We're getting ready for another USHL season on The Hockey News with a look at the goaltending rooms in the Western Conference
The 2024-25 USHL season is right around the corner. To help get you ready, The Hockey News' USHL writer Ryan Sikes is looking at the goaltending situations across all eight Western Conference teams.
Below is a collection of information that I have been able to gather from various sources around the league.
Des Moines Buccaneers
Max Weilandt, Eliot Seguin-Lescarbeau
The Bucs will break in two new goaltenders this season after seeing both Ethan Dahlmeir and Jonathan Reinholdt move on.
Weilandt was drafted in the fourth round, 48th overall, in the 2024 USHL Phase II Draft after a solid showing with the NAHL's St. Cloud Norsemen last year. The 19-year-old posted a 2.26 GAA and 0.910 save percentage with two shutouts in 32 games.
Seguin-Lescarbeau was a second-round pick in this year's Phase II Draft, and the New Hampshire commit was one of the top-performing goaltenders in the NAHL a season ago. The 18-year-old recorded a 1.99 GAA and 0.925 save percentage with four shutouts in 38 games.
Fargo Force
Waylon Esche, Dane Callaway, Alan Lendak, Sam Scopa
Hampton Slukynsky (LAK) and Anton Castro both moved onto the NCAA, so the Force will be looking for a pair of goaltenders to step forward this year.
Esche posted a 19-14-0 record with a 2.83 GAA and 0.909 save percentage in 37 games for the Utica Jr. Comets last year.
Callaway was one of the best goaltenders in the state of Minnesota last year, posting a 20-9-2 record with a 1.86 GAA and 0.933 save percentage to go along with six shutouts in 31 games between the pipes.
Lendak makes the jump to the North American game after being taken in the second round, 27th overall, of the 2024 USHL Phase II Draft. The 18-year-old played above his age group for the HK Nitra U20 last year, where he posted a 1.95 GAA and 0.938 save percentage and an incredible 17-3-0 record in 20 games played. Lendak also saw five games for Team Slovakia at the 2024 World Juniors.
Scopa returns to the USHL after splitting time between the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and the BCHL's Brooks Bandits last season. North of the border, the Quinnipiac commit recorded a 9-0-1 record with a 2.88 GAA in 10 games played.
Lincoln Stars
Yan Shostak, Carter Richardson, Will Prowse, Ben Vatis
Shostak emerged as the No. 1 for the Stars last season and enjoyed a breakout season, where he registered a 3.05 GAA and 0.902 save percentage in 41 games played. The St. Cloud commit elevated his game in the playoffs, posting a 2.01 GAA and 0.939 save percentage across five games.
Richardson recorded terrific numbers for the NAHL's Maine Nordiques last year: a 20-5-2 record, 2.33 GAA, and 0.929 save percentage in 30 games. Added, the Lake Superior State commit guided Maine to the Division Finals, posting a 1.73 GAA and 0.950 save percentage in nine games along the way.
Prowse hails from Vail, Colorado and saw six games of action for Holderness School last year. Prior to that, the 17-year-old posted a 2.41 GAA and 0.908 save percentage in 29 games with the Rocky Mountain Roughriders 16U team during the 2022-23 season.
Vatis skated in 35 games for the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes 18U AAA team last year and posted a 1.69 GAA and 0.920 save percentage with eight shutouts, which were the second-most in the league.
Omaha Lancers
Mikhail Yegorov (NJD), Kam Hendrickson
The Lancers should have one of the better goaltending duos in the USHL this season, with both Yegorov and Hendrickson returning to the team.
Yegorov emerged as the No. 1 in net for Omaha last season, and he played much better than his numbers might suggest: 3.86 GAA and 0.892 save percentage in 43 games. The Boston University commit was drafted in the second round, No. 49 overall, in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Hendrickson stepped in after captaining Chanhassen High (Minnesota) last season. In the USHL, the Princeton commit played in just seven games but recorded a 2.92 GAA and 0.924 save percentage with one shutout. The Lancers used their first Phase II pick on Hendrickson to ensure he would return with them for the 2024-25 season.
Sioux City Musketeers
Samuel Urban, Bjorn Bronas
Urban headlines the Sioux City goaltending room after a strong showing with the Musketeers last year. The Arizona State commit posted a 3.17 GAA and 0.893 save percentage in 34 regular season games. Urban elevated his game in the Clark Cup Playoffs, registering a 2.44 GAA and 0.917 save percentage across eight games of action.
Bronas saw three games of action with Sioux City last year, recording a 1.55 GAA and 0.902 save percentage. After spending the last four seasons developing in the Chicago Mission youth hockey, the 17-year-old will look to spend the 2024-25 season in the USHL.
Sioux Falls Stampede
Aiden Wright, Ryan Manzella, Carl Axelsson
Wright was acquired from the Youngstown Phantoms this summer, and his junior hockey experience will be invaluable to the Herd this season. The Vermont commit recorded a 2.59 GAA and 0.902 save percentage in 22 games with the Phantoms last year. Prior to that, Wright played in 23 games with the NAHL's New Hampshire Mountain Kings.
A Phase II selection this year, Manzella formed a dynamic duo with Des Moines' Max Weilandt for the NAHL's St. Cloud Norsemen last year. Manzella posted a 2.62 GAA and 0.904 save percentage with five shutouts across 34 games.
Axelsson makes the jump to North America after playing for the Skellefteå AIK J20 team in Sweden last year. The 17-year-old recorded a 3.12 GAA and 0.893 save percentage with a remarkable 22-10-0 record in 33 games of action.
Tri-City Storm
Thatcher Bernstein, Miles Roberts
Bernstein was acquired mid-season last year, and the Harvard commit will look to take the next step in his game. Bernstein played in a secondary role to Cameron Korpi and recorded a 3.89 GAA in seven regular season games while also getting two games of playoff experience under his belt.
Tri-City acquired Roberts after serving in a backup capacity with Muskegon last year. With the Jacks, the 19-year-old tallied a 4.02 GAA and 0.876 save percentage in eight games.
Waterloo Black Hawks
Calvin Vachon, Phileas Lachat, Daniel Moor
Vachon returns to the fold after playing in 38 games with the Black Hawks last season. The Alaska-Fairbanks commit posted an impressive 22-12-0 record with a 2.81 GAA and 0.902 save percentage in 38 regular season games. Vachon also saw two games in the Clark Cup Playoffs.
A Phase II pick in this year's USHL Draft, Lachat excelled playing above his age group last season for the Biel-Bienne U20 team in Switzerland, where he recorded a 9-4-0 record with a 2.27 GAA in 14 games. Lachat has also gained experience playing on the international stage, representing Team Switzerland at the 2023 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup and the 2024 World Juniors.
Moor was wildly successful with the NCDC's Jersey Hitmen last year, where he recorded a 2.68 GAA and 0.924 save percentage across 34 games. Prior to that, the 18-year-old posted a ridiculous 1.36 GAA and 0.943 save percentage in 11 games of action for the Ramapo Saints 16U AAA during the 2022-23 season.