General Game Notes: USHL action between the Lincoln Stars and Muskegon Lumberjacks on January 28th, 2024. Three first period goals paced the way for the Stars as they never looked back, securing a 5-2 victory over the Lumberjacks. Led by three points each from Jared Mangan #26 and Blake Montgomery #28.
| Lucas Massie | Lincoln Stars | USHL | L | G | 6’1″ | 190 | Union | 2024 | Claremont, CA | 2003 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: C+
Massie stopped 24 of 26 shots with both goals coming on quick release snap shots from the high slot. The first goal came on a line rush where a left shot came down the right dot-lane and made a hard cut through the royal road. He then fired a snap shot back against the grain that beat Massie high glove. Massie was screened on the shot be his defenseman (#2) who for some reason slid through his field of vision as the goal scorer was shooting. The second goal come off a face-off play in the third period where the Muskegon center slid into the soft slot for a sweeper one-timer that went five hole. He faced 23 grade “A” opportunities 11 hitting the net and 2 going in.
Comments: Massie played a solid game. He fought through traffic when necessary, stayed big and compact, making some saves (without seeing them). Cleared away loose pucks that fell in front of him, and made some big saves to preserve his teams lead.
| Justin Mexico | Lincoln Stars | USHL | L | LW | 5’10” | 170 | AIC | 2024 | Madison Heights, MI | 2003 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: B-
Mexico earned 9:28 in ice time (10th among fwds) including 1:16 on the PP (9th among fwds) and 0:44 on the PK (6th among fwds). He finished +1 with 1 goal, 1 shot, 1 grade “A” opportunity, 4/10 on face-offs, 1 giveaway, 3 takeaways and for the season he is winning 51% of his 50/50 puck battles.
Comments: Mexico brought a lot of spark when he was on the ice. He continually moved his feet in all three zones, chipping pucks in and being relentless on the forecheck. He went to the net with his stick on the ice and was able to be rewarded for it by scoring a nice goal in the first period.
| Keaton Peters | Lincoln Stars | USHL | R | F | 5’10” | 187 | Northern Michigan | 2024 | Sussex, WI | 2004 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: B
Peters earned 17:54 in ice time (tied for 1st among fwds) including 2:11 on the PP (6th among fwds) and 1:10 on the PK (4th among fwds). He finished even with 2 shots, 2 grade “A” opportunities, 2 PIMs, 16/21 on face-offs, received 3 hits, had 1 shot blocked, 12 giveaways, 5 takeaways and for the season he is winning 47% of his 50/50 puck battles.
Comments: Peters did a lot of small details right. He stopped on pucks in the defensive zone, and limited turnovers by chipping it out, or holding onto it and skating it out himself. He also swung low in the defensive zone to support his defenders as a low option out of the zone for cleaner breakouts. Once he was able to collect pucks, he moved his feet and was dangerously fast down the walls and into the offensive zone. Skated fast in straight lines, but could weave in and out of traffic, eventually getting to the net either shooting, passing or even attacking as a mini-breakaway option.
| Ryan Spinale | Lincoln Stars | USHL | R | RW | 6’5″ | 205 | Colgate | 2024 | Plymouth, MA | 2004 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: B-
Spinale earned 17:34 in ice time (3rd among fwds) including 3:14 on the PP (2nd among fwds). He did not play PK. He finished even with 1 assist, 2 shots, 1 grade “A” opportunity, received 1 hit, had 1 shot blocked, 9 giveaways, 7 takeaways and for the season he is winning 49% of his 50/50 puck battles.
Comments: Spinale engaged in a lot of puck battles along the walls and the net front area. Used his bigger frame to get ‘inside’ the game, be physical and come up with 50/50 pucks. Specifically in the offensive zone, he relied on his linemates to get pucks towards the net, where he would plant himself there acting as a screen / tip option.
| Jack Pechar | Lincoln Stars | USHL | R | RW | 6’1″ | 197 | Northeastern | 2024 | Niskayuna, NY | 2005 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: B+
Pechar earned 17:16 in ice time (6th among fwds) including 2:17 on the PP (5th among fwds) and 1:48 on the PK (2nd among fwds). He finished even with 5 shots, 4 grade “A” opportunities, 6/14 on face-offs, 4 hits (game high), received 2 hits, 6 giveaways, 5 takeaways and for the season he is winning 52% of his 50/50 puck battles.
