RoughRiders, Force and Black Hawks Stay Hot

Libby Leonard/Fargo Force

Men's Ice Hockey | 10/23/2026 1:36:30 PM

Five weeks into the season, three teams are setting the pace, each in its own way. The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders sit atop the Eastern Conference behind three of the league's top four scorers. The Waterloo Black Hawks haven't lost in regulation all year, and the Fargo Force hasn't lost since Sept. 26, with both keeping the puck out of their net better than anyone else in the USHL.

Team Notes...
  • The Waterloo Black Hawks are on an eight-game point streak with a 7-0-1-0 record (W-L-OTL-SOL) and have won seven straight games, with their last loss dating back to their first game of the season on Sept. 17 vs. the Muskegon Lumberjacks. This is their first season under Head Coach and alum Brett Olson.
  • The Fargo Force is on a seven-game winning streak, boasting a +27 goal differential and two shutouts in that stretch. The Force is 8-2-0 in its last 10 games, with its last loss dating to Sept. 26 vs. Waterloo. Fargo is 8-3-0-0 this season and has played more games than any other USHL team.
  • After Fargo won 5-2 on Friday, Oct. 22, the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Force will meet again on Friday, Oct. 23, in another clash between the teams at the top of the Eastern and Western Conference.
  • Fargo dealt the Sioux Falls Stampede its only home loss of the season on Oct. 9. The teams will meet again at the home of the 2026 Clark Cup champion on Sunday, Oct. 25.
  • Waterloo and Fargo lead the USHL in limiting opponents to 1.88 and 1.91 goals per game, respectively. The Force is tied for second in goals scored per game at 4.00 behind the Tri-City Storm, which averages 4.80 goals per game.
  • Waterloo is clicking at 36.7% on the power play, going 11/30 in eight games. The Lancers are killing 92.3% of penalties (24/26), and the Stampede are killing 90.2% (37/41). Only the Lancers, Des Moines Buccaneers, and Sioux City Musketeers have three shorthanded goals this year.
  • The Black Hawks (3-0-1-0) and Chicago Steel (3-0-1-0) are the only teams without a regulation home loss. Waterloo (4-0-0-0) and the Musketeers (3-0-0-0) are the only teams without a regulation road loss. The Black Hawks travel to play the Madison Capitols twice this weekend, while Chicago hosts the Youngstown Phantoms and the Musketeers travel to play the Dubuque Fighting Saints in a two-game series.
  • After dropping its first three games of the season, the Capitols are 3-0-1-0 in their last four games. Madison played its first home game last weekend, a 6-2 win against the Steel on Oct. 17.
  • The Gamblers will play their next four games at the Resch Center after playing only one of their first eight games on home ice this season. Gunnar Conboy leads Green Bay with seven points in eight games (3-4–7).
Player Notes...
  • Waterloo's Sebastian Charvat is 4-0-0-0 with a League-leading 1.74 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage. Fargo's Sam Hrenak, a Winnipeg Jets prospect, has a 1.91 goals-against average, third-best in the USHL, a .939 save percentage, second-best in the League, and the most wins with a 7-2-0-0 mark. Hrenak has  played more minutes than any other goalie in the USHL.
  • Combined, the Black Hawks goalies Charvat and Charlie Menard (Augustana), who have split starts, have a 7-0-1-0 record, a 1.82 goals-against average, and a .936 save percentage.
  • Cedar Rapids' forwards and Minnesota natives Nathan Chorlton (Colorado College) (5-13–18), Henry Lechner (9-8–17), and Carter Ernst (St. Thomas) (2-13–15) lead USHL skaters in points, along with Sioux Falls' Joey Macrina (Brown) (3-12–15).
  • Lumberjacks rookie and 16-year-old Zaac Charbonneau (9-5–14) is fifth in League scoring. Charbonneau has had three multi-goal outings in his last seven games, including a hat trick on Oct. 17 vs. the Youngstown Phantoms.
  • Fargo's AJ Francisco (Notre Dame) (2-8–10), Sioux Falls' Anthony Bongo (Union) (3-7–10) lead USHL defensemen in scoring, followed by the Fighting Saints' Joe Wahlund (0-9–9) and Muskegon's Felix Färahammar (UMass) (2-7–9), a New York Rangers prospect.
  • Fargo's leading scorer, AJ Garcia (Notre Dame), has had at least an assist in eight straight games, 13 points (2-11–13) in that stretch, and has three straight multi-point games.
  • Dubuque's Caden Dabrowski (Merrimack) has three goals and seven assists, including two power-play goals and assists, in five games since making his season debut on Oct. 9.
  • Youngstown's Lukas Zajic (Wisconsin), who played the last two seasons for the NTDP, has four points (2-2–4) in three games for the Phantoms since making his season debut on Oct. 13.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Cooper Soller (Western Michigan) has 11 points in 10 games (9-2–11) and is on a four-game point streak (5-2–7) for the Stampede.
  • Waterloo's Cody Sokol (Wisconsin) is on a six-game point streak (3-6–9).
