All-USHL First and Second Team Named for 2012-13

Press Release

 All-USHL First Team members include goaltender Kevin Lindskoug of the Muskegon Lumberjacks, defensemen Paul LaDue of the Lincoln Stars and Ian McCoshen of the Waterloo Black Hawks, in addition to forwards Taylor Cammarata and Justin Kloos of the Waterloo Black Hawks and Mike Szmatula of the Dubuque Fighting Saints.

Players selected to the All-USHL Second Team include Omaha Lancers goaltender Alex Lyon, defensemen Michael Brodzinski of the Muskegon Lumberjacks and Niklas Nevalainen of the Dubuque Fighting Saints, along with forwards Austin Cangelosi of the Youngstown Phantoms, Jake Guentzel of the Sioux City Musketeers, Kyle Novak of the Green Bay Gamblers, Peter Quenneville of the Dubuque Fighting Saints, and Dominic Toninato of the Fargo Force.

Nine different USHL Member Clubs are represented on the All-USHL Teams.  The Waterloo Black Hawks lead the way with three players on the First Team, and the Clark Cup champion Dubuque Fighting Saints also have a trio of players honored.  The Second Team includes five forwards due to ties in voting conducted by USHL coaches and general managers.

“The USHL is literally an 'All-Star' collection of players from the top to the bottom of every roster on every Club – so to get named to the All-USHL Teams is just an extraordinary honor for these players," said USHL President and Commissioner Skip Prince.  "It was also extraordinary to review the votes of the League's 16 coaches and general managers – some of the best minds in junior hockey – as they reached across team loyalties and locker rooms to give full credit to the top of this year's 2012-13 class of players.  Memorize the names on this list, because you'll be seeing them on NCAA and NHL rosters – and All-Star teams – in the coming years."

All-USHL First Team

Kevin Lindskoug (G), Muskegon Lumberjacks

The native of Sweden was recently named the 2012-13 USHL Goaltender of the Year after posting a 23-18-6 mark during the regular season.  His save percentage of .923 led the League while his 2.49 goals-against-average ranked second among USHL goaltenders.  The 20-year-old recorded eight shutouts, setting a new USHL Tier 1 era (2002-present) record.  He made a League season high 52 saves in the 3-1 win against Team USA on March 1st, the most saves by a netminder in a game since November 2009.  Lindskoug will play professional hockey next season in Sweden.

Paul LaDue (D), Lincoln Stars

A 2012 NHL Draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings, LaDue was recently named the 2012-13 USHL Defenseman of the Year.  He led all League defensemen with 49 points (12g, 37a) while playing all but two of the 64 regular season games for the Stars.  His plus-27 season rating was sixth overall among League defensemen.  LaDue finishes his USHL career as the highest-scoring defenseman in Stars history with 83 points (21g, 62a) in 118 regular season games.  The 20-year-old will return to his hometown to begin his collegiate hockey career at the University of North Dakota next season.

Ian McCoshen (D), Waterloo Black Hawks

The Verona, Wisconsin native was second in scoring among USHL defensemen with 44 points (11g, 33a) despite playing in only 53 of his team’s 64 regular season games.  He was the leader of the USHL’s top power play unit (25.4%) as he dished 20 assists on the man-advantage, second most in the League.  His plus-35 rating was the third best mark overall by a defenseman.  Still only 17, McCoshen was in his third USHL season.  The highest-rated USHL skater in advance of the 2013 NHL Draft, he will begin his NCAA hockey career this fall at Boston College.

Taylor Cammarata (F), Waterloo Black Hawks

Becoming one of the most decorated players in USHL history, Cammarata was recently named both the USHL Forward of the Year and Player of the Year.  He led the League with 93 points (38g, 55a) in 59 games, the second most points scored in the Tier 1 era.  His 38 goals led the League and were the third highest total by a player over the last 11 seasons.  The recently turned 18-year-old posted a plus-39 rating this season, ranking fourth in the USHL.  He finishes his Black Hawks career tops in assists (97) and second in points (162).  He will play college hockey at the University of Minnesota.

Justin Kloos (F), Waterloo Black Hawks

The 19-year-old finished second in USHL scoring with 87 points (29g, 58a) in 54 games.  His 58 assists led the League and were the second most in the Tier 1 era behind John Kemp of the Indiana Ice who dished out 59 assists in 2007-08.  Kloos led the USHL with 31 points (10g, 21a) on the power play.  He equaled a League season high with five assists in a victory against Omaha on January 26th, one of two five-point games he recorded during an eight-game point streak from December 31st to February 8th.  He now returns to his home state and will play hockey at the University of Minnesota.

Mike Szmatula (F), Dubuque Fighting Saints

Playing in all but one of the 64 regular season games for the Saints, the forward put up 76 points (37g, 39a) to rank fifth in USHL scoring.  He tied for second in the League with 37 goals, including 12 power play tallies which tied for the USHL lead.  After scoring the game-winning goal in his USHL debut on September 28th, he would register a point in 16 of the first 17 games of the season.  Szmatula ranked second in the League with a plus-49 rating after finishing with a minus rating in just seven games this season.  The 20-year-old will play hockey at Northeastern University next season.

