The Charlote Rush get to take on the Columbia Infantry tomorrow to open up the USPHL season. Hear thoughts from Associate Head Coach Trevor Kleckner on what to look for from each team.

ELITE

This week was our first week that the Elite squad practiced together as a team. As Coach Troy said previously, we made a lot of tough decisions for the last few roster spots on Premier which caused some very talented players to start the season on Elite. This created some very competitive practices the past few days which will contribute to their work ethic in games to come. 

Forward Spencer Barrow will be a player to keep an eye on this season as he always finds himself around the net in a position to score. He had a few goals in our exhibition games and we are excited to see what he can do in the regular season. 

Defenseman Landon Kinnear will also be a player to watch. Landon has improved tremendously over the past two seasons in a Charlotte Rush uniform. We expect him to take even bigger strides in developing as a defenseman this season as well as taking on a leadership role within the team. 

Goaltender Evan Crawford, in making his junior debut with the team, will be a solid goaltender this season. In transitioning from high school to junior hockey, Evan wasted no time showing us his capabilities as he put in a great performance last weekend in Columbia. We believe he will have a great season with the team we have built in front of him.

PREMIER

Having our Premier team practice together for the first time this week was very exciting to watch. This year’s Premier team is full of very skilled players who meshed quite well throughout the first week. We can’t wait for our first games against Columbia to see this team in action. 

Forward Rhett Evjen has been a pleasure to watch as he came to the team with Tier II experience in the SJHL and NCDC. For how tall Rhett is, he skates very well and capitalizes on almost every opportunity in front of the net. We expect him to have a great last season of juniors as he seeks an NCAA opportunity next year.

Defenseman Dylan Ray will be a huge leader in our defensive core this season as a returner. Dylan rarely finds himself in the wrong position as he plays a very structured game. He’s always in the right position which gives him opportunities to put up points. He should have a great season as a player who should also earn an NCAA opportunity. 

Goaltender Nick Anderson returns to the team after a strong performance with the Rush last season while also splitting time with the Northeast Generals. He put in his time last season, developing and learning under then starter and USPHL National Champion David Battisti. Nick will have a solid campaign this season leading our goaltending core just as David did.”

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