Played on Mar 7, 2025
United States Hockey League
Game Played in Covelli Centre
Caleb Heil (G, L, 6’2″, 196, Madison Capitols, 06/17/2006, North Dakota)
Game Rating
A
Caleb Heil’s playing style is characterized by simplicity and calmness, making him well-rounded in his movements and positioning on the ice. He maintains an upright posture, allowing for fluid movement, and actively scans the ice to identify threats with effective shoulder checks. However, he can be prone to widening his stance, which leaves him vulnerable and limits his mobility. Heil excels at tracking pucks, making quick angle adjustments, and controlling rebounds. His ability to set his feet well on pucks allows him to maintain stability, while his active stick position enables him to deflect passes effectively. Despite some minor issues with regaining balance from awkward angles, Heil generally shows good composure and movement.
1 Viewing
Comments: The North Dakota commit plays a consistent and calm game that has fluid movement and solid fundamentals. Creating a calm game from a mid-depth while gaining appropriately allows him to create a simplicity to his game. Retaining his feet and setting his edges allows him to stay compact and reactive while centering his body on pucks. Dropping into longer to medium range pucks and shifting allows him to keep his center line over pucks and increase his ability to control rebounds. His upper body swallows rebounds effectively from a well-balanced and upright chest with reactive hands. His lower body has an active stick but if not deflected to low traffic areas can spit them back. An ability to showcase athleticism when needed and sprawl to make quick cross crease saves is a nice attribute to add to a calm fundamentally based game. Comfortable in a reverse and using a paddle down blocker side creates a nice seal eliminating holes and can bump off effectively and regain his feet. Taking scans of the ice, he identifies threats and tracks pucks into his body effectively. A shutout performance stopping all 30 shots that came his way in this 1-0 win over Youngstown. Grade: A
Owen Lepak (G, L, 6’0″, 170, Youngstown Phantoms, 02/20/2006, Western Michigan)
Game Rating
A-
Owen Lepak is a goaltender who excels with a calm demeanor, using positioning and tracking to make saves. He creates a strong seal of the ice when in a butterfly stance and can move down effectively by regaining his back foot and adjusting his angle. However, he tends to widen his stance when unable to do so, limiting his movement. Lepak is comfortable with pucks down low or in awkward angles, using a reverse to seal holes and get in and out of plays.
1 Viewing
Comments: Hailing from Clarkston Michigan the Phantoms goaltender plays with poise and confidence showcasing solid movement and tracking abilities. Making use of a stance differential the Western Michigan commit seemed to add depth appropriately and play more of a mid-depth while pucks are in the zone. Powerful movement aids in setting his feet but maintaining them is a key. When he loses his feet and fails to get set is when his hands and knees tend to widen and open holes through his body. Only finding himself outside of his crease occasionally and quickly regaining is something that is caused by losing his feet and not catching to stop momentum. The use of a stance differential allows him to see above screens and maintain a calm demeanor. Comfortable in a reverse and moving in and out of it makes awkward angles seamless. His puck tracking ability enables him to control rebounds when able to by smothering them or directing them away from traffic. Some improvements made and a solid performance but coming up just shy in the 1-0 loss. Grade: A-
Photo credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images