Comments: Pechar is a threat every time he enters the offensive zone. He owns a shoot first mentality, and finds ways to get pucks to the net any way he can. He filters into areas where he can go unnoticed, and then catch and release pucks in a hurry. Although he didn’t score, he created chaos net front with rebounds/second chance opportunities. His release is quick, and his shot has power behind it. One of those players that will shoot from everywhere, given time and space.
| Matthew Maltais | Lincoln Stars | USHL | L | C | 6’2″ | 183 | Nebraska Omaha | 2024 | Saint-Basile-le-Grand, QC | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Game Grade: B
Maltais earned 17:16 in ice time (5th among fwds) including 1:53 on the PP (7th among fwds) and 1:38 on the PK (3rd among fwds). He finished even with 2 shots, 1 grade “A” opportunity, received 1 hit, had 1 shot blocked, 8 giveaways, 8 takeaways and for the season he is winning 46% of his 50/50 puck battles.
Comments: Maltais, despite not getting on the scoresheet, did a lot of little things right. Kept his feet moving in all situations which frustrated his opponents. Chipped pucks in at the blue lines and hunted it down to get it back. If he was able to recover pucks, he jammed it towards the net, creating chaos there. He has a good skill-set where he can make quick plays despite being pressured, whether it be a shot or a pass.
| Kai Janviriya | Lincoln Stars | USHL | R | D | 5’8″ | 170 | Connecticut | 2024 | Bloomfield, MN | 2005 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: B
Janviriya earned 21:46 in ice time (2nd among D) including 3:41 on the PP (game high) and 1:38 on the PK (4th among D). He finished -1 with 1 assist, 1 shot, 2 hits, 6 giveaways, 9 takeaways and for the season he is winning 54% of his 50/50 puck battles.
Comments: Janviriya is a smaller undersized defenseman who plays well with the puck. Not the most defensive defender, but he retrieves pucks well in his own end and zips them up ice tape to tape. He follows his passes and joins the rush as the second wave of offense any chance he gets, ready for pucks to come his way so he can make a play accordingly. In the offensive zone, he can hold onto pucks without panicking, making crisp plays and limiting turnovers.
| Tanner Henricks | Lincoln Stars | USHL | R | D | 6’4″ | 194 | St. Cloud | 2024 | Mission Viejo, CA | 2006 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: B
Henricks earned 19:05 in ice time (4th among D) including 1:05 on the PP (4th among D). He did not play PK. He finished +1 with1 shot, 1 hit, had 1 shot blocked, 9 giveaways, 12 takeaways (team high) and for the season he is winning 62% of his 50/50 puck battles.
Comments: Henricks is a steady, 2-way defender. He owns a good gap control, reading the play accordingly and using his speed to what his opponents are attacking with. He owns a long reach, which allows him to lead with it, especially off rush plays to break up passes/shots. He moves up and down the walls in the offensive zone, showing confidence by holding pucks in and then getting them towards the net. He can keep his feet moving towards the middle ice, have his hands in a shooting position, finding lanes, creating offense this way.
| Jared Mangan | Lincoln Stars | USHL | L | C | 5’10” | 172 | Clarkson | 2024 | Charleston, SC | 2003 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: A-
Mangan earned 17:54 in ice time (2nd among fwds) including 3:36 on the PP (1st among fwds) and 0:54 on the PK (5th among fwds). He finished -1 with 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 shots, 3 grade “A” opportunities, 2 PIMs, 12/19 on face-offs, received 1 hit, 9 giveaways, 7 takeaways and for the season he is winning 49% of his 50/50 puck battles.
Comments: Mangan hunted pucks back into his own end all night. Back-checked with a purpose, broke up rush plays and looked to transition the other way quickly. Scored the fourth goal of the game, by picking off a loose puck, skating end to end, changing the angle of his body/hands and shooting a puck through the defender, past the goaltender. His shot was heavy, quick and accurate, fooling the goalie as he skated in stride. In addition to his shot, he can pass the puck as well. Owns good patience on the half-walls (especially on the PP) where he surveys the ice and finds his teammates in scoring positions.
| Blake Montgomery | Lincoln Stars | USHL | L | LW | 6’3″ | 181 | Maine | 2024 | Annapolis, MD | 2005 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: B+
Montgomery earned 13:43 in ice time (8th among fwds) including 1:51 on the PP (8th among fwds). He did not play PK. He finished -1 with 2 goals, 1 assist, 4 shots, 5 grade “A” opportunities, 3 giveaways, 4 takeaways and for the season he is winning 41% of his 50/50 puck battles.
Comments: Montgomery has plenty of range to his game. Long, smooth skating strides that make it look effortless at times. He moves well up and down the ice and can lean on his opponents, holding the puck out in front of him (while protecting it) with his long reach. Despite being a bigger player, he isn’t overly physical, but doesn’t shy away from the hard areas of the ice. For example, goes to the net with or without the puck, stops there and looks for loose pucks to whack at. Strong on his stick and has a good nose for the net.
| Ryan Koering | Muskegon Lumberjacks | USHL | L | D | 6’3″ | 188 | Colorado College | 2024 | Eden Prairie, MN | 2005 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: B+
Koering earned 23:54 in ice time (2nd among D) including 4:42 on the PK (2nd in game). He did not play PP. He finished even with 1 assist, 1 shot, 1 grade “A” opportunity, 1 hit, 8 giveaways, 10 takeaways and for the season he is winning 60% of his 50/50 puck battles.