  • Max Anderson (Miami) has scored in four straight games for the Musketeers.
  • The NTDP's Finn Sears (Boston College) has nine points on a five-game point streak (3-6–9).
  • Recent NCAA Commitment: Olle Därth (Dubuque/University of Maine).
College Hockey Notes...
  • USHL alumni have claimed 34 of 65 (52%) Division I weekly honors this season: 9 of 12 in the NCHC, 7 of 9 Big Ten Three Stars, 5 of 8 in the ECAC, 3 of 8 in Hockey East, 5 of 16 in the CCHA, and 5 of 12 in Atlantic Hockey. They have claimed 16/21 (76%) honors in the NCHC and Big Ten alone, which represents seven of the top 10 teams in USA Hockey's College Hockey Poll.
  • Carolina Hurricanes prospect Jayden Perron (Michigan/Chicago), Calgary Flames prospect Ethan Wyttenbach (Quinnipiac/Sioux Falls), and Montreal Canadiens prospect Michael Hage (Michigan/Chicago) are the top three leading scorers in the NCAA, while Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Nick Moldenhauer (Michigan/Chicago) and Lightning prospect Jayson Shaugabay (Minnesota Duluth/Green Bay) are tied for fourth in NCAA scoring.
  • Owen Bartoszkiewicz (Michigan Tech/Youngstown) is 5-1-0 with a 1.83 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage. Utah Mammoth prospect Carl Axelsson (Minnesota Duluth/Muskegon) is 2-0-2 with a 0.96 goals-against average and .949 save percentage. Devils prospect Mikhail Yegorov (Boston University/Omaha Lancers) is 3-2-0 with a 1.78 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage.
  • 11 of the 13 players announced to represent the U.S. Collegiate Selects at the Spengler Cup played in the USHL.
    • Tyler Dunbar, Union, Muskegon/Lincoln (2020-23)
    • Ty Hanson, Minnesota Duluth, Sioux City (2022-24)
    • Evan Murr, Minnesota, Sioux Falls (2022-23)
    • Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth, NTDP (2022-24)
    • Michael Hage, Michigan, Chicago (2022-24)
    • Jayden Perron, Michigan, Chicago (2021-23)
    • Brodie Ziemer, Minnesota, NTDP (2022-24)
    • Zam Plante, Minnesota Duluth, Chicago/Fargo (2021-24)
    • Elliott Groenewold, Quinnipiac, Cedar Rapids (2023-24)
    • Dean Letourneau, Boston College, Sioux Falls (2023-24) - 1GP
    • Xavier Veilleux, Cornell, Muskegon (2023-25)
NHL Notes...
  • At 6'9", Cooper Black became the tallest goalie in NHL history with his debut for the Panthers on Oct. 22. Black played one game for the Lancers in 2020-21.  
  • Quinn Hughes (NTDP) of the Minnesota Wild is closing in on 500 career NHL points (68-430–498) in 518 GP. He is tracking towards becoming the second-fastest active defenseman and second-fastest U.S.-born player (Brian Leetch: 496 GP) to reach the benchmark.
  • Tri-City Storm alum Trevor Connelly (4-3–7) of the Vegas Golden Knights and NTDP alum James Hagens (3-4–7) of the Bruins are tied for third in NHL rookie scoring. NTDP alum Cole Hutson and Des Moines alum Ilya Protas of the Washington Capitals are also among the top 10 rookie scorers. Connelly leads all rookies with four goals.
  • Four of the top eight point-producing defensemen in NHL points played in the USHL: Hughes, Seth Jones (NTDP) of the Florida Panthers, Adam Fox (NTDP) of the Rangers, and Lane Hutson (NTDP) of the Canadiens.
  • NTDP alums Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel rank among the top six NHL skaters in points; Matthews and Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms) rank among the top four for goals, and Fox, Eichel, Matthew Tkachuk (NTDP), Hughes and Matthews rank inside the top eight for assists.
  • Jake Oettinger (NTDP) of the Dallas Stars, Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls) of the Bruins, and Jacob Fowler (Youngstown) of the Canadiens are among the top 10 NHL goalies in goals-against average. Oettinger, Swayman, and Joseph Woll (NTDP) of the Flyers also rank in the top 10 in save percentage. Oettinger leads all goalies in GAA (1.23) and shutouts (3). 
Overtime
  • Congratulations to the following USHL officials who have made or are making their professional debuts this season.    
    • Cam Giancarlo- 10/17 (ECHL)
    • Gus Ahrendt- 10/17 (ECHL)
    • Jaden Brignoni- 10/23 (ECHL)
    • Wyatt Corrigan- 10/23 (ECHL)
    • Ryan Baker- 10/23 (ECHL)
    • Takaji St. Pierre- 10/24 (AHL)
    • Daniel Fagan- 10/30 (ECHL)
About the USHL

The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading junior hockey league. This season, 45% of NCAA Division I men's hockey players and 25% of NHL players have USHL experience. The USHL has developed more than 315 direct NHL Draft picks since 2020, and nine of the last 10 Hobey Baker Award winners, including Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel).

Elevated through the recently announced Declaration of Excellence with the NHL and USA Hockey, the league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 90% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Jack Hughes (NTDP), Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede), and Johnny Gaudreau (Dubuque Fighting Saints).