Press Release
The North American Prospects Hockey League (PHL) announced its
Pointstreak Peak Performers for the month of September today. The
players were selected based upon their performance at the first PHL
event of the season, which took place at the NAHL Showcase in Blaine,
Minnesota from September 13-16, 2012.
MIDGET MAJOR (18U) POINTSTREAK PEAK PERFORMER-Razmuz Waxin-Engback, forward, Indiana Jr. Ice
The Pointstreak Peak Performer for the 18U Division of the PHL
is forward Razmuz Waxin-Engback from the Indiana Jr. Ice. The
17-year-old forward from Stockholm, Sweden, was a one-man scoring
machine at the first PHL regular season event of the season at the NAHL
Showcase in Blaine, Minnesota. In Indiana’s five games at the event,
Waxin-Engback (5’11/185) registered 14 points, which included four goals
and 10 assists. Most impressively, three of his four goals were
game-winners. To date this season, Waxin-Engback has registered 23
points (9 goals, 14 assists) in 12 games overall.
Waxin-Engback came to the United States over the summer and this is
his first season playing hockey in the U.S. after playing his entire
life in Sweden. “Razmuz was noticed in Sweden by one of our coaches and
he came over here to pursue an opportunity to hopefully one day play
college hockey,” said Indiana 18U head coach Mario Doyon. The Indiana
Jr. Ice 18U team got off to a fast start this season, posting a 4-1-0
record through the first event of the year. Doyon, who coached the
Indiana 16U team to the PHL Championship last season said that he is
happy with this year’s 18U squad so far, which is being led by
Waxin-Engback. “I think we are off to a good start. We have some solid
players up front including Razmuz and some good goaltending behind
them, so I think we will be able to hopefully put together a good record
and be a factor at the end of the season.”
Of the five games that Waxin-Engback played in Blaine, he scored in
four of them and all of those were multi-point games. In the opening
game against the California Titans, Waxin-Engback had a goal (the
game-winner) and two assists in a 4-2 win. The next day, he had three
assists in a 4-3 win over the San Jose Jr. Sharks. After being held
scoreless in a 3-1 loss against Omaha, Waxin-Engback came back with a
vengeance with a four-point game in an 8-0 win over the Utah Regulators
in which he also had the game-winning goal. On the final day of the
event, Waxin-Engback had another four-point game, which included two
goals and two assists (with another game-winner) in an 8-5 win over the
Phoenix Firebirds.
“Razmuz is a world-class skater, has very good stick handling and has
a very powerful and quick shot,” said Doyon. “I think most
impressively he has adapted to the American game and doesn’t shy away
from the physical part. I think the next step for him is to continue to
get better while playing in the PHL and hopefully earn a junior
opportunity and then the NCAA. He definitely has the capability to
reach all those goals if he keeps working hard and playing well.”
MIDGET MINOR (16U) POINTSTREAK PEAK PERFORMER-Ethan Somoza, forward, California Titans
It was quite the PHL debut at the first event of the season in
Blaine, Minnesota, for 16-year-old Ethan Somoza of the California Titans
16U team. Somoza (5’10/165) literally exploded onto the scene with a
performance that earned him the overall PHL scoring lead after one event
and just four games played. The native of Simi Valley, California,
registered 15 points, including an incredible 12 goals and three assists
as he led the California Titans 16U team to a perfect 4-0-0 record in
Blaine.
The offensive production by Somoza earned him the Pointstreak Peak
Performer award for the 16U Division for the month of September.
Consider that of the 29 total goals scored by California in their first
four games of the season, 12 of them (or roughly 41%) came off the stick
of Somoza. Add in the three assists and Somoza has been a part of over
half of California’s goals so far this season. “I think Ethan has
responded well of being the ‘go-to’ guy on the team this season,” said
California 16U head coach Peter Torrson. “He has really taken on a
leadership role with the team this year and I think it makes him an even
better player. He is more focused and works very hard on and off the
ice and that has made him a more complete player.”
Somoza’s debut in the PHL was an impressive one as he registered four
goals and an assist in an 8-1 win over the Pursuit of Excellence. The
next game, he posted his second consecutive hat-trick in an 8-2 win over
the St. Louis Selects. On the third day, it was another four goal, one
assist performance in an 8-0 win over Cleveland. On the final day of
the event, Somoza registered a goal and an assist in a 5-1 win over the
Detroit Falcons.
“There is a lot of interest in Ethan right now from scouts and
coaches at all levels, including juniors and the NCAA,” said Torrson.
“I think the sky is the limit for Ethan. He is a very good student so I
know he has aspirations of playing in college and I know he dreams
about one day of being in the NHL. I think if he can remain focused
then anything is possible for him.”
The second PHL event of the 2012-13 season will take place from
October 19-22 at Sharks Ice in San Jose, California, and will feature
eight teams from the 18U division, eight teams from the 16U division and
four teams competing in the Bantam Tournament Series (BTS). The PHL is
comprised of six regular-season events leading up to its Championship
Tournament Series in which the top teams at each level compete for a
league championship. The PHL season concludes with its Top Prospects
Tournament, which will be held in conjunction with the NAHL Robertson
Cup Championship Tournament in May 2013.
(Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)
Friday, October 5, 2012
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