Comments: Koering is a solid 2-way defender who plays well at both ends of the ice. In the defensive zone, he uses his size to play defense. He moves his feet and smothers his opponents along the walls, hitting and pinning to break up pucks. He zips quick first passes up the walls when he has time, and if he is being pressured will simply high flip it out of the zone. Offensively, he doesn’t overcomplicate it. He walks the blue line, finds shooting lanes and gets shots towards the net (with or without traffic). At times, he was able to have mini give and go situations where he could catch and release pucks from the pocket areas in the OZ, creating some nice looks on net.
| Ty Henricks | Muskegon Lumberjacks | USHL | L | LW | 6’4″ | 216 | Western Michigan | 2024 | Mission Viejo, CA | 2005 | 2022-2023: C+ |
Game Grade: B
Henricks earned 11:26 in ice time (9th among fwds) including 2:00 on the PP (8th among fwds). He did not play PK. He finished even with 2 shots, 2 grade “A” opportunities, 1 hit, 4 giveaways, 0 takeaways and for the season he is winning 47% of his 50/50 puck battles.
Comments: Henricks had some great offensive looks throughout the game, but was unable to capitalize on his chances. He was sneaky in the neutral zone by poking loose pucks to his teammates, spinning off checks, moving his feet to open spaces and attacking offensively. As a bigger forward, moved well in straight lines, and typically attacked this way as well. Shot pucks in stride, hiding his release, owning a heavy shot.
| Sacha Boisvert | Muskegon Lumberjacks | USHL | L | C | 6’2″ | 179 | North Dakota | 2025 | Trois-Rivieres, QC | 2006 | 2023-2024: A- |
Game Grade: B-
Boisvert earned 20:02 in ice time (1st among fwds) including 3:15 on the PP (0:01 from team lead) and 0:53 on the PK (5th among fwds). He finished +1 with 3 shots, 5 grade “A” opportunities, 2 PIMs, 6/18 on face-offs, 4 giveaways, 6 takeaways and for the season he is winning 43% of his 50/50 puck battles.
Comments: Boisvert created some offense using his speed, shiftiness and ability to cut to the scoring areas. His longer reach was effective in pushing pucks out in front of him, curling them into his body, getting around his opponents and attacking the net. He owns a nice set of hands and can be creative with the puck when given time and space.
| Ethan Whitcomb | Muskegon Lumberjacks | USHL | L | RW | 6’4″ | 209 | Connecticut | 2024 | St. Catherines, ON | 2004 | 2023-2024: C+2022-2023: C+2021-2022: C+ |
Game Grade: A-
Whitcomb earned 19:56 in ice time (2nd among fwds) including 2:58 on the PP (4th among fwds) and 0:45 on the PK (6th among fwds). He finished +1 with 1 goal, 3 shots, 3 grade “A” opportunities, received 1 hit, had 2 shots blocked, 4 giveaways, 0 takeaways and for the season he is winning 42% of his 50/50 puck battles.
Comments: Whitcomb has the ability to be a game-changer with his speed, size and ability to control the puck. When he gets his feet moving, he is hard to stop as he leans on his opponents, out muscling them, getting to the net. He can attack off the rush, or during zone time. If its off the rush, he owns a heavy shot with a quick release (scored the only goal of the game this way). If its in zone, makes nice passing plays and then goes to the net hard, plants himself there and makes his presence be felt.
| Justin Solovey | Muskegon Lumberjacks | USHL | L | C | 6’2″ | 210 | Harvard | 2024 | Holmdel, NJ | 2004 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: B
Solovey earned 18:11 in ice time (3rd among fwds) including 2:18 on the PP (5th among fwds) and 0:36 on the PK (7th among fwds). He finished +1 with 1 shot, 1 grade “A” opportunity, 4 PIMs, 4 giveaways, 4 takeaways and for the season he is winning 42% of his 50/50 puck battles.
Comments: Solovey plays on the edge. He finishes his checks when given the opportunity and isn’t afraid to hack, grab and whack at his opponents. By keeping his feet moving, he frustrated his opponents because he had grit and tenacity when hunting down pucks. At times, he would go right through his opponents to get there. Offensively, his game resembled similar tendencies, where he would crash the net, stop there and look for loose pucks.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Scout: Mike Garteig