Astapovich, Peterson and Wright Earn USHL Weekly Awards

The USHL announced its Players of the Week on Monday as Cedar Rapids forward Daniel Astapovich, Green Bay defenseman Lukas Peterson and Sioux Falls goaltender Aiden Wright took home the respective honors for games played between Dec. 31, 2024-Jan. 5, 2025.

It’s the third honor of the season for Peterson as the Maine commit continues to chip in from Green Bay’s blue line.

Peterson had three points (2-1-3) on New Year’s Eve as Green Bay fell to Cedar Rapids, 6-5. However, he picked up an assist in Friday's 7-4 win over Madison and had a goal and assist on Saturday in a 7-5 win at Madison.

Peterson finished last week with two goals, four assists and was also a plus-2. He’s now got six goals and 28 points through 31 games this season, which leads all USHL defensemen.

As for Astapovich, the Michigan native scored four goals and notched a pair of assists as Cedar Rapids went 2-2-0 on the week.

Astapovich had a goal and assist on both New Year’s Eve and Friday as Cedar Rapids beat Green Bay and Des Moines. The win over the Bucs came in overtime and Astapovich netted the game-winner 1:25 into the extra frame.

The Merrimack commit added another pair on Sunday afternoon, giving himself a team-leading 12 goals on the season. Astapovich has scored in five of his past seven games, lighting the lamp six times in that stretch and adding five helpers.

Rounding out the group is Wright, as the Vermont commit led Sioux Falls to a trio of home wins. The Stampede have won five straight, are 9-1-0 over their past 10 and now own the USHL’s top win percentage at .759.

Wright made 21 saves on New Year’s Eve in a 3-2 win over Des Moines, followed by 18 saves on Friday and 34 on Saturday. The Stampede beat Chicago on both nights, 4-3 and 3-2 to complete the sweep.

Wright is now 13-3-1 on the season with a 2.34 GAA and .910 save percentage, which rank third and fifth respectively among USHL goaltenders. His 13 wins are also tied for the second most in the league.