All-USHL Second Team

Alex Lyon (G), Omaha Lancers

The Baudette, Minnesota native appeared in 50 games this season for the Lancers and totaled the second most minutes (2,894) between the pipes of any USHL goaltender.  He earned 26 victories, third most in the League, and his .916 save percentage was the second best mark in the USHL.  Lyon ranked fourth with a 2.65 GAA.  In games that he faced 40-or-more shots, he produced an impressive 6-2-0 record.  The 20-year-old also led USHL netminders with six shootout victories, stopping 15-of-18 total attempts in the extra session.  He will play college hockey next season for Yale University.

Michael Brodzinski (D), Muskegon Lumberjacks

Also a member of the USHL All-Rookie Team, Brodzinski led all League defensemen with 16 goals, the most goals by a USHL blueliner since the 2009-10 season.  He tallied nine goals on the power play, second most by a League blueliner.  He tied for sixth among defensemen in scoring with 33 points (16g, 17a) over 61 games while posting a plus-10 rating.  He also helped the Lumberjacks rank fourth in USHL penalty killing (84.6%).  The Ham Lake, Minnesota turns 18 next week and is a prospect for the upcoming 2013 NHL Draft.  He is committed to the University of Minnesota.

Niklas Nevalainen (D), Dubuque Fighting Saints

The 19-year-old from Finland collected 33 points (5g, 28a) over 60 regular season games, tying for sixth among USHL defensemen in scoring.  He anchored a defense that allowed the fewest goals in the League (154).  Nevalainen finished with a minus rating on just five occasions this season and recorded a USHL best plus-51 rating overall, the second highest mark in the Tier 1 era behind Blake Coleman (+52 for Indiana Ice in 2009-10).  The defenseman posted a season high plus-six on January 5th in an 8-2 win against Green Bay.  He is committed to St. Cloud State University.

Austin Cangelosi (F), Youngstown Phantoms

The Estero, Florida native finished the season 11th overall in scoring with 64 points (21g, 43a) in 56 games while posting a plus-16 rating as the Phantoms captain.  His 43 assists were the eighth highest total in the USHL and his 16 assists on the power play ranked sixth.  The 18-year-old scored five goals over his first three games of the season, including his first USHL career hat trick in a win on October 5th.  He tallied another three-goal game in a February victory over Chicago.  Cangelosi has scored 50 goals in the regular season over his USHL career.  He is committed to Boston College.

Jake Guentzel (F), Sioux City Musketeers

The 2012-13 USHL Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie Team selection adds another honor to his impressive season.  He ranked sixth in USHL scoring with 73 points (29g, 44a) and his assist total was also the sixth highest in the League.  The 18-year-old closed out the season scoring 43 points (17g, 26a) during a 21-game point streak, tying the USHL Tier 1era record for consecutive games on the scoresheet.  The Woodbury, Minnesota native was third in the League with 26 power play points (11g, 15a).  A 2013 NHL Draft prospect, he is committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Kyle Novak (F), Green Bay Gamblers

The League’s fourth-leading scorer with 77 points (27g, 50a) appeared in all 64 games this season for the Gamblers.  One of just three players to record 50 assists, he had multi-assist games on 12 occasions.  He put together a 14-game point streak from January 13th to March 1st, amassing 22 points (12g, 10a) over that span which included a hat trick on January 18th, his first in the USHL.  The 20-year-old led his team with a plus-23 rating and ranked second in the League with four shorthanded goals.  The O’Fallon, Missouri native will play college hockey at Western Michigan University.

Peter Quenneville (F), Dubuque Fighting Saints

The native of Edmonton, Alberta played all but one of the 64 regular season games for the Saints and finished tied for eighth in USHL scoring with 70 points (33g, 37a).  His 33 goals were the fifth highest total in the League, five of which were game-winners.  The 19-year-old fired a League-leading 237 shots on goal and finished the season with a plus-29 rating.  He recorded multiple points in five consecutive games from December 8-28th, including a five-point night (2g, 3a) on December 15th.  A prospect for the 2013 NHL Draft, he will play collegiate hockey at Quinnipiac University.

Dominic Toninato (F), Fargo Force

The 2012 NHL Draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs tied for eighth in USHL scoring with 70 points (29g, 41a) while appearing in all 64 regular season games for Fargo.  He scored 25 of his 29 goals at even strength and seven of his tallies were game-winners, tied for the third most in the USHL.  He recorded his first USHL hat trick on March 6th, three days before his 19th birthday, as he netted all three of his goals in the first period of a 5-2 win.  Toninato posted a plus-29 rating, tied for 12th in the League.  He will play college hockey in his hometown at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

(Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)