away from blocked shots, Tom loves to let the slapper fly and can score from anywhere on the rink and his teams are always organized & well constructed. An extremely high-impact player, we’ll see if he can get hot come playoff time & avenge last seasons loss. Carriero is Head Coach & also playing for the Carolina Copperheads in NBHL.
3. Mike Steckler, Waymer Cowbell
1G, 1A - 50 blocked shots per game
Steck went with experience in the draft and surrounded himself with talented runners which has worked well on the defensive end this season. Typically manning the point, Steck made an adjustment week two of the season and decided to become a complete wall in front of his own net blocking everything known to man to keep SOG down to a miniscule rate. A great communicator from the back end, we'll see if he can work some magic and get more involved offensively moving forward. Head Coach of the Charlotte Rise in NBHL play.
4. Jerry Janiga, Flying V’s
6G, 1A - .88 PPG
Here because of his absolute rockets from the point, almost left off because of a minimal defensive effort so far this season, Jerry easily has the potential to win MVD/MVP for our B Division as he’s clearly an A-League player. We’ll see if he can improve his defensive impact as we head down the home stretch of the season.
BMVD: Tom Carriero, High Voltage
I think Eric moves up to forward to give his team a scoring jolt leaving Tom the clear winner here. May finish with 10 goals from defense.
Honorable Mention - Charlottans Defensive Core
Selfishly keeping Joe P out of these rankings so he gets mad at me & starts burying shots from the point. Assistant Coach & playing for the Carolina Copperheads for NBHL.
Combined A & B - Goalies
1. Tim Hickey, Mighty Mullet Men (A)
6-1-1, 1.50 GAA, 1SO
Potentially the steal of the draft in the 3rd (5th) round of the A Division draft, Hickey has been an absolute godsend for the Mullets this year. His flurry of saves won a Bombers’ game week two and he only let in one goal this past weekend for a Mullets team missing both Ingalls & Sernus. While his stats are worse than Hotch’s this year I believe he’s playing the best and making up for the lack of top-end defensive talent on the Mullets. Hickey looks to be the starting goalie for the Carolina Copperheads in NBHL but we will see which direction the coaches decide to go.
2. James Hotchner, JJ’s Bombers (A)
4-3-1, 1.38 GAA, 2SO
Starting the season off with two shutouts and has slightly cooled off since, Hotch still boasts the best stats of any goalie in CSHL. He’s playing in front of a great team that hasn’t played quite up to their potential but is steady in net and typically doesn’t give up any bad goals (it’s hard to see around Bateman). Playing in net once again for the Charlotte rise in NBHL.
3. James Borusso, Charlottans (B)
4-3-1, 1.88 GAA, 1SO
Playing in front of what’s probably the steadiest defensive core in our B Division, Borusso’s job is kept easy by the trio of Joe P, Ray Jasinski & Jacob Burns. One of the most experienced goalies in B, Borruso displays good positioning and typically only has to make one save as they do a great job of clearing the crease. Has been amazing on the penalty kill this year as the Charlottans are addicted to playing a runner down.
4. Chris Napierala, Riverbend Rapids (A)
2-3-1, 1.83 GAA, 1SO
Nappy has had an amazing season so far for the Rapids and is a huge reason why they are consistently in close games late. One of our more athletic goalies, he constantly flashes the leather and can get post to post better than a lot of goalies in CSHL. A monster shutout over the Waymer Wieners put him in these rankings as the Rapids jumped a spot in our standings. Nappy will be playing primarily as a runner this season in NBHL for the Carolina Copperheads.
MVG: Tim Hickey, Mullet Men
The best goalie currently in CSHL is playing like the best goalie in CSHL.
Miscellaneous Award Predictions:
A - Rookie of the Year: Sam Wood, Bombers
Sorry Lindvall, Sam still counts as a rookie even though he’s been known for awhile.
B - Rookie of the Year: Jacob Janiga, Flying V's
Easy choice, runaway favorite for this award. Kaden Walston has also played awesome for the Cowbell this year.
A - Most Improved: Jayden Steckler, Rapids
Nick Severins was my second choice here as he’s been playing great for the Bombers, but Jayden’s scoring has taken off as he’s used his speed and improved positioning to take advantage of defenses.
B - Most Improved: Jonathan Beachy, Fridge Raiders
Going from a net-front forward to someone that uses their strength all over the rink, we’ve seen Beachy’s scoring jump in only his second season of play. Would have 4 & 3 if not for…nevermind. We’ll see if a rib injury slows him this week.
A - Best Draft Pick: Tim Hickey, Mullets
Some competition from his teammate Lindvall but grabbing the best goalie at 3.4 after all of Ward & all of his friends is an absolute joke.
B - Best Draft Pick: Austin Wertz, Flying V’s
Honestly just think everyone forgot he was in the draft because there’s no way he should have been available at 8.2. “Coach Austin” is a huge A Division body with some slick hands to boot.
Game Links
B Division Player of the Week: The Lavella Family
Combining for 6 goals and no assists, the Lavella’s were the dominant CSHL family this weekend as they lit up the scoreboard, including this game-tying goal by Nick with under a minute left against the Flying V’s.
A Division Player of the Week: Tim Hickey, Mighty Mullet Men
Gave up one goal over two games this weekend as the shorthanded Mullets took first place in the standings.
Click game title for WK4 videos
All week four photos can be found HERE